The Monticellonian., 1915-12-23
THE LOST LETTER
By CLARA sREVooRT.
tE4.+44+.tss.4..Et.t,s.s..t4+.t44+4.T

(. .Z -E-E.E4E-F+rEH.F.s59E E.EFl+4.+II..EEI-I.st.t
 Uncle Dick listened for minute at the foot of the stairs At last Jimmie was asleep! Evidently the hot water bottle and toothache medicine had done their work for the moans and groans had stopped. Jimmies mother had slipped away q few minutes be- fore, leaving Uncle Dick in charge
 Poor Dick" she reflected as she departed He hasn't been himself since Mary Hampstead went away in the fall Here it's almost April and he hasn't had any word from her yet l cant understand it at all. l always had an idea that sine promised to give Dick an answer in that letter he's looked for so eagerly and that has never come.
 The front door stood open and the breeze came in soft and warm from the south The sun. too was as bright and the sky as blue as June.
 Near the shed door stood an old fishing rod. Dick walked over and picked it up. The soft wind and blue sky and the whole outdoors were call ing him toward the river
 Jimmie and his toothache were for gotten while he made his way down the muddy road with the fishing rod over his shoulder and @ bucket of bait in his hand
 As he turned off the road to go through the broken place in the Hemp stead Is fence, and thence through the hickory grove toward the river. he heard horse behind him. He turned and looked straight into the startled blue eyes of Mary Hampstead But while he stood paralyzed, the look in the blue eyes changed instantly to one of contempt as her horse gal loped by.
 Mary homei Could it really be the girl who had teasingly promised him his answer in the first letter on her visit West
 He turned blindly toward the river and when he finally reached the place threw himself down deiectedly on a rock and tried to think
 Meanwhile Jimmie had nice com fortable nap. thanks to his mother g doetering and a quiet house. after which he wakened and hoped out of bed, yelling for someone to come and put his clothes on him.
 No one answered Jimmie went down stairs to investigate the silence. There was no one there. but the front door was open and the soft warm wind that blew in felt delicious. Jim mic went out on to the porch.
 What bully wind for a kite, and here he'd been shut up all day missing il, Suddenly he remembered he had no kite Yesterday 1t had hooked on top of the red oak and stuck there. Jimmie started for the tree. the wind blowing his night gown around his bare legs and feet The soft ground oozed up through his toes and he squealed delightedly. But the water in the creek was eold-too cold to wade through, Ooch
 He knew the very thing! Uncle Ned's boots! Back to the house and into Uncle Neds room. He knew where the boots were-in a corner Of the cupboard He carried them to the porch and tried to put them on. They were miles too high and too heavy. Out of one boot shot something that had been white. Now 1t was dirty. wrinkled and twisted Jimmy grabbed it and tore away the outside. Well, I'll use this old letter for kite. if 1 can't get mine. Where's that string had?"
 The creek and boots were forgotten. Jimmie, still in midnight attire. defied the proprieties and the toothache. by dancing gleefHlly all over the farm with his homemade kite
 Over in she Hampstead yard Mary was pondering about the look of mis- cry in Dick Randalls eyes as she had passed him It was almost time to feed the chickens, and she started for the granary.
 What in the world could that be tearing along the fence and yelling at something in the air?
 Sharp of wits and speedy of limb, Mary soon had little Jimmy in her arms. She wrapped her apron about him and carried him back to her house. the kite training on the ground.
 Bless his heart he's got letter for a kite" said her mother. Mary grab bed it up suddenly
 Jimmie, where did you get this?"
 "Out of Uncle Ned s boots" he gig gled. T just found it"
 Mary made suddenly for the door, A few minutes later Dick heard the twigs breaking near him. but did not look around. It mattered little who was coming.
 Suddenly two soft, warm hands GOV, cred his eyes and Mary's own sweet voice whispered.
 Guess who it is,s
 Bewildered. he reached up and touched her hands.
 I've come, she cried gayiy. re leasing him, "to deliver some belated mail, and after all think I'm glad you didn't get my letter until now Dick. l want to see if you look suffi. ciently happy when you read il. Jim mic just found it in Neds old boot He must have dropped il there when he was carrying the mail to the house the day it came, and here I've been wondering and wondering why"
 But Dick had heard enough Just what Mary had been wondering didn [ matter half so much just then as the enaI he mt mon he- willing Iins