New Britain herald., 1916-09-15
What Was in Grace Draper's Letter
 Her Sister Brought to Madge?

The face of Mrs. German, Grace Drapers sister, was ashen with fear
 sts she confronted Lillian Underwood and me in the hallway of the old
 Brennan house at Marvin. Her ap-
 pearance was the one thing needful to
 convince me that something terrible
 had happened to Dicky, who, with Harry Underwood, had failed to re-
 turn from the city to keep an engage ment with us.
 Lillian and I had heard her flying feet from the room where we sat wait ing for whatever the night might
 bring forth. Lillian reached the door first. As she opened it, and the wom- an almost fell into the room, Lillian
 caught her by the shoulder and
 eteadied her. It was was not until I
 saw Lillian looking in puzzled man. Ter from Mrs. German to me, that
 realized that she had no idea who the
 visitor was.
 But Mrs. German waited for no for
 malities. She cast one swift glance at Lillian then shook off her hand and started toward me- She seized my
 wrist win a grip as of iron, and thrust
 a folded sheet of note paper into my
 hand
 Look at that" she screamed at
 me, "and tell me if if you know any, thing about it. Where is my sister Grace?"
 Lillian reached out a steady hand past me and took the paper. Mrs Graham is very nervous and very much upset she said gently. If, as I infer, you are Miss Draper S sister, l know as much about the sit
 uation as Mrs. Graham does, and you may be sure we will do everything possible to help you.''
 There's no help any more. I'm "fraid," the woman said solemnly, l with a sudden stoicism that was more awful than her wild emotion of the ! moment before. She sank into the rcarest chair, folded her hands quiet ! lW, but her body was bent rigidly for ward, her eyes fixed on Lillian and ! me.
 You must not keep anything from l he, Lillian," I said firmly. T am l strong enough to bear what has to be.
 Let me read this with you' 1 'T Shall Have Company" She put out her arm with a swift 1 enfold1ng gesture and gathered me to 1 her. Then she spread out the sheet of note paper and we read its contents ! together. It was written. in a hand that was steadiness itself, although ! one might well have expected l tremor in the fingers that had penned l the words we read
 1 Dear old Sis" the letter began, "I em going to put this under your pill 1 lew because I know that the last thing l you do before you go to bed is to put your purse and little jewel case there. I q ant a,,1 n ic than your bedtime because by that time 1t will be too late for you to in- terfere.
 There's no use in my saying any of 1 the usual rot about forgiveness or 1 love. I guess you know I've thought l as much of you as I could of anybody outside myself and one other person whose name you probably can guess. You've ragged me enough about him. You can be sure of one thing You've done every inch of your duty to me, and then a lot more I've been a disappointm and a worry to you, I know, but I am as the devil made me. I don't give the Lord any credit
 in my case, and. I'm sure He wouldn't
 want any, so don't waste any time in
 regret You've done the best you could
 for me. I've done the worst I could for myself, and there you are
 By the time you read this I shall have gone on long journey, the longest of all There is but one possi- h1lity that will make me defer this journey till later. That possibility shall find out about tonight. But If the answer to a question I shall ask is the one that will make me defer my jour ney, 1t is also an answer that would always separate me from you, any way. If the answer Is such as to make me take my journey, rest as sured l will not go alone. I shall