The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-13
The LOST LETTER
BY CLARA RREVOoRT.

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 means and
groans had stopped. Jimmie's mother
had slipped away 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. +
1 can't understand it at all. | always /
had an idea that she 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 I
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 a bucket of bait
! in his hand
As he turned off the road to go
| through the broken place in the Hemp
/ stead's fence, and thence through the
hickory grove toward the river, he
heard q 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
Hoped 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 dejectedly on
rock and tried to think.
Meanwhile, Jimmie had nice COM
Portable nap. thanks to his mothers
doctoring and a quiet house, after
which he Weakened 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
ME went out on to the porch
What a bully wind for kite, and
here he'd been shut up all day missing
it, Suddenly he remembered he had
no kite. Yesterday it 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 cold-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 it was dirty,
: wrinkled and twisted. Jimmy grabbed
: it and tore away the outside Wen
a I'll use this old letter for kite, if j
e can't get mine. Where's that string
n had?"
e The creek and boots were forgotten
e Jimmie, still in midnight attire, defiel
e the proprieties and the toothache, by
h dancing gleefully all over the farm
e with his homemade kite.
n Over in the Hampstead yard Mar,
t was bordering about the look of mis-
5 cry in Dick Randalrs eyes as she has
i passed him. It was almost time tt
e feed the chickens, and she started TO
r the granaTy.
e What in the world could that b.
tearing along the fence and yelling a
> something in the air?
= Sharp of wits and speedy of limb
: Mary soon had little Jimmy in he
:, arms. She wrapped her apron abou
:, him and carried him back ito he
= house, the kite training on the ground
Bless his heart, he's got letter 70
: kite said her mother Mary grab
:, bed it up suddenly.
Jimmie, where did you get this?"
Out of Uncle Neds boots" he gig
= gled. i just found it,"
!, Mary made suddenly for the door.
:, few minutes later Dick heard tn
twigs breaking near him, but did no
: look around. 1t mattered little win
:, was coming.
= Suddenly two soft, warm hands Gov
- cred his eyes and Mary's own swee
voice whispered.
er Guess who it isl"
IT, Bewildered, he reached up AM
lg touched her hands.
10 I've come" she cried gayly, re
OIL leasing him, ito deliver some belatet
u mail and after all I think I'm glal