Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-20
(Continued.)


Dear Bart-It's all over for
long time, perhaps forever-that
will depend on you. ! shall be true
to you, II you really love me, even
If l have to wait many, many years.
Mother and father saw and read
your letter. They say We are too
young to be thinking about love
and that we have got to stop 1t.
How can | stop It? l guess l would
have to stop living. But we shall
have to depend upon our memories
now. l hope that yours Is as good
as mine. Father says no more let
tiers without his permission, and he
stamped his foot so hard that
think he must have made dent in
the floor. Talk about slavery
what do you think of that? Mother
says that we must wait-that 1t
would make father a great deal of
trouble II It were known that l al
lowed you to write. l guess the
soul of old Grimshaw is still follow
ing you. Well, we must stretch out
the lovely day as far as we can. It's
words and its sunshine are always
in my heart. 1 am risking the sal
walton of my soul in writing this.
But I'd rather burn forever than
not tell you how happy your letter
made me, dear Bart. 1t is that
Grimshaw trouble that is keeping
us apart. On the third of June,
1874, we shall both be 21-and l
suppose that we can do as we please
then. The day is a long way off,
but I will agree to meet you that
day at IL in the morning under the
old pine on the river where l met
you that day and you told me that
you loved me. If either Of us should
die our souls will know where to find
each other. If you will solemnly
promise, write these words and
only these to my mother-Amour
or.nia vincit, but do not sign your
name SALLY"
What a serious matter 1t seemed
to me then, l remember that it
gave Time rather slow foot.
wrote the words very neatly and
plainly on a sheet of paper and
mailed it to Mrs. Dunkelberg
wondered if Sally would stand
firm and longed to know the secret
of the future. More than ever
was resolved to be the principal
witness in some great matter, as
my friend in Ashery Lane had put
it.
was eight months with Wright
and Baldwin when l was offered a
clerkship in the Office of Judge
Westbrook, at Cobleskill, in Scho-
harie County, at two hundred a
year and my board. l knew not
then Just how the offer had come,
but knew that the senator must
have recommended me. 1 know
now that he wanted reliable wit
ness of the rent troubles which
were growing acute in Schohairie,
Delaware and Columbia counties.
1t was a trial to go so far from
home, as Aunt Deel put it, but
both my aunt and uncle agreed that
1t was ''for the best"
Mr. Purvis" had come to work
for my uncle. In the midst of my
reparations the man of gristle de-
cided that he would like TO go with
me and see the world and try his
fortune in another part of the
country.
How 1t wrung my heart, when Mr..
Purvis and I got into the stage at
Canton, to see my aunt and uncle
standing by the front wheel look
ing up at me. How old and lonely
and forlorn they looked! Aunt
Deel had her purse in her hand l
remember how she took a dollar
bill out of it suppose it was the
only dollar she had-and looked at
it moment and then handed it up
to me.
you better take it," she said.
I'm afraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembled!
I have always kept that dollar.
I couldn't see them as we drove
away.
l enjoyed the ride and the tav-
ems and the talk of the passengers
and the steamboat Journey through
the two lakes and down the river,
but behind it all was a dark back
ground. The shadows of my be-
loved friends fell every day upon
my joys. However, l would be
nearer Sally. 1t was a comfort
when we were in Albany to reflect
that she was somewhere in that
noisy. beWildering spread of streets