The Washington herald., 1919-11-01

better than thought Why. IL was
positively terrified when you walked
In. And to think you didn't need any
sympathy"
Il do need that job, though. 1t will
enable me 10 get married.
''Nonsense! Better walt. don't
believe In early engagements"
''oh yes. you do.
We'll. that depends. But, say
you're q pretty nervy- youth to turn
down my daughter and then hold me
up for a job. all In the same breath.
Here! Don't dance on my rug. 1
ought to be offended. and l am, but
Get out while l telephone Elsa. SO
she can dance. too" sE
O'Reilly spent that evening In writ
ing a long letter to Rosa yarona-
During the next few days his high
spirits proved q trial and an affront
to Mr.. Slack. who. now that hs en-
pioyer had departed for the West. had
assumed a subdued and gloomy dig
nifty to match the somber response
bilities OF his position.
Other letters went forward by sue
ceeding posts. and there-was no doubt
now that O'Reilly's pen was tipped
with magic. He tingled when he re-
read what he had written. tie bade
Rosa prepare for his return and their
immediate marriage. The fun and the
excitement Of, planning their future
caused him TO I'LL page after page with
thrilling details OF the fiat-hunting.
home-fitting excursions they would
take upon their return to New York.
He wrote her ecstatic descriptions OF
q suite Of Grand Rapids furniture he
had priced; he wasted thousand
emotional words over a set OF china
he had picked out. and the results
of a preliminary trip into the apart
ment-house district required a con-
vulsive three-part letter to relate. 1t
Is remarkable with what poetic fervor.
what strength Of feeling. a lover can
describe a five-room fat; with what
glories he can furnish it out OF a
modest salary and still leave enough
for q life Of luxury.
But O'Reilly's letters did not al
ways touch upon practical things:
there was a wide streak-of romance
in MN. and much Of what he wrote
was the sort OF thing which romantic
lovers always 'write-tender, foolish,
worshipful thoughts which halt
absshed him when he read them over.
But that Rosa would thrill to them
he had no doubt. nor had he any fear
that she would hesitate TO leave her
native land for him. O'Reillys love
was unlimited; his trust In the girl
was absolute. He knew. moreover
that she loved and trusted him This.
to be sure. was a miracle-a unique
phenomenon which never ceased to
amaze him. He did not dream that
every man had felt the same vague
wonder
And so the time passed rapidly. But.
strange to cay, there come no answer
10 those letters. O'Reilly chafed; he
cursed the revolution which had made
communication so uncertain: at length
he cabled, but still the days dragged
on with no result Gradually conJec-
lures gave way TO apprehension. Tn
reasonable conjectures bsslesed his
mind and destroyed his peace.
Great was his relief. therefore. when
one day a worn. stained envelope ad-
dressed in Rosa's own hand was laid
upon his desk. The American stamp
the Key West postmark. looked
strange. but Her first letter! o'Reil-
ly wondered IL his first letter to her
could possibly have moved her as this
HlONcu Hl1u ne klSsed tne envelope
where her lips had carSssed II In the
sealing. Then with eager fingers he
broke Y open.
1t was a generous epistle. long and
closely written. but as he read his
keen delight turned to dismay, and
when he had turned the last thin page
' his braih was in widest turmoil. He
thought ne must be dreaming. He
turned sick. aching eyes un,n his sur
roundings to prove this thing a night
mare. but the prosaic click of a type
writer and the drone OF a voice dictat-
ing quotations on Brazilian coffee were
conclusive evidence to the contrary.
Those pages between his thumb ana
finger were real. Yes. and that was
Rosa's writing. Could II be that ue
had misunderstood anything? .Ie
turned to the beginning and attempted
to read. but his hands shook so that
he was obliged to lay the letter fiat
upon his desk.
Rosa's Spanish training had been
severely tried. The stir. quaint for
maNy OF her opening paragraphs only
servoI to emphasize her final fright
ened ary for help.