Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-14
CHATTER III.
A LOVE-LETER.

This evening directly I had swallow
ed my quiet old meal 1 got the table
cleared and. sat down to write.
Funny to think that this was my
first shot at-yes, q love-letter. Fun
ny that it should be to a girl whose
very name / didn't know. That
didn't. make any difference. I loved
since this morning when her looking
at me like that went through me like
a knife, and 1 just meant to tell her
&c.
Difficulty was how to address her.
Dear NJ adam?" Too much like q
shop acknowledging an esteemed
cheque.
young lady" No; the way some
people call out to the waitress In a
tea-room. ,
JILL was my own little name fot
her. but, that wouldn't do straight
away of course.
Pity there's no. trahslating the
French way Of beginning Made.
full and yet might be taken in an at.
f~ecttonate sense as well: ina De.
moiselle"-"my LADY," That Wa
what she meant to me, after all. Well,
Why not?
Having got that start. I could be.
gin scribbling away on my pad will
the fountain pen I'd kept right from
the beginning of the War; (n6t s<
surprising perhaps when you consid.
er how few letters I'd had to write.
I wrote now, and Jove, I found
was making up for those cams
hadn't written before tt those folk,
at home that I hadn't had. I foun6
myself doing what I eve though
I should do in this world. puttint
down on paper things I'd not mention
ed to q living soul. Funny, wasn't it
To this little maiden that I didn'
know anything about except that sh<
passed down a certain street ever.
morning wearing a purple hat and
carrying a brown leather CASE an<
that she'd turned me down with s
crash for v~enturins to say good,
morning to her-to this girl I Wrot.
as I'd never talked to Tim HARRISON
all the years we were pals. I coukn'
have told him what I told her in tina
letter.
I put
MY Little Lady:
please read this letter. There i
nothing in 1t that I would not put i
you We're a princess and I yer
hootbiack. SO you need not be afrait
that it won't be respectful enough
sven IT it is outraging all the conven
tfonAhties for me to write to you
all.
PLEASE lot me tell you q story:
think it's going to be easier 30 explain
to you that way, and ever II you d,
laugh It will be better than having 70,
angry with me and thinking 70,
thought I thought ali kinds Of THINGS
please excuse grammar. Here's tn
story:
"once upon a time there was . DO.
called Jack Srnfth-ruunmy little cha
-and he had dreams. He dreamt o
q little island somewhere by wher,
the dawn lives. It. had q wonderful
little lagoon in tho middle and 1t wa.
q wonderful little island altogether
Here I chucked writing for q min
ute and sort Of went back Into thos'
Rng-a8o dreams of mine. The.
seemed to rise up like . $ mist tia
hid my lodging-housc dtting-roon
with the incandescent gas-braeke
and my disreputable old overcoa
hanging on the door and the Solvent
shell-case that I'd got hold OF o
Lille, on tho .mantelpieco. Funn!
what different places We Nvo In, ii
everyday life, to the places we won
der about In our minds but never tall
about. But I had to tell tho little CIR
about my island.
] wrote on.
Most OF 1t came out OF books, I OK
pect. but It seemed as II It belonged
to him. Its waters wore all opal.
because OF the dawn. audit had whit
sand, all sparkly, and Thousands O
little pink shells. The gracs and 4tht
trees were just there without benz
real because grass wasn't beautiful
enough. the tips OF some OF the lit
tie feathery trees were just uncurhng
and there were bracken-fronds softi!
standing like fairies going to rub thei
syes all dewy In the dawn. Il Away
was dawn there. you see; sunrise
Please do not laugh.
No one was TO really come to fhi
island OF his because they might nav.
ttrcdden ON thsspink SiSlls ARA eDoii