The Washington times., 1922-12-30

over again the agonizing moment
when he had again visited the
postoffice, only to find his own
letter just inside the little door
his own letter crushed into q
pulpy ball, as though Sue had
wished to impress upon him her
utter disregard for 1t.
OF course, he had left without
seeing her again, nor had he
heard from her in any way ex.
cept q rumor that she still lived
in Springbrook. Was she mar.
ried? Had she any children?
Did she ever give him. the lover =.
of her sirlhood, a single thought?
She was altogether too lovely,
he argued with himself to re-
main forever unsought and after
all, 1t was too much to ask q
girl like Sue to bury herself in
Springbrook, while he went
forth alone to seek fame and ,
fortune. ,
Something, he scarcely real,
ICED what, turned the mans,
steps back again in the direc-
ton Of the cottage where Sue
had lived with her mother and
sister. Here was one place that
time had not changed. Every
thing about it was just as he
had remembered, even the old
knocker which Sue always kept
80 brightly polished. Yes--and =,
a coat of fresh white paint. with
green for the shutters! Why
he remembered as il it were but
yesterday. that the place had
just received q similar going
over the very day he left town.
But these children! There were
several in the yard and one little
girl was the very image OF Sue.
"Who-whose children are they?'
He asked falteringly of a man who
happened to be passing.
Them? Oh, therey're Mrs.
Bromley's-most of EN-, anyway
her that was Miss Easton.
One More Visit.
He recalled young Bromley.
but he hadn't been aware that Sue
ever even thought Of him. Oh.
well-it was as he had expected.
He had been foolish after all to
subject himself to this unnecessary
heartache. He found his way back
to the hotel and after a sleepless
night decided to make one more
trip to the tree on the bank or
the creek, before shaking the dust
Of Springbrook from his feet for
ever.
Again an indefinable something
prompted him to open the door or
bark and put his hand into rne
old postcffice. As he did SO ho
touched something which felt like
an envelope and wonderingly drew
it out. 1t seemed to be a letter
and was addressed to him, Mr.. Eric
Doane. in penmanship he never
could forget.
His hand trembled so that ne
could scarcely hold the paper Is
he unfolded it and read:
Dear Heart-I don't know
why you didn't take my answer.
from the tree that day. I placed
it carefully within, closing the
little bark door. and brushed your
letter into a ball for the round hole
as had forgotten to bring any
other paper. l almost died when l
heard you had left town and. found
in our tree only my own letter un.
opened. For every day Of these
last ten years I have written Q let
ter for our postoffice, hoping-yes.
believing, that some day you would
"a.
ing. God keep you wherever you
are.
SUE EAsToN."
He saw it all now. On that
never.to- be forgotten day, he had
pulled the crushed paper from
the hole and finding 1t his own
letter had gone on further, think
ing Sue had chosen this way to
show him she no longer cared.
Once more Eric Doane sought the
Easton cottage. A Sunday quiet
brooded over the place. but he
went briskly up the shaded walk.
and struck the brass knocker
soundly.
The little girl who resembled
Sue opened the door and in re-
sponse to his inquiries replied
QudlTtiN. les, SlT, NIIBS Ik8StOn
lives here. I'm Susie Bromley
and she's my auntie. She's to
church now and she hated to 20.
too. cause Miss Perkins, she's
our next door neighbor, she's
been calling Auntie Sue an old
maid. She talked to the whole
missionary society bout 1t. Said
Auntie Sue kept lettin' on she
was still waitin' for some beau
what used to he kinda sweet on
her, but that everybody In town
knowed she'd been plain Tilted.
whatever that is"
Leaving the astonished child
still chattering. Eric Doane hur-
ried down the walk, up the street
and straight into the Methodist
church. It required but a few
moments in the rear Of the
church. during the hush Of pray.
er, to locate Miss Sue Easton,
and while the hymn was being
given out. q strange man walked
up the aisle, into the Easton
pew. and helped himself uncere-
moniously to a half OF Miss Sues
open hymn book. She looked UP,
at him and smiled a sweet, vel.
coming smile. just as though aAe
had been expecting him, and both
the man and the woman Joined
In the singing.
Next day Miss Perkins. whose