Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-04-01
.StarEgh7 +
By the Noted AnshOr
mAH M-aLoNE GIBSON

u'Iy pathetic letter.
lie died suddenly, Virginia,
sne wrote. He didn't hass tiE'
leTen to bid goodbye. He didn
even have time to change his VII
1 If he had wanted to ard l am yer
laiad that he did not for ne lei
| what he had in life interest 70 M
/ and then afterWard to you. ana
Virginia, strange as it may seem
lane win says that II your fathe
he alive he is to be one OF the e4
| ecutors. Judge Montforth IS th'
other. -,
You see, your grandfather SUI
mad the deep-seated feeling ina
40 woman would know enough
about affairs to execute viii.
Il am very lonely, Virginia.
I leel like a withered tree, uproot
\ ID and thrown out somewhere
\ without the power or lncllhatio'
% root again into any soil.
Judge Montforth has advised
me to come out to you. lie say
that your grandfather has LETT me
A comfortable income and that l
will not be a charge upon anyone
and that | can travel if | want
90. On, Virginia, | hope you will
Sant me to come to you. l nave
5een in the papers that awfui
thing that happened to your
friend, Kitty, and l am worried
chat you are alone in a place
where such things cad happen.
Don't you want me, Virginia!
1 won't any trouble and | would
ike to see the great new country
out there in thu west. | would
ike to see the great industry OF
which you are a part and perhaps
[ would be of some use to you i'll
many ways.
Il am waiting impatiently to
near because l do not want to
come, dear child, il you think that
will impede your progress in
any way.
You will see that am sending
you the package that your father
sent your grandfather, asking him
to give to you when you were old
enough to understand.
Il think it contains a message
from your mother as well as from
your father.
Whatever it is, dear, don't let
it sadden you, for again l repeat
to you, the words that your moth
er wrote to me just before you
were born:
II anything should happen
when my baby comes, Virginia,
don't grieYe for me. For I would
rather have had this one year OF
life with Ralph and end it now,
than to have lived on to the al
lotted fourscore and ten without
knowing him and his love-
1t just seemed to me that II
could not wait until | had writ |
ten telegram to Aunt Virginia
and sent it.
"Of course | want you, dear
Aunt Virginia. will be in San
probably a week, but
come just as soon as you can. Go
to Los Angeles. Moth
ng can make me unhappy as long |
as am going to have you. Wire
ne here, st. Francis, when to
meet you In Los Angeles.
VIRGINIA"
l thought was telling the
ruth when l wrote the MESSAGE
% Aunt Virginia-when | said |
nothing could make me unhappy
Is long as l am going to have
ler-and yet, if shall live to be
fery old, l never can be more
Unhappy than l was during the
week following my message.
For a long while l sat holding
he yellowing package which
AUNT Virginia had sent.
My fathers hand had sealed it,
dy father had written across 1t
To my daughter. Virgfnia-the |
Iearest thing on earth to me-for
Ter to read when she Is old
nough to understand.
RALPH WINSTON"
bent down quickly and kissed
ny fathers signature. What a
oy it was to me to remember that
drs. Chester had said that my
ather man of his word and that
ny mother was the love of his
he! l know that IL he had writ
en- tnat | was the dearest thing
o him on earth, he has written
omething he literally meant.
At last opened the envelope
he letter began:
To my dearly beloved daugh-
er:
When you read this letter
irginia. my child, l want you to
nderstand clearly that the only
eason | am giviss you up to your
randfather is because do not
nink that I have long to live. If
refuse you to him he will prob
oly refuse to take you after I am
One.
I know that you will have a
bod home and loving care. for
Dur Aunt Virginia is one Of Gods
Sn women-second only to your
tinted mother.