Year: 1878

breathed more freely after it was
over. 1t was temptation resisted-but
1 felt better after having done it. As
was asserting the letters preparatory to
putting them in the mail bag for New
York, one letter turned up and sent a
jealous shock through me that sent my
heart throbbing and my brain swimming
with sudden dizziness. 1 might have
expected to have seen it there, but not
the less did it affect me when I did see it
Joseph Norris, India Dock, New York {"
that was the address-and knew that
it was his. had dear little note in
that same hand writing next to my heart
then-a few graceful words thanking me
for book had sent her--a little note
that l had read over countless times,
and kissed it often, wondering would
it displease her to know how fondly
cherished it. thrust the hateful letter
out of my sight, and leaning my head on
the table, lived over again the hopes, the
fears, the wretchedness of the last twen-
ty-four hours.


The day before, while distributing the
nail matter, came across n letter ad-


ressed to myself, and on opening it
learned that through the generosity of a
distant relative, whose name / bore, /
had been left in California an inheritance
of 81, 900. What a change few strokes
Of pen had Notwithstanding Karl
Bargmann, postmaster of n secluded
Connecticut village, int6 Karl Bergman
the possessor of competence, we'll in
vested, yielding certain income And
how before my good fortune 1 had
thought of Annie Merrill as one ncseparated
from me by my poor circumstances, my
salary barely supporting my mother and
myself, and how could I ask any woman
to share my poverty. Now that burden
of poverty was most unexpectedly lifted
from me, I felt at liberty to tell her the
hopes I never dared to entertain till now
What would her answer be? That l
would learn that very night. In the
same mail with my letter was ono ad-
dressed to her, postmarked New York.
Her correspondence all passed through
my hands, but 1 had never seen that
writing before. That was no weak
wavering, feminine style. 1t was large,
clear, decisive, the writing of a self
possessed man. Who could the writer
be-? Annie's uncle, DIR. Merrill, had
male correspondents in New York. But
this letter was the first that had come to
her since she came orphaned from the
great city year before, and had been
received into her uncle's heart and home.
But other thoughts put the question of
the letter out of my mind. l sent by q
messenger few hurried lines to my
mother to prepare her for our good for
tune, and then counted the hours that
would pass before could offer my in
heritance to Annie encumbered with its
possessor. When | reached home I
found her there before me. Ny mother
who had taken her into her favor from
the first, her sweetness and orphaned
situation proving passport to her heart.
had sent for Annie to communicate the
good news to her. She was strangely
quite I thought, and there was troubled
look in her blue eyes I never saw there
before. In fact, after awhile subdued
feeling stole over us all. Annie's dis
quiet seemed to impart itself to us. I
was thinking how / could venture to tell
her all my hopes, and my mother, guess
ing what my thoughts were, left us to-
gether most of the evening, but my
heart failed me. 1t was only when was
walking home with Annie to DIR. Mer-
rill's that I found courage to speak. She
led me on by saying that I must not
think from her silence that she did not
rejoice in the happy change in my pros
poets, but no one could be more sincere
in her congratulations than herself. !
answered that my good fortune would be
valueless to me unless / could share it
with the girl loved.


''The girl. you love?" she repeated,
questioningly.


I felt her hand tremble on my arm.


'The girl love, Il answered, in tones
that she might have interpreted. but
failed to do 30.


ssShe ought to be happy woman,
she continued. "May I ask if / know
herr ?"