Year: 1879


haps, If he had done so, he would have
been the recipient of a surpise as great
as hers for the letter which he had
seen lying on her lap Of the spinster
ran as follows =


"MY DEAR Miss HANNAH-During
the past three weeks we haye seen more
of each other than ever before and have
learned to love you devotedly. Dare
hope that may win you for my own 7
Your grace and loveliness of person
have stirred this heart, which has never
before succumbed to woman and my
only fear is, that you will not think my
love worthy your acceptance. If you
can give me favorable answer, write it
and bring it to my door tomorrow at
four o'clock. Susan will see that 1t is
given to me at night, for L shall be
away all day.


If your answer is unfavorable, If
you feel that / am not worthy the
blessed boon of your pure young love,
sufficient to tell me that my hopes, my
ambition, are blasted and ruined forever
and my heart blighted evermore.


Yours devotedly,


LEONARD Il. AsTLY."


Ills was bnG lcbJtT ONcT Wulcu MISS
Hannah was dreaming in the freight
Perhaps to a young lady with whom
offers were plenty this letter would have
been stamped as counterfeit at once, but
it had been years since Miss Hannah
had received love-letter, and the lam
guage to her did not sound unnatural.
During the three weeks which had
elapsed since she had stopped in the rain
to tell DIR. Ashley about the Affections of
the Brewer family, they had met very
frequently.


DIR. Case was only just beginning to
grow better, and DIR. Ashley had his
hands full. In the hovel of every poor
patient, in the town hospital, and
among the needy of every grade, DIR.
Ashley had seen Miss Hannah and,
while she had learned to admire and
love him for the gentleness and patience
he showed on every occasion, he had
learned to know how noble and gener-
Gus heart beat in the breast of the lit
tie old maid. But he imagined that the
woman he was to marry was Gertrude
Lorrimer, whose bright dark beauty
and graceful manners were to make his
home an earthly Eden.


Miss Hannah was astonished at re-
ceiving her letter. A continued rap
ping on her cottage door caused her to
open it, to find the letter tied to the
knob, but no one in sight.


Johnny Brewer had done his errand
well, and had spent, in tops and mar
bles, the money Nettie had given him.


Miss Hannah had seen the hand
writing of the doctor very frequently,
and Gertrude's clever imitation would
almost have deceived the doctor him
self.


When the little old maid read the
joint production of the girls, the tears
came into her soft blue eyes. She new
er doubted the genuineness of her love-
letter. AS she read what 1t said of her
grace and loveliness, a sigh escaped her
lips.


I" How wish, for his sake, that was
lovely and gracefully" she unused as she
sat by the glowing fire. How can 1
really believe that he loves me He is
so noble, rich and handsome and I've
thought he loved Gertrude Lorrimer,
and pitied him, for she will never make
any man happy. And to think, that,
after all, am his choice! 1 never
dreamed that such happiness could come
to me.


60 He was telling me, only yesterday,
how lonely he often felt in that elegant
house of his, and how Mrs. Beck neg
lected his comfort in every respect.
felt sorry for him then and to think
that now have the chance to make his
home bright and happy !"


So Gertrude Lorrimer was right The
letter of acceptance was written before
the little woman slept that night; and,
at four o'clock the next day, the two
girls, who were eagerly watching, saw
her give the precious missive into
Susan's hands.


How they laughed and rejoiced as they
saw her move slowly away, in deep
thought their little old maid, whom
they had so cruelty deceived. They
were delighted at the success of their
plan, and speculated as to what the doc
tor would do and say, and whom Miss
Hannah would accuse of the deception.





When DIR. Ashley returned home at