Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1894 — LILLIE’S LETTER. [ARTICLE]

LILLIE’S LETTER.

Kew York News. The tack parlor of the Grenville farm Louse was cool and delightful that warm August afternoon. r Beside the window, with the sum* mer sunshine crowning her fair head in alternate light and shadow, Lillie Ransom sat sewing, pausing now and then to dash the tears from her eyes. A lady, placid and beautiful in her white-haired old age, sat knitting in an old-fashioned cushioned rocking chair, her hands never pausing in their busy career, even when she looked up to talk to the young girl. ‘‘lt seems so strange that you will not stay, child, when you know how welcome you are.” Through her glasses the kind blue eyes, faded mayhap, but so-patient and pure, looked anxiously on the giri’s quivering lips. “Grandma. I know just how dearly you all love me, and how good every ohe has been since—since mother died. But I can’t stav, grandma, indeed I can’t; it would drive me wild to feel I was not earning my own living.” The sweet blue eyes—very like Grandma Grenville's had been fifty years agone—were turned imploringly to the old lady, who smiled cheerily. “I am sure I will let you do all grandpa’s linen shirts, Lillie; and’ what with a dress now and then for me, aud your own sewing, you’d earn your living.” Lillie tried to smile. “I can’t: I can’t! Oh, I know you think I am ungrateful, but if you only knew —” “Lillie!” and Mrs. Grenville’s voice broke upon . the tempest of grief—“my child, did you think I did not know? Lillie, you are going away from Grenville farm, not because you are too proud to take grandpa’s bread, but because Oscar Wynde has broken your heart.” The slender form shook like a reed in a strong wind. “Wasn'tit cruel,cruel in hTm~fust r when mother died? If she had left me an heiress instead of this old sewing machine he might not have deserted me. “Nobobv knows how much I thought of him —nobody only you, grandma. And now I can't stay here, where we were all so happy lately, and I think he is so Talse to me. Oh, grandma, sometimes I think it can’t be true that he has really gone to Europe and left no word for me." Poor Lillie! The sobs were choking her. Mrs. Grenville could only comfort her in silence, gently stroking the wavy, pale gold hair. “As a general principle I do not approve of second hand articles, Minna,” said Mrs. Osborne to her daughter. “However,if you wish to buy this machine I have no obActions. Is it in .perfect order? Mr. W.vnde, are you a ju Ige?” Mrs. Osborne smiled on the grave, handsome young gentleman who was Minna’s escort—Mr. Oscar Wynde—whom she ardently desired for a son-in-law. and whom Miss Minna nowise discouraged iu his casual attentions. Appealed to, Oscar glanced carelessly at the machine, then more attentively; then he turned to the salesman, a little flurried. “It is finished very highly. Is it actually second hand? Do you kpow who owned it?” •‘1 can soon tell you,” and he hastily turned over leaf after leaf of his book. “No. 21,325, cabinet ease, polished rosewt oJ, silver mounted, complete j attachments, $175 new; price SSO: ! exchanged for Miss Lillian Ransom.” ] “Thank you,” said Mr. Wynde. j “Miss Osborne, I would hardly ad-: vise you to purchase a second-hand machine. This is a better.” And while the ladies were examining another, Mr. Wynde stepped to the salesman and said: “Send that one to street, j I cannot explain now. —————-rj So it was Lillie Ransom’s sewing machine he had bought, just because he loved her vet, and yearned for something that belonged- to her, false though she had been. Was it not falsity in her? Had he not written to her aujinur before fee sailed-for Europe, and left the letter;in her mother's own hands? Had she ever written a line to the address .he had left in the note? Wasn't everything unaccountably br >ken off? He had been so surprised and grieved to learn, on his return, of Mrs, Ransom’s sudden death, not an hour after he had left the note to Lillie with her. He decided that in her dying moments Mrs. Ransom had obliged Lillie to give him up—though why, he could not imagine; or else that Lillie preferred a richer < man than he, now that sho was thrown entirely on her own resources. All such thoughts as those were filling his brain as he walked on,

having left the Osborne's in theft ' K At his room the sewing machine eras already waiting, cash payment having secured prompt delivery. It looked so natural. How often Lillie had chatted, over that machine; how often he had hidden her cotton in that self same drawer. ’ What! what was that? for his fingers came in contact with and] brought forth his sealed letter, writ- ; ten six months agone, and on the envelope was a fleck of blood! He fairly staggered to the nearest chair, As a relevation, he understood it all as well as if he had seen it. The absence of Lillie from home when her mother had been taken ill; the consequent excitement at the event, and natural hurried thrusting of the letter into the nea-est convenient receptacle; the fact of Mrs. Ransom’s inability to speak after the attack, and ohvionsly Lillie’s ignorance of everything. He forgot his own misery in contemplating what Lillie’s might have been, then, without a moment’s delay, drove to Grenville farm. After all had been explained and the lovers sat with hand clasped in hand, Lillie remarked: “It was so lucky that my employer wanted me to work on the —- instead of my own machine, otherwise I jiever shouldjiave exchanged. Oh, Oscar, wasn’t that a weary six mo-ths of parting?” And they are happy novr.