Edgerton High School - Edgertonian Yearbook (Edgerton, OH)

Page 51 text:

The Evans family lived next door to Sherman's and Dick, the only child, had been given the finest education and was now spending his summer vaca- tion at hom-e before he took up his fall work, as professor in the college of his OW11 Clty. p V He was a fine looking fellow of about five feet ten inches in height and his broad shoulders gave him a look of strength, He was a very jolly fellow, always in for a good time, and every one knew he would make a fine professor for the college. Alice excused herself early from the drawing room that evening, and hurried to her room, but it was many hours before she slept. She took the letter from its hiding place and read it again and again until she knew every word of it. VVhen at last her eyes closed she felt the letter crushed in her hand. XVhen she entered the dining room the next morning, she did not look like the same girl she was two days ago. She had an older look, one of more responsibility. XVas she more beautiful? Yes, far more. She looked so much different her father could not help saying, Alice, you look so well this morning. ' I am, father. I feel fine. Shermanis were wealthy people and Alice, her only sister, Edna, and her brother had had good educations, ller sister, being younger, was still in college. Alice was twenty-one and far more beautiful than her sister of nineteen. VVhen Alice went to her work on this particular morning, she was very careful to observe the windows along the street. In one she saw a young man sitting at his study window. .-Ks she passed he looked up from his work. He was no one she had ever seen. Could this be the one who had written the letter? A week passed and Alice heard nothing of her lover. A week from the morning on which she received her first letter, the postman brought her an- other written in the same handwriting. Alice hurried to her room, seated herself and read: Dear Alice,-A week since l have written to youg it seems an age. I have told of my love in the previous letter. I can only tell you it grows more every day. 'tif you are displeased with me, I have a way of knowing. Do not ask how? If you are pleased. this evening, put a rose on your front steps. Your Unknown Lover. That night, when the moon and stars appeared. any one who was watch- ing would have seen a beautiful girl, dressed in blue, appear on the front veranda with a rose in her hand, and go to the steps,-where she laid it down. She returned to a chair near the door. She sat there scarcely a minute, when she arose and almost ran to the steps. She snatched it up and hurried in the house, while her cheeks grew crimson with anger. 'What was I thinking of? she said. as she ran to her room. The one watching her thought a great deal more of her for that act. One afternoon not long after this, Dick came to the veranda where Alice was sewing and sat down beside her.

Page 50 text:

I THE TWO LETTERS. A letter from-ah! I thought that was from brother, but that is not his handwriting. lfVho writes to me besides my brother? No onef, said Alice, eagerly opening the latter. The envelope fell to the Hoorg her hands trembled as she read: Dear Alice,-You will no doubt be surprised to get a letter of this kind from some one you don't know and perhaps have never seen. I see you pass my study window every time you go to or from your work. You are very beautiful, so slender and straight, and sweet as a rose of june. Your pretty hands are as white as a lily. The flush of your cheeks is as the tirst bud of the morning. Your laughing lips have the color of a scarlet geraniumg but your eyes. how can I tell you of your eyes? They have the beauty of calm, wide waters when the setting sun has given them that wonderful color. S Some day, perhaps, we shall meet face to faceg then you will give me your permission to tell all that is in my heart. Until then remember me only by what I have said in this letter. Because I love you, Alice. Your Unknown Lover. Alice looked at the letter in wonder. Her first love letter! She ,still stood where she had received the letter from the postman at the door. I am going to have a secret, she said, all to myself. No one will know I got this and I will try to lind out who the writer is. l won't go to work today, but stay at home and help mother. She knew she dare not stand there long or she would be caught. So she folded the letter, put it in the envelope and ran to her own room, where she deposited it into safe keeping. She then hurried to the kitchen. so her mother would not suspicion anything. As she entered the door, Dick Evans appeared in the door leading from the garden. He greeted Alice and her mother in a neighborly way and picked up one ol' Mrs, Sherman's fresh made cookies and sat down in the doorway. Alice went about her work, but her thoughts were busy trying to read the mystery other letter. Dick finished his cookie and got up to go hack to his work. Say, Mrs. Sherman, said Dick, taking another cookie. you're one of the best cooks in this country, and Alice is another, I know, because I ate a piece of a cake she made the other day. It was simply scrumptious. That's all right, Dick: just come in any time, youre always welcome. I suppose you're glad to get hack from college again. said Mrs. Sherman. Yes, I am glad to get back. but I had a mighty good time while I was there those four years. Are you going back again? . No, I'rn through. I think I'll stay at home this summer and help dad in the store. XYell, I'l1 have to go back or I won't get that lawn raked before dinner. 5

Page 52 text:

Fine afternoon for a stroll, Alice, said Dick. I am busy with my sewing this afternoonf' was her answer. That sewing can go till some other day. This is such a splendid day, you cannot afford-to miss this walk. After about fifteen minutes of coaxing, Alice finally relented, a little unwillingly. 1 1 g .F VVhere will we go? said Dick as they started off. Let's go to the violet patch, down by the river. I like violets and they are out so pretty now. All right, that's where we will go. They walked toward the river, but had hardly gone a block before they met the man Alice had seen on that morning after she received her first letter. Alice felt a little uneasy, because he watched them so closely. VVho is that?T' said Alice to Dick, after they had passed. I don't knowg I have seen him, but I think he hasn't been here long. W'hen they came to the violet patch they sat down on a log to rest and pick the violets near them. Your eyes, said Dick, are the color of these violets. They look like the calm, wide waters when the evening sun has given them that wonderful colorf, - , Did you write those letters P said Alice. with a Flash of those beautiful eyes. Yes, dear, was all Dick could say. Alice fell to the ground disappointed that it was only Dick, but after a little consideration, she knew she loved him. Dick tried to make the best of it. 'Why don't you think me capable of writing letters like that P Yes, but I never thought of such a thing as it being you. Don't you believe I meant it ? said Dick. Yes, I suppose you did. Dick drew a little box from his pocket, which contained a small diamond set in a dainty ring, as he said, Alice, will you accept this F Her voice was so low he hardly heard the answer. Yes, Dick, she murmured, MARJORY SHARP, '16,