"A week!"Ruth said to herself the next morning."Seven long days!No letter,because he mustn't write,no telegram,because there's no office within ten miles--nothing to do but wait!"When she went down to breakfast,Hepsey did not seem to hear her cheery greeting,but was twisting her apron and walking about restlessly."Miss Thorne,"she said,at length,"did you ever get a love letter?""Why,yes,of course,"laughed Ruth."Every girl gets love letters."Hepsey brightened visibly,then inquired,with great seriousness:
"Can you read writin',Miss Thorne?"
"That depends on the writing."
"Yes'm,it does so.I can read some writin'--I can read Miss Hathaway's writin',and some of the furrin letters she's had,but I got some this mornin'I can't make out,nohow.""Where did you find 'writing'this morning?It's too early for the mail,isn't it?""Yes'm.It was stuck under the kitchen winder."Hepsey looked up at the ceiling in an effort to appear careless,and sighed.Then she clutched violently at the front of her blue gingham dress,immediately repenting of her rashness.Ruth was inwardly amused but asked no helpful questions.
Finally,Hepsey took the plunge."Would you mind tryin'to make out some writin'I've got,Miss Thorne?""Of course not--let me see it."
Hepsey extracted a letter from the inmost recesses of her attire and stood expectantly,with her hands on her hips.
"Why,it's a love letter!"Ruth exclaimed.
"Yes'm.When you get through readin'it to yourself,will you read it out loud?"The letter,which was written on ruled note paper,bore every evidence of care and thought."Hepsey,"it began,and,on the line below,with a great flourish under it,"Respected Miss"stood,in large capitals.
"Although it is now but a short interval,"Ruth read,"since my delighted eyes first rested on your beautiful form--""Five year!"interjected Hepsey.
"--yet I dare to hope that you will receive graciously what I am about to say,as I am assured you will,if you reciprocate the sentiments which you have aroused in my bosom.
"In this short time,dear Miss,brief though it is,yet it has proved amply sufficient for my heart to go out to you in a yearning love which I have never before felt for one of your sex.
Day by day and night by night your glorious image has followed me.""That's a lie,"interrupted Hepsey,"he knows I never chased him nowheres,not even when he took that red-headed Smith girl to the Sunday-school picnic over to the Ridge,a year ago come August.""Those dark tresses have entwined my soul in their silken meshes,those deep eyes,that have borrowed their colour from Heaven's cerulean blue,and those soft white hands,that have never been roughened by uncongenial toil,have been ever present in my dreams."Ruth paused for a moment,overcome by her task,but Hepsey's face was radiant."Hurry up,Miss Thorne,"she said,impatiently.
"In short,Dear Miss,I consider you the most surpassingly lovely of your kind,and it is with pride swelling in my manly bosom that I dare to ask so peerless a jewel for her heart and hand.
"My parentage,birth,and breeding are probably known to you,but should any points remain doubtful,I will be pleased to present references as to my character and standing in the community.
"I await with impatience,Madam,your favourable answer to my plea.Rest assured that if you should so honour me as to accept my proposal,I will endeavour to stand always between you and the hard,cruel world,as your faithful shield.I will also endeavour constantly to give you a happiness as great as that which will immediately flood my bing upon receipt of your blushing acceptance.
"I remain,Dear Miss,your devoted lover and humble servant,"JOSEPH PENDLETON,ESQ.""My!My!"ejaculated Hepsey."Ain't that fine writin'!""It certainly is,"responded Miss Thorne,keeping her face straight with difficulty.
"Would you mind readin'it again?"
She found the second recital much easier,since she was partially accustomed to the heavy punctuation marks and shaded flourishes.
At first,she had connected Winfield with the effusion,but second thought placed the blame where it belonged--at the door of a "Complete Letter Writer.""Miss Thorne,"said Hepsey,hesitating.
"Yes?"
"Of course,I'd like my answer to be as good writin'as his'n.""Naturally."
"Where d'you s'pose he got all that lovely grammar?""Grammar is a rare gift,Hepsey."
"Yes'm,'t is so.Miss Thorne,do you guess you could write as good as that?""I'd be willing to try,"returned Ruth,with due humility.
Hepsey thought painfully for a few moments."I'd know jest what I'd better say.Now,last night,I give Joe a hint,as you may say,but I wouldn't want him to think I'd jest been a-waitin'for him.""No,of course not."
"Ain't it better to keep him in suspense,as you may say?""Far better,Hepsey;he'll think more of you.""Then I'll jest write that I'm willin'to think it over,and if you'll put it on a piece of paper fer me,I'll write it out with ink.I've got two sheets of paper jest like this,with nice blue lines onto it,that I've been a-savin'fer a letter,and Miss Hathaway,she's got ink."Ruth sat down to compose an answer which should cast a shadow over the "Complete Letter Writer."Her pencil flew over the rough copy paper with lightning speed,while Hepsey stood by in amazement.
"Listen,"she said,at length,"how do you like this?""MR.JOSEPH PENDLETON--
"Respected Sir:Although your communication of recent date was a great surprise to me,candour compels me to confess that it was not entirely disagreeable.I have observed,though with true feminine delicacy,that your affections were inclined to settle in my direction,and have not repelled your advances.
