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Show J i i i .1 if i i ) r. t ri i THE LETTER By MOLLIE MATHER. Copyright, 1121, Western NeWppr Union. The mistake, perhnps, wna In inviting invit-ing Oonnlo to Kluihurst. Hut Dnvld hud been so perverse In his love affairs af-fairs that his elderly sister hoped propinquity pro-pinquity might aid her choice, for It was she who secretly selected Con-stnticc Con-stnticc Violet ns n future wife for her admirable, but difficult brother, trusting trust-ing thnt his nffectlon might follow her own. She had met the girl nt the home of n mutual friend, and had promptly fnllpn In love with her sweetly sweet-ly natural ways. "Constnnco has character," char-acter," Miss Ilruce .told her skeptical brother. "Walt until you see As time passed Dnvld Ilruce enme to coincide with his sister's vlows; so much did ho coincide thnt he dlscnrd-ed dlscnrd-ed bis dignified demeanor and became, us Connie laughingly told him, "almost "al-most human." His high public position may bare been accountable for bis usual attitude atti-tude of aloofness, but Connie, accepted accept-ed him on equnl ground. "Como on," she called to him enrc-lessly enrc-lessly one morning, "let's you nnd I go berrying. I'll pick the berries on tho outsldo of the bushes, nnd you can scramble where the brlnrs nre." And David, tho dignified, "scrambled in," enjoying, evidently, the pursuit Miss Bruce w delighted with her matrimonial scheme; to bring Dnvld dmvn from bis high horse wns a conquest con-quest Indeed, "He Is as unapproachable as oM Uncle Ituthford," she was wont to complain, Uncle Ituthford having been the arrogant master of Elmhurst-on-the-Hudson, In yenrs that were gone. Why he had died a bachelor, leaving his estate to David Bruce, no one. know. The snmo stubborn pride was evinced In David Bruce, when Constance Con-stance Violet met the caretaker's son. Affairs had been running so smoothly l)Ctween her brother and the girl of her choice, that Miss Bruco was content con-tent to hope. Then tho unusual character, char-acter, for which she had professed admiration, ad-miration, became her provocation. Connie showed openly an admiring Interest In-terest In tho caretaker's son, spending much of her time with him. It was most annoying. The young man recently re-cently returned from college to visit his father in a stone cottage near Elmhurst Elm-hurst gates, drove Connie out In tho auto one tiny, nnd poured Into her sym-pnthcllc sym-pnthcllc ears the tale of bis own endeavor, en-deavor, his ambitious dreams of a future, fu-ture, Immediately Connie wanted to help, so when he brought n snddlo horse, nnd rode nt her stde, Connie loaned him books nnd planned with him the best tilcnns to his end. Dnvld Bruce, wntchlng Indignantly ,from n window, trie hnmlsomo young mnn nnd the eager, enthusiastic girl, could know nothing or these plans or her helpful spirit. lie euw only nnd bitterly thnt the woman upon whom he bad set nit his affection, the woman whom ho hoped to ming to Elmhurst ns his wife coquetted her time lightly nwny with his caretnker's sen. So Dnvld Bruce, like Undo Ituthford before him, withdrew Into his dignified shell,, ti eating the girl thereafter with distant dis-tant courtesy. Constance Violet In ber room nt night wondered nt It, with n lonely pnln In her usually merry hi.nrt. "You uro In love with David Bruce," she accused, "shamelessly, hopelessly In love with him. Why do you shnm about friendship? A'tul Dnvld does not en re for you," she told herself wistfully, the following evening. "Ho rejects your every approach. If he doesn't ca nfter nil, and you havo been mistaken In your foolish hopes, why, then, you'd better go awny, nnd get over It nil. ns quick ns you cnn." Miss Bruce wns dlsnppolnted when Constnnco Violet announced her near departure. But she was provoked, too, that her guest had used so mtio consideration. There wns no hnppl-ness hnppl-ness for Connie. Dnvld nbsented himself purposely the Inst dnys of her stay. Aimlessly, one rainy afternoon, she wandered Into Uncle Ituthford's study. It wns here fhnt David had come to write his letters. Connlo sat down before the desk, and laid her face upon It. There was even u sort of comfort In the mere fact that David's Da-vid's hand had lately rested there-Connie there-Connie wns ns much In lovo ns thnt. On a level with her misty eyes protruded nn nddressed letter. She snl tip staring nt its bold direction. "To the girl I lovo," rend Constnnco, nnd cnught her breath. There's but one girl In the house and had been; It wn herself. ' "Can you go nnd lenvo me," it asked briefly "when you know that I love you? You must know though my helpless old prldo has kept my lips closed." Connie rushed with tho letter to her room, but David entered tho hall as she crossed It. He gnsped ns she Hew directly Into his nrms; but It must have been n gasp of delight, for he held her close. "I cannot go awny," said Connie breathlessly, "becnus-o I lovo you David." Miss Bruco found the crushed let ter on tho hall floor nfter ber brothet had Joyously, though somewhat Incoherently, Inco-herently, announced his engagement tv Constnnco. She smiled ns she slowlj tore tho old letter across. "No uso keeping Uncle Ituthford' love plea any longer," she mused. "It hns evidently answered Its purpose a' last If not for himself for Dnvld.' |