The large envelope contained a smaller one.
This second envelope was addressed to Miss Agnes Darrell, ---- Hotel,
Chicago, in the handwriting of Craddock.
The feelings of Craddock's wife are imaginable. She took from this already
opened second envelope the letter that it contained. It also was in
Craddock's penmanship. She succeeded in a semistupefied condition in
reading it to the end.
"May 13.
"My Dearest Agnes:--I have just a moment in which to tell you the old story
that one heart, thousands of miles east of you, beats for you alone. With
what joy do I anticipate the early ending of the season, when, like young
Lochinvar, you will come out of the West. I shall contrive to be with you
as often as possible this summer. With renewed vows of my unalterable
devotion, I must hastily say good night.
"Yours always,
"Jack."
Any who seek a new emotion would ask for nothing more than Craddock's wife
then experienced. It was not until the first shock had given away to a
calm, stupendous indignation that she began to comment upon the epistle in
detail.
"May 13th--at that very time Jack was sighing at the thought of my being
away from him during the hot weather and telling me how he would miss me.
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