known the difference, I wonder, if we had married?

And there is another reason, too. You might just as well
know it, for my conceit is not pride really, and it may be
you know it already. Whatever love Frederick failed to kill
in me--and the very idea of passionate love almost nauseates
me, even yet--is not in my power to give you, Jerry dear. It
might, some day, later, wake again, but it would not be your
touch that could wake it.

Now, since this is so of both of us, don't you see, dear,
that things are better as they are? I promise you that if I
ever need help, I will come to you _first of all_, since
what you really want is to help me and make me comfortable
and give me the pleasure of wide travel, you generous
fellow! And if ever you _really_ need me, Jerry--but you
won't, I am sure. No one else is quite what you are to me,
or can be, now, and we must always be what we have always
been--the best of friends. Tell me that you know I am right,
and then let us never discuss it again.

Yours _always_,

SUE.

UNIVERSITY CLUB, May 20th, 189--

DEAR JERRY:

Have just got back from a little Western trip (my brother
and I exchanged pulpits for a month) and learned of Roger's
illness and the accident. What a terrible thing, and how
fortunate they were! I always liked that big dog, the fine,
faithful fellow. Mrs. Bradley's leaving the stage was no
great surprise to me: she came to New York to ask my advice
about it just before the accident. We had a long talk, and
though she by no means agreed at the time to everything I
said on the subject, she did not seem opposed, herself, to
much of it, in fact, she seemed very anxious to do the fair
thing, it seemed to me. She appreciated perfectly that the
more she did in one way the less she could do in
another--how wonderful it is to think that she has never
been to school in her life! It almost seems as if so much
schooling were unnecessary, doesn't it, when association
with educated people can do so much in three years. Or
perhaps it is only women that could absorb so quickly.

I hope the doctors are wrong about her voice. They all say
it will be a little husky always (though