[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass.
May 20, 1906.Dear Sister:-
Maybe if I commense [sic] this now I can get a little done on your letter now (It is 9:30) & shall get it done before night. I am mad through & through. That is a cheerful beginning isn't it? Well I guess you heard about the fuss over the two orchestras. Curtis wrote a letter to Brigham asking him to cancel the date. There had been a big piece about the class meeting in the Worcester Telegram & Brigham had seen it & so refused to cancel the date & insisted that as he had been engaged for that night he should come ready to play. We had another orchestra engaged. Therefore have no use for Brigham. We gave all our money over to Walter Greenwood as treasurer of the class to draw out of the bank & put it in in [sic] his name so Brigham would have nothing to attack. We also voted not to tell what was done so it wouldn't get into the paper. Then somebody as Gregory expressed it was a "squealer" & let the whole thing out. Durmondy the reporter had done his best to get it out of various people but I think somebody must have turned traitor. We are so mad we don't know what to do. If we could find out who did it it would be a sorry day for him. Bent thinks that Durmundy got it out of several people little by little. At any rate the whole thing is in the paper for Brigham to read. And it is straight too so somebody in the class must have let it out. Our suspicions rest on Conlon for he is the reporter at school for Durmundy. He says he didn't let it out but you can't tell. I hope my husband is a better fellow than that. At any rate we are all mad but as we can do nothing we are sitting down to wait to see what will happen. Lawyer Stiles is managing things for us now.
We reconsidered our vote about class day and have decided to have it June 22, the day after the banquet if we are alive then. The following parts have been assigned. Prophtess [sic] Carrie. Prophecy on the prophet Ida Blanchard. Class historian Dwight. Ivy oration Stiles. Class will, Greenwood, Conlon, Cowee, Crabtree. Class Ode Mildred Thrasher. And for the banquet the following toasts have been given out. Bent the president is toast master. Address of welcome. Bent. '06 boys Gella [?] Lusk. '06 girls Drake. The Argus Stiles. Class Finances Walter Greenwood[.] The Class Mr. McNamara. The Motto Mr. Brainard. You see we are going to get everything in that's going.
The essay is occupying most of my thoughts at the present time. President Harper of Chicago University is the subject chosen. I have enough magazines down at the house to write a dozen essays. Roger told me last Friday night that he thought he should write on a classical education. He is getting up in the world. We had a New Yorker for a minister this A.M. He was pretty good. He thrashed his arms about & shook his head till I thought it would drop off. I think that he must have been weary when he got through.
There are two forest fires north of us. One was on one of the hills & was so bright that we could see the flames this P.M. The other is off Baldwinville way & is showing up big to-night. The E. Templeton alarm blew for one this A.M. Tuesday night when we were at jug breaking the fire got so near the Henshaws that they rang the bells.
It is 8:30 now & I have got to get part of an English lesson before 9. Such is life. I feel as if the weight of the world rested on my shoulders but I don't suppose it does.
With love,
Molly. X X X X X X X X X