[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Templeton, Mass.,
Nov. 12, 1905.Dear Lucy:-
If I hadn't had a fellow seven times in eight days you would have a longer letter to-night. Isn't that dreadful? I thought Charlie was enough of a "sticker" but I believe Lucius is worse. He came home with me from the store Monday and Tuesday night & Tuesday night he came in to ask Uncle if he knew how the voting went over in Hubbardston. I didn't go up Wed. night & THurs. night he wasn't there. Friday he came home with me & came in & stayed for some time. Sat. he took me to the foot-ball game. To-day he came home from church with me & has been down to-night. We were afraid he would come to-night so about half past three I began to doctor my warts & watch for him. If I had seen him coming I was going to rush into the front hall & put on my things & Auntie & I were going down to Cousin Minnie's. He didn't come & about quarter of five we went down there. We saw him out by the hotel as we went along & I thought sure that he wouldn't come after seeing us go off. We got upon the common about half past six & we went into the yard pretty quietly. The curtains were down but Auntie thought she could see some one that looked like him & we could hear some one talking so we went off. We went up the South Road as far as Mrs. Howland's & back again & down as far as Curtis' (Lottie Davis') & back up to the corner & down home & he was still there. He stayed till after eight & I begun to think he never would go & I could have clapped my hands when he buttoned up his coat. The joke of it is that Mama can't think just what time he came but she thinks it was about half past six. What if he saw us coming up from Cousin Minnie's? He would have thought that it took us a long, long time to go a little, little distance.
I went to the foot-ball game & had as good a time as I could under the circumstances for Gardner got beaten. It was not a bad beat only 14 to 11 & Arms Academy beat them big the other time they played & they are a good strong team. There were some disputes & twice they had to go & get "the book" & find out what to do. That tickled me. Lucius said that he never went to a game where so many got hurt. I don't think that any were very seriously injured but I tell you I begun to feel kind of funny when they took Cowee off & the coach rushed up & began rubbing his leg. He went back in but he could hardly walk. It would be different if I didn't know all of them so well but all but one or two of the regular time are Seniors or Post Graduates. Walter Greenwood got his knee wrenched last week so he hasn't played since. Wednesday they went to Keene. Neither side scored but they said that if the game could have last five minutes longer, Keene would have. Next Sat. they play Fitchburg & I am a little afraid for them. The University of Pennsylvania beat Harvard yesterday. The Harvard & Yale game is next Sat. I wanted some colors to wear yesterday so Auntie got me some & I feel pretty big over them. Purple & orange are the best colors that are.
Cousin Minnie doesn't feel very well. She can't do any extra work without being worse. Karl & Russel are fine. They have been up to the old farm all the afternoon, with their father hunting for a cow they couldn't find. They got so excited they didn't know anything what they were saying. Karl said that when the fire engine went down to Mr. Woodburg's fire the horses went by running but the engine got down to the fire before the horses. Russel said that the cow acted so much they couldn't catch him. (That was last Sunday)
I hardly know what to say about Amber. He was worse yesterday & was a pretty sick cat. When I got home from the game I didn't think he would live till bed time. He seems very much brighter to-day but he is dreadfully weak. He can hardly walk some of the time. He don't eat anything to speak of. He has had a lap or two of leaf tea, & drop or two of milk & whiskey to-day. He drank a great deal yesterday, but not so much to-day.
HeMama slept on the lounge in the sitting-room & will do so to-night. We have fixed up a basket for him which he thinksheis about right. He got up this morning & when he went back Mama got up to cover him up. She stroked him & he begun to purr & he purred for a long time & quite loud but he hasn't since. He wanted to go out of doors so badly this P.M. that we let him go. He sharpened his claws twice & walked around & looked in to the hen house but he got so tired that I carried him in to the house. He sleeps very quietly & peacefully.It is after nine so I must stop. You can think of what you might have had if -.
With love, X X X X X
X X X X X X X X Molly. X X X