Paolina'sfather had found a message in a bottle that had been sent by Ake, a youngSwedish sailor. Ake, who had grown bored during one of his many trips at sea,asked for any pretty woman who found it to write back. The father gave it toPaolina, who in turn wrote to Ake. One letter led to another, and when Akefinally traveled to Sicily to meet her, they realized how much they were inlove. They married soon after.
Towardthe end of the article, she came across two paragraphs that told of yet anothermessage that had washed up on the beaches of Long Island:
Mostmessages sent by bottle usually ask the finder to respond once with little hopeof a lifelong correspondence. Sometimes, however, the senders do not want aresponse. One such letter, a moving tribute to a lost love, was discoveredwashed up on Long Island last year. In part it read:
"Withoutyou in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching thecrowds for your face-I know it is an impossibility, but I cannot help myself.My search for you is a never-ending quest that is doomed to fail. You and I hadtalked about what would happen if we were forced apart by circumstance, but Icannot keep the promise I made to you that night. I am sorry, my darling, butthere will never be another to replace you. The words I whispered to you werefolly, and I should have realized it then. You — and you alone — have always beenthe only thing I wanted, and now that you are gone, I have no desire to findanother. Till death do us part, we whispered in the church, and I've come tobelieve that the words will ring true until the day finally comes when I, too,am taken from this world."
Shestopped eating and abruptly put down her fork.
Itcan't be! She found herself staring at the words. It's simply not possible. . ..
But. . .
but. . . who else could it be?
Shewiped her brow, aware that her hands were suddenly shaking. Another letter? Sheflipped to the front of the article and looked at the author's name. It hadbeen written by Arthur Shendakin, Ph.D., a professor of history at BostonCollege, meaning . . .
hemust live in the area.
用户评论