The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-01-24

lust a sort of feeling that I've been
making an ass of myself. l like that
little girl first-rate, but, confound it
all, she's coming it wee bit too strong.
Not that she has written anything very
pointed, you know, but there's sim
mering air of spoons and danger about
her letters of late. At all events, Pm
resolved to pull out of it, so l have
written this letter to her on the sub
ject."
"The letter" proved to be half
and-half sort of epistle, full of regrets
for what had been and of regrets for
what must no longer be, full Of apollo
gies and praises, full of hopes that they
might never meet for fear of the posi-
BILE result, yet limiting at desire to see
her, if only for once. In fact, it was a
bundle of incoherent nonsense from be-
ginning to end, the only sensible thing
in it being the statement that he re-
turned her letters by that days mail,
and hoped she would do as much with
his.
"Well," said l, after reading this
precious document, "you have proba-
bly, shown me this with the idea that |
will advise you about it, but all can
say is that it sounds more like a love-
letter than any that have yet seen OF
yours"
eyes, know it does; but what would
you haveP l can't throw her overheard,
like an old handkerchief. If thepoor
little thing is in love with me, all can
do is to let her down as easily as Nssi-
Bile, and to accomplish that I'm at
reciprocate her affection, after fash,
ion."
Two days later l found Will gloomily
bordering over the answer. He die
not hand me the letter to read, but said
as he folded it up:
"By Jove! 1 feel like thief. No
one word of recriminatiUn, not an ex
preston that is unladylibe, and still ;
mixture of semi-pleadingand semi-con
tempt that makes me feel like cur
Well, the affair is ended now, thanl
heavenw
e So much the better,'' l replied
"But how about your letters"
"She says sine will send them bacl
after reading them over. By the way
l forgot to inclose her photograph, AM
she didn't mention it, so I'll keep it a
a souvenir"
Saying this, he took the picture from
his pocket book, and after looking a
it for a while in dreamy sort of way
carefully replaced it, and then walke'
out of the room without a word of part
ing; but the flag end of sigh reaches
me. through the closing door.
About week later Fowler came int
my room, saying:
Here's nice piece of business
just read that, will u?"-handing M
a letter.
1t was this:
MILWAUKEE, Sept. 9Th.
SIR: am brother of the young lady WHOM
you know as Josie Mason. She has not bee,
well for some time, poor child, and has hs(
to keep her bed during the past week. Thil
morning in finding your correspondence,
also found the cause of her i'll spirits l vii
not waste time at present in discussing YOU
blackguardly conduct; that can wat. A few
letters, passed between you by wsy Of joke
wonld have mattered little; but when you
words grew warmer in each successive letter
is it strange that an inexperienced child fell
into your snare? Now, sir, my business is t.
find who you are for the purpose of getting
satisfaction; and If / can't get into one way
why am Southerner, and I'll get 1t II
another. write this that you may feel un
comfortable while am looking for you, al
you certainly will when have found YOU.
ONE WHOM You WILL Know.
"Phew! This is a nice scrape
What are you going to do about it,
WHIP"
"What can | do about it except
await developments? l really wish il
would turn out to be Matchmaking
scheme; for then, although / would per
haps feel more like fool, there'd bt
less of the knave in it."
81 wouldn't worry about it any more
than could help, old fellow" said /
for this may be only first explosion
on the part of the brother, which will
amount to nothing. 1t sounds to me
like genuine letter; there's the true
ring of indignation in it, and, therefore
there is the less to be feared. If the
parties meant Matchmaking it would
pay them to employ detectives, but il
it is true bill, why, family pride
ought to act as acheck upon publicity
After thinking bit, Fowler said:
I'm going to write 10 MN and ex
plain that no harm was intended, ant
that am extremely sorry if any harm
has come of it. That's the way feel
and it will do no hurt to send the letter
you know"
GLOW will it reach himP'
Hum-m-m, didn't think of that
Yes! I'll send it to her address ant
write for her brother on it."
The letter was forwarded that even
ing, and a cleverer bit of composition
have rarely seen. The writer ex.
pressed regret for what had happened
and apologized for his SHARE in it; a
the same time he delicately insinuateC
that it would be Notifying to expose 6
family secret, especially when no bene
fit could possibly accrue to any mem
Der or members of the family most in
terested. Five or six days later came
the following reply:
SIR: Curse your regrets and fig for YOU
apologies. Those matters should have beer
thought Of earlier in your correspondence,
with my family. also decline your advice al
to what are the best interests of that family
considering myself fully competent to iudg,
upon that question. My detective thinks h,
has spotted you, and IL you are the man h,
points out, you are a worse scoundrel thar
even had given you credit for being. 1t Il
possible that you have a wife and children
that you are a man of respectable position ii
the community, and yet that, merely for tn,
sake OF laugh, Won can trife with fha irno