Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-08-12
THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER.
That Was Addressed TO s'The
PFettiest Girl in Town.
Sedalia Bazoo.l

Sedalia BazoO.l
Recently a letter came to the Seda.
liza postof6ce addressed to "the pretti-
est girl in Sedalia."
The clerks didn't know what to dc
with it; that is, each one of them
knew what to do with it, but taken
collectively, they could not agree as
to what young lady should receive the
letter.
Charles Parker said: Il know the
girl its intended for; let me take it
Frank Shultx said: Charlie, that
thin. / know who the best looking
girl in town is. She is so far ahead,
all other girls are distanced."
Another clerk says: Neither oil
you are judges Of beauty. l know
what girl it was intended for" Just
then postmaster Parker came in, and
listening to the warlike racket for a
moment, said: "We1l just set that
letter up in the window and let the
girl who thinks she is the best looking
Of any in the city take the letter."
The letter was set up among the
unclaimed letters.
Soon a dashing, saucy-looking young
miss fifteen years Of age came in, read
the address, began grinning, said to
her companion, 81 wonder why some
one don't come and take it?" then
examined the letter closely, left the
office, looking back at it with longing
eyes.
Then came in a clerk, who wanted
the postmaster to give it to him for
his girl, he vowing with the most fe-
rOciOus oatt.s hat she was the pretti-
est girl in the burg.
Then in came a sOur-faced young
lady, on whose face vinegar and gall
atrove for mastery. She read the in
scription. The dawn of a smile was
for an instant visible in the wrinkle
of her face, but it hastily hid on the
approach of an old time frown, and
snapped out, 1T amt for me-" and
went wriggling out of the Office.
An old lady read the address and
hurried out, saying, "Ill just send my
gal Harriet up and let her gobble that
letter, it's hern, | know. That's just
ike SONS of her beaux, to write to
her in that way"
A young lady about forty-seven
years of age, with dark hair and eyes,
wearing a small hat stuck on the side
of her head, looking at the letter said:
II know | am the one intended, but
I'll never give myself away asking
for that letter. I've got too much
'culchah' for that, and don't you for
get it,"
A blue-eyed stylishly dressed miss
looked at the letter closely end said to
a lady with her: ut looks like his
writing. l wish they had just sent it
to me and not stuck it up that way in
o public place. I'll never get it now"
and two tears, each about the size of a
No. 4 bird shot, poked their foreheads
up above the Logger eye-winker of each
one of Der eyes, and aspall sized sigh
escaped from her as with much agita-
ton she sweeped out of the Office.
A bevy of young ladies came in and
reading the address, they stood around
under pretense of reading the adver-
tisements on the wall, for a long time,
each hoping the Others would leave SO
they could get the letter on the sly.
They finally all departed together in
disgust.
Several HUNDRED letters have been
received by the clerks from divers
young ladies who requested the letter
should be sent to them, many of the
letters containing stamps.
But the letter still stays there.
Hundreds of young ladies have look
ed at it. None of them have asked
for it.
Modesty always was a characteristic
Of Sedalia girls.