Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-08-18
No. SO
AN INTRICATE PROPOSITION.
With Which Major Max Greatly Puzzled
His Wife.
san Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Chronicic.i
Did it ever occur to you, my dear, that q
person going overland would have to mail
two letters a day from the train in order to
have one letter day return to San Francis
co ?" asked Major Max the other evening
after the cloth was removed from the table and
his wife was pouring in his glass twO-thirds
benedictine and one third curacoa, which the
Major cOntended was the only civilized
drink with which to prepare for the after
dinner cigar.
Mrs. Max passed the Major his cordial and
waited a moment before replying: why no );
it seems to me that if a person travelling east
mailed letter each day by westward
bound train, letter would arrive here each
day"
Mrs. Max answered cautiously, for while
she knew that the Major pretended to de-
plore the fact that she was illogical, he really
derived much comfort from his superior COM
prehenSiOn, and was somewhat addicted to
studying out intricate propositions with
which to puzzle the lady.
"You think so, do you - Queried the Major,
as though about to be convinced by her,
w
herself more decidedly that his victory
would be the more signal.
Why, yes Mrs Max continued, some
what assured, "if you mailed q letter on the
first day out it would get here the next day;
if you mailed one the day following it would
get here day after the first, twenty -four
hours apart. would, of course, continue to
arrive day apart. They couldn't grow
farther apart OF. the road, could they Major?'
Mrs Max wound up this sequence of femi-
nine logic with triumphant accent, and felt
sure she had posed the Major, for he did not
reply until after lighting a cigar Then he
said slowly: "You post Il letter the first day
OUT"
Eyes"
That letter arrives here the day after You
Ieave?"
Certainly. One day gone one letter re-
ccived."
Exactly. Well, the next day-a little
curacao straight, please--thc next day you
post another letter from the train, and"
And that arrives here the day after the
first, of course, making two days out and
two letters received. and so Oh to New York
Eh, Maior?"
If Mrs. Max had not been examining q
new pattern of lace she had in her sleeves,
Major had as he leaned back in his chair and
said .a.
The second day out you would he ut
Ogden:'
Il suppose So
Then the second letter would arrive here
two days after you ieftskere.s
Mrs. Max looked up and said, hesitatngly:
We'll, | don't see how you make that out"
Il did not make it out, Mrs. Max. ] only
asked if it was right
NO, You are not; you post a letter on y
returning train each day, and l don't care"
Mrs. Max. how long does it take to 60 to
New York 2"
Seven days, suppose
Then 4 letter a day would be seven let
ters. Non would post your sixth letter on
your sixth day out and it would take six
days more to return, being twelve days after
you left here. Now, as you had only mailed
five letters before the one which arrived on
the twelfth day, how could q letter day
have arrived: =
Mrs. Max thought 4 moment and then
asked with considerable warmth:
DO you mean to say, Major Max, that if J
person going to New York posts letter on a
San Francisco bound train each day that it
takes two weeks for all those letters to ar
rive here"
1T certainly would replied the Major,
glowing comfortably behind his cigar. He
knew Mrs. Max acknowled her defeat by the
way she rang for the tea, but she would not
ask for further explanation, SO the reader
must figure out the proposition without
further assistance than the Majors hint.