American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-30
An Intricate Proposition.

"Did it ever occur to you, my dear,
that a person going overland would
have to mail two letters day from the
train in order to- have one letter day
return to San Francisco?' asked Major
Max the other evening after the cloth
was removed from the table and his
wife was pouring his glass of two-thirds
benedictne and one-third curacao,
which the Major commended was the
only civilized drink with which to pre-
pare for the after-dinner cigar.
Mrs Max passed the Major his cordial
and waited moment before replying:
"Why, no; it seems to me that If per-
son travelling east mailed a letter each
day by westward bound train, letter
would arrive here each day"
Mrs. Max answered cautiously, for
while she knew that the Major pre-
tended to deplore the fact that she was
illogical, he really derived much COM
fort from his superior comprehension.
and was somewhat addicted to stud wing
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, while in truth he only wanted
her to commit herself more decidedly
that his victory would be the more
signal:
somewhat assured, eff you mailed a
letter on the first day out, it would get
here the next day; if you mailed one
the day following it would arrive here a
day after the first, and the letters being
mailed twenty-four hours apart would,
of course. continue to arrive here a day
apart. They couldn't grow farther
1 al. L.
Mrs Max wound up this sequence OF
fem nine logic with q triumphant ac-
cent, and felt sure she had posed the
Major, for he did not reply until after
lighting cigar. Then he said, slow
lv: You. post a letter the first day
out?'
Yes"
THAT letter arrives here the day aft
err you leave?'-
Certainly: One day gone, one let
ter received"
Exactly. Well, the next day-a
little curacao, straight, please the next
day you post another letter from the
train, and - f0 dA
land that arrives here the day after
the first. of course, making two days
out and two letters received. and so on
to New York. Eb, Major?''
If Mrs. Max had not been examining
q new pattern of lace she had in her
sleeves she might have noticed the
satisfied smile the Major had as he lean
ed back in his chair and said: 1.-The
second day outy you would be at Ogden?'''
"Yes." ~ ,---a p. .- Il
Wouldn't it take as long for letter
to return to San Francisco as it had
taken you to go to Ogden?"
" suppose So"
"Then the second letter would ar
Ogden and four days after you left
here?'
Mrs. Max looked up and said. hest
tatingly: well, l don't see how you
make chat out"
Il did not make it out, Mrs. Max,
only asked if was rightP'
mo, you are not; if you post a letter
on returning train each day say that
letter must arrive here each day, and
1 don't care"
Mrs. Max, how long docs it take to
go to New York;"
"Seven days, 1 suppose"
"Then a letter day would be seven
letters. You would post your sixth let
ter on your sixth day ont, and it would
take it six days more to return, being
twelve days after you left here. Now
as you had only mailed five letters be-
fore the one which arrived on the
twelfth day, how could a letter a day
have arrived?"
Mrs. Max thought a moment and
then asked with considerable Warmth
"Do you mean to say, Major Max, that
if person going to New York posts a
letter on San Francisco-bound train
each day that it takes two weeks for all
those letters to arrive here?'
lit certainly would" replied the
Major, glowing comfortably behind his
cigar. He knew Mrs. Max acknowl-
edged 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 fur
Their assist lnce than the Majors hints
afford. San Francisco Chronicle.