The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-07-28

"Did it ever occur to you, my dear,
that . person going overland would
have to mail two letters q day from the
train in order to have one letter a day
return to SanFrancisco?' asked Major
Max the other evening after the cloth
was removed from the table and his
wife was pouring his glass of two thirds
benedictine 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-a per-
son 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 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 studying
out intricate propositions with which to
puzzle the lady.
''You think so, do your 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.
"Why, yes," Mrs. Max continued,
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 day
apart. They couldn't grow farther
apart on the road, could they, Major?''
Mrs. Max wound up this sequence OF
feminine logic with a triumphant &C.
cent, and felt sure she had posed the
Major, for he did not reply until after
lighting q cigar. Then he said, slow
ly: y You post letter the first day
Out?"
YES"
"That letter arrives here the day aft.
er you leave?''
Certainly; One day gone. one let
ter received"
Exactly. Well, the next day
little curacao, straight, please the next
day you post another letter from the
train, and -'
"And that arrives here the day after
the first, of course, making two day.
out and two letters received, and so on
to New York. Eth, Major?'
If Mrs. Max had not been examining
a new pattern of lace she had in hel
sleeves she might have noticed the
satisfied smile the Major had as he lean
ed back in his chair and said: "Tht
second day out you would be at Ogden?'
"Yes."
"Wou.dn't it take as long for a letter
to return to San Francisco as it haC
taken you to go to Ogden?'
g suppose So"
"Then the second letter would ar.
rive here two days after you arrived al
Ogden and four days after you left
here?'
Mrs. Max looked up and said. hest
tatingly: ''Well, l don't see how you
make that out"
Ibid not make it out, Mrs. Max,
only asked if 1 was right?'
"No, you are not; if you post letter
on returning train each dav say that
a letter must arrive here each day, anc
OOn care.
"Mrs. Max, how long does it take tt
go to New York?'
"Seven days, suppose"
"Then letter day would be sever
letters. You would post your sixth let
ter on your sixth day out, and it would
take it six days more to return, being
twelve days after you left here. Nov
as you had only mailed five letters be-
fore the one which arrived on the
twelfth day, how could letter a day
have arrived?'
Mrs. Max thought a moment ant
then asked with considerable warmth
"Do you mean to say, Major Max, thai
if a person going to New York posts 8
letter on San Francisco-bound trair
each day that it takes two weeks for all
those letters to arrive here?'
lit certainly would" replied tn.
Major, glowing comfortably behind hi.
cigar. He knew Mrs. Max acknowl
edged her defeat by the way she rane
for the tea, but she would not ask fo1
further explanation, so the reader mus
! figure out the proposition without fur
Their assistance than the Majors hint
afford. Francisco Chronicle