Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-27
AN INTRICATE PR6PoslTIoN.
San Francisco Chronicle.


to mail two letters day from the train
in order to have one letter day return
to San Frar,cisco," asked Major Max
the other evening, after the cloth was
removed from the table and his wife was
pouring his glass Of two.thirds benedic-
tine and one.third curacao, whichtho
major commended was the only civilized
drink with which to prepare for the af-
ter dinner cigar.
Mrs. Max passed the major his cordial
and waited moment before replying:
"Why, no; it seems to me thst ifs
person travelling east mailed q letter
each day by westward hound train, 2
letter would arrive here each day."
Mrs. Max answered cautiously, for
while she knew that the major pretend
ed to deplore the fact that she was IL
logical, he really derived much comfort
from his superior comprehension, and
was somewhat addicted to studying out
intricate propositions with which topuz-
zle the lady.
"You think SO, do youw querfed the
major, as though about to be convinced
by her, while in truth he ONLY Wanted
her to commit herself more de6iAedly,
that his victory would be the mor6 sig
nal.
"Why, yes;" continued Mrs. Max,
somewhat assured, "if you mailed Q let
ter on the first day Quit would get here
the next day /; II you mailed one the day
following it would get here the day Of
ter the first, and the letters being mall
ed twenty-fonr hours apart would Of
course continue to arrive day apart.
They could not grow further apart on
the road, could they, majorF
Mrs. Max wound up this sequence Of
feminine logic with a triumphant ac-
cent, and felt sure she had posed the
major, for he did not reply until after
lighting cigar. Then he said slowly,
'sYon post letter the first day outv'
"Yes.n
"That letter arrives here the day af
ter you leavc'"
Certainly. One day gone, one letter
received"
EXACTLY. Well, the next day--a lit
tie curacoa, 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 days ont
and two letters received, and so on TO
New York. Eth, major"
IfMrs. Max had not been examining
new pattern of lace she had in her
sleeves, she might have noticed the sat
isfied smile the major had as he leaned
back in his chair and said:
"rhe second day ont would be at Og-
den 7"
"Yes"
"Wouldn't it take as long for o letter
. to return to San Francisco as it had taxi
en- you to go to Ogden y
~ suppose SOL
"Then the second letter would arrive
7 here two days after you arrived at Ogden
: and four days after You left here 7"
Mrs. Max looked mp and said, hesita-
: tingly:
i "Well, don't see how you make that
out"
'T did not make it out, Mrs. Max. i
$ only asked if was right"
"No, yon are not; if you post letter
:. on a returning train each day, Isay that
| q letter must arrive here each day, and I
y don't care"
"Mrs. Max, how long does it take to
q 90 to New York Z"
"Sevcn days ] suppose
Il "Then letter day would be seven
y letters. Yon would post yonr sixth
y letter on your sixth day out, and it
IL would take it six days more to return,
being twelve days after you left here.
u Now as you had only mailed five letters
. before the one which arrived on the
10 u. twelfth day, how could letter have
arrived !"
!. Mrs. Max thought moment, and then
~ asked with considerable warmth: aDo
l. you mean to say, Major Max, that if a
person going to New York posts letter
on San Francisco bound train each day
that it takes two weeks for all those let
- tiers to arrive herew
g. at certainly would" replied the Ma
ID jor, glowing comfortably behind hi'
" cigar. He knew Mrs. Max acknowl
a. edged her defeat by the way she rams
rs for the tea, but she would not ask fol
ed further explanation, 50 the reader mus
e. figure out the proposition without fur