The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-08-11
"PERSONAL."


sPERSONAL." -
Kitty Wheat used to plead in extsnu-
alton of the pranks that made her the
plague of the house as child. the tor
ment of teachers and delight of school,
mates as girl, that she was predes-
tined to mischief as the sparks to fly
upward.
She looked like sparkle of very
lively flame on q certain Saturday aft
ernoon which she had spent with her
two ''ownest' friends, Sophie James
and Jeanne Hart. r.-.a
"A weary, muddy Jane walled in on
both sides!" complained Kitty, to-day.
''Stagnation is sort of miasmatic
poison to one of my temperament.
suppose this is the feverish stage of
ennui." - --
But am almost sure it was not Kitty
with whom originated the idea of an
swering 4 Personal in the somewhat
eGuivocal corner of an otherwise re-
spectacle newspaper. Sophie called
her attention to it in the first place.
WHO do you think writes such
things, and why?" said that young
lady, who was Kitty's senior by q whole
year. .... .-a
"Lazy people who have no brains,
and take It for granted that there are
Others in the world as foolish and idle
as themselves, rejoined sfxteen-year-
old Kitty, sensibly. So
Then she read the advertisement
aloud.
A Young man of fair education and breed
ing. with little taste for the frivolous routine
of fashionable society, desires to open q cor.
tastes. The object of the proposed exchange
of letters is mutual improvement in lntelli-
gence and in the expression of thought and
vertisement may trust to the word of gem
tleman that her communication shall be treat.
ed with delicacv and her confidence held sa-
cred.
Address MARTIN KELLOGG, P. o. Box l05S. -
"A proposal extraordinarily OBJ
served Kitty. laying down the paper
and taking up the macrame lace she
was netting.
80 Jeanie and l said," returned
Sophie, an:matedly. mot at all like
vulgar. ordinary Personal. But won
der if he would really be content to
exchange views with his Incognita upon
such matters as tend to mutual inn
provement?'
81 should like no better fun than to
put him to the test if were not an
ignoramus who can't write ten words
without misspelling one" said Jeanne.
He is evidently an educated gentle
man"
Kitty dropped shuttle and thread to
re-read the Personal. She was no igno-
ramus, and she knew it. Her chirog-
raphy was remarkably beautiful; her
sprightly compositions were the pride
of the school. She could sustain the
role of LAME Inconnue'' in literary,
artistic and social discussion better than
any other girl of her set She would
not have said It aloud, but this was what
she was thinking in closed back cham
Der of her brain when Sophie .chimed
in with -
IF had your skill with the pen and
your ready wit, Kitty. would write
one letter at least-tentatively, YOU
know. You would never be found out.
1t would be glorious fun to lead him
further and further into the fog"
In reviewing the scene in other days,
Kitty lost the succession of indiscreet
steps at this point; could not .be sure
if she sat down at Sopie's desk of her
own free will, or if she was coaxed or
bantered into beginning to write. She
knew that she soon became interested
in the letter of four pages of nonsense
to my stranger-friend," dated g Gave
of Trophonius. A snowy afternoon.
and signed, by a sudden thought, kit
ty Clover"
The girls applauded each sentence
when she read it over to them. Every
nerve and vein of the three was tingling
with frolic and expectancy. Martin
Kellogg was to address Miss Kitty
Clover" under cover to Mrs. James
Andruss, a former trusted servant of
Jeanie Hart 8 mother, but now married
to respectable tradesman.
Three days later, Kitty going gayly
singing through the hall of her
own home was arrested by the inn
perative ring of the telephone close by.
Ting ting! ting! ting!
"Halloa!''
Kitty always insisted to her some
what shocked mother that everybody
said "Halloa," in such circumstances.
- 1t was a telephone technicality," the
mink would add. magniloquently. -
- Is that Kitty Clover?' said Jeanie's
voice.
Kitty laughed; Sometimes, and to
some people" 49,.
II have q letter for you," called
Jeanne. far more loudly and shrilly than
was necessary, after the manner of
most telephoning damsels. .sCome
over at once! We are diving of
cur osityr'
The Harris lived Just around the
corner. aRd in five minutes more the
three bright young faces hun over the
important document. 1t was longer
than Kitty's by, two pagas; the
chirography was free and inn; che
composition . tissue of respectful. per-
siflage. page or two of gravef IMPORT
and much grateful flattery of his fair
correspondent
"And no sentin,entality" Kitty drew
. relieved breath. This is better fun
than we hoped for. No, my dear girls, !"
as both began to speak eagerly. "WN
will not latter Martin by an immediate
reply. Wait week." sfi
Before the allotted, time bad passed,
3 second letter arrived. Martin vas
evidently impatient. But his tone was
even more guarded than ut first; the
subject-matter of the. epbtle unobjec-
tiOnable. The current news OF the day
was discussed; q paragraph given to .
municipal election and page 10 Euro
pean affairs. The weafhef and last
Sabbath's church services received due
notice. a. vi z
~ believe he is fifty years oldr'
cried Kitty. catching up her pen.