The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-03

/ larly clear. However 1t be with other
women, few males had a keener grasp of
logic; even the mechanics of that art she
understood well enough to know all the
meaning of a syllogism. The whole proc
ess of her correspondents argument lay
| open before her, as before himself. But no
! objection which he could not gainsay
arose; and as for the conventionalities,
/ they were already cast aside. Moreover,
her inclination to trust the handsome,
! gallant boy was greatly strengthened by
/ the conduct of the man so far.
The propriety OF answering, therefore,
caused her not moments hesitation.
| But how the answer should be framed,
| how certain grave probabilities should be
| guarded against at the outset, occupied
her thoughts for two days, and even, in
a measure, for two nights; that is to say,
| until she went to sleep at the usual hour,
| and again until she rose. 1t was fun of
| the best class, brimming with interest and
possibilities, but distinctly not the kind
/ of thing to make a reasonable girl turn on
| her pillow.
The outcome ofthese cogitationsisshow
/ in her reply:
| my DEAR Mr.. LOYALTY also regret
| the demand for motives which you so
| honoTably meet since they cannot be
/ quite forgotten henceforth but l believe
myself able to act in the sense which you
| suggest. Referring to your explanation
for the last time, it appears to me that we
must fix date when our correspondence
| shall cease. think you will perceive the
reason, or one of several. The search in
which your relations have engaged will
| prove successful doubtless, and, at an
earlier date, your attention will be too
much distracted to find pleasure in writ
| ing to a stranger. | will not run the risk
/ that my letters may become a bore. Re
| garding the question thoughtfully, l have
resolved that two months is the very long
est time that can be fixed with safety.
| This is the oath of February; on the oath
ofApril | shall write good-bye-with hearty
friendship and respect, feel sure. If the
circumstances l contemplate should arise
before that period, ] lay it on your honor
to inform me at once. You will ratify
this understanding, please, without COM
ment or discussion In your next letter.
Now, what are we going to talk about?
In the division of labor it will be your duty
to find topics and to expatiate upon them.
My amusement, to criticise your views
about everything. That is the approved
system in these matters. A clever man
creates, Ounce passes judgment on his
work, and the people accept the opinion
OF the Ounce. Ii you expect young
ladylike assent to every proposition, 1t Is
ungrateful to disappoint you. But really,
the part of Echo is very dull, and, be-
sides, am not qualified to play it. You
will not talk commonplace, / feel sure
partly from recollection, partly from the
wording of your advertisement. A dull
person would have said instinctively, If
the young lady, etc, still survive or
something superfiuous to that effect.
Commonplace irritates me as nothing else
does, | think. 'ButP Now, does Mr..
Loyalty grasp that bold figure of speech
Oh, by the by, must put another clause
into our agreement. l reserve the power
of closing this correspondence at any
time, without regard to the limit of two
months. 1t seems rude stipulation but
| constitutional lawyers hold, | believe,
that the right of self-defense cannot be an
nulled by any contract or covenant.
And so leave you to the exercise of
your ingenuity. We are to make no al
lusion to private matters, excepting, if you
| like, such as came to our mutual knowl-
! edge in the very broken discourse we
I held that night. You have forgotten
what they were? OF course you have,
but L will give you hint 1t is already
known to me that you are a soldier, or
were, and that the grand desire of your
nedrJ aJ one IlLlle WAS 10 NlSlJ 1IdL
may be a starting-point for our excursion.
l am inclined to finish with the exclama-
tion which sOphists of old were wont to
use when they invited the audience to
| give them theme for eloquence. You
would thus be convinced that it is no
light responsibility you have undertaken.
But | forbear.
"P. 81 am ashamed OF myself That
last observation will give you the idea
that l understand Greek, and [ dare not
protest that it was undersigned! Remorse
is consuming mel Peccavi, Oh, Mr.
Loyalty! l can't even read the alpha
betw
"MY DEAR MISS TRoTH-Without COM
ment or debate, subscribe to your condi-
tions, but if you knew what feel
Nevertheless, when one contracting
party is so precise, the other may seize
any vantage ground unoccupied. You do
not fix the number of our letters per week,
and therefore l exact two at least. You
do not say that / must submit when you
bid me farewell, and therefore l reserve
full liberty of action.
''Since we are not TO mention private
affairs, | suppose that compliments are
most strictly forbidden. / confine myself
therefore, to the simplest matter of fact in
declaring your first communication q little
masterpiece. Within a very few lines it
warns me, as you say, what grave charge
] have assumed; it suggests the line, if
not the subjects, of our correspondence,
and it shows disposition in every word
that interests and challenges me. You
think / do not recollect the topics we dis
cussed that night? Perhaps not. Butmy
advertisement is proof that keep very
strong general idea of your powers. And
you will allow me to flatter myself at
least ?-the evidence displays that my
| judgment was sound?
Commonplace irritates you so ter
ribly?' Then l venture to conclude that
my guess was correct-yOu were fourteen
years old five years ago. Nineteen is the
age, l should think, when clever girl
who has read much-so much that she
can cite the 'Proballete of the sophists in
a casual way-fees moved to resent the
style of conversation which is offered her
in general. Before that time of life she
| does not notice, perhaps too much occu-
| pied with the delights of freedom shortly
after she grows accustomed. Remark,
| please, how bravely l take up your chal-
! lenge, theorizing forthwith upon young
ladies' sentiments of which my ignorance
is utter But with that tremendous sub
| ject of commonplace l am very we'll ac-
| quainted, and 1 beg you to believe that it
is an excellent, a blessed thing, and indls-
| pensable. You see that also