Telegram-herald., 1890-08-30
THE WRONG LETTER.
How Ny Friend Got Out OF q
Very RaS Predicamsnt.

One evening lass wtntsr a. ! Was
walking Up and down the platform az
the Lyons railway statlo. waiting tor
ths departure % the southern expres4
sone oas tapped 1s o. the shoaidsr.
! tgrned and saw my friend Jacques
Where are y0u goiaxf" he asked
TO Nice" I replied
80 an l. My wife Is there
Good Ne Will 20 on together"
We continued walking up and down
TIE platform. t4ikfHg about one thing
and another. As we passed Before the
ma.l-ear said 70 Jacques; What a
hard life those postalelerks lead
They must % ip terrible state when
they arrive Al Marseilles"
Yes" replied jacques they are
CON plcbsly used up / can speak from
experience. for ! once rode two hun
dret miles with them"
"Yoa pave travelled IN . mail-car.
What for2"
Il well tell you lis curious story
and one that concerns my marriage"
We took our places the signal was
given. aud the train started. Then
Jacques told ne the following story:
AT that certain epoch certain
blonde countess whom you knov-for
suspect that VOC were a LITTLE IN love
Win her yourself-had been widow
for two years. and 10 was almost de-
eided that she was 20 becurne my wife.
AT the time when my story begins IL
was autumn. and the countess was at
her coUntry-ho1se In the Var. We wrote
20 each other nearly every day-I. in
order 20 tell hsr that l a6ored her; she.
20 occupy her leisure and give me err
rands 20 30. for was then In Paris At
the sane sime-les those who have not
done likewise cast the frst stone-I
was breaking OF with another sweet
heart That one vas not q countess.
She was a brunette, and lived in Nor
mandy. Poor Loulsel In one respect
sns resembles tho cOunteSs-sh5 gave
me no end OF errsnds % 60.
Zone morning tie porter brought me
two letters aud TWO lists OF things 10
gsk Happily. / could Ell both orders
a. he Louvre. AZ ny breakfast and
wrote ny replies-ons very fervent for
the countess the other. calm and cool.
FOR Louise. Then | started for the
Louvre. ] selected The samples re-
auested. put them into the unsoaled en-
volopes. closed both letters. and placed
them IN nj pocket. As was coming
put % the Louvre | met our friend
Maxine. who was drivir~ on his way 70
the Bots lie took mo along wish him.
BEGAN % tell ne some % his stories.
sni had quite forgotten my two let
tcrs, when branch post-ofdce a. the
corner luckily refreshed my memory.
~Maxims pulled Up his horse, got
down. bought some postage-stamps,
slipped toe countess letter into the
box. and while putting the stamp on
we other letter. thought felt s0me
samr.es ~ cloth Instead Of some pieces
ofslk that It ought 20 contain A cold
persu -aaon poured down mv face.
opened Gao envelope. Ny boy. had
made q cake Ny letter to Louise
had gone % &c Var. and, as 700 may
Imagine. itvas simply the breaking OF
o. nv marriage.
'sThers pa5 no time 20 weigh tho
7robabilitioS told Maxine % con-
Inue bis drive alsnc. and went back
INTO the Office % Try 10 undo my stupid
blunde-.
Perhaps YOU think thst vas an easy
gnattor The eek looked az re ask
nnce asked mc al sorts OF questions.
ard gave re a sermon on the disad-
vantares o. absent uindedness have
not much patience. and l presently got
angry aud sent the clerk about his bust
ncss.
Il remembered that had an sc-
auaintance rho held an important posi-
tion In the post-ofice department.
sumped into cab and went 20 the head
once When got there. I found that
my friend vas absent on business con
nscted with the new building Once
there. 50 took ne half al hour 70 end
him We returned % the head ofire,
"a here obtained letter from the min
fster's secretary thst would open al the
post-ofice hszs and boxes throughout
the country Rut when I gos back q
TIE branch pcst-oslce. it vas fve-iortY,
snd saw the mail-vaTon starting OF.
Dir letter vas. CO course. IN shat wagon
Il told ny cahman - follow the
wagon. When We reached the central
oHce &C the Tsleres I showed ny
Ministerial paper They said 70 me-,
verT politely
WE'LL sir re have three-Quarters
cfan ho0r - sort Two or three hundred
Thousand testers -hat = ~ al parts e
the world fou Fil readily snier-
slant taat 4. would ~ impossible 20 nd
yours in thss los The best thing for
vou 30 30 Is Co 60 % the mail-csr at the
s-suca. A 7ou have Ministerial
oraer. ne clsrks there vii 6n3 Jour
letter Tor 7ou.
Il -ot in.o ths cab and started for ne
sratlon- A soon "a arrived went 70
Hha car. Tie cle-ss wanted 90 send we
~ Jericho. but Insisted. sn3 showed
~ authorization The head-ciers.
taiakinr proba6ir thst I vss teeecr-
t-e said - ne: We'll sir. ret r. We