The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-16

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
q long time since I--since we--sInce
anybody has seen you I'll hope you
lare well2s
quite 50. Miss Lea; and your
.'Thanlx yon. yes. Mr.. Winterhoff."
Good morning."
Good morning"
Here the street car leaves the pas
sengcrs on the moist, tarsmelling
pavement, TO 90 their different ways.
but when MAZDA reaches homo she
takes from her desk the Invitation to
row, for a second careful reading:
4 49,. Ca, April 8, is9- My Dear Miss
MAZDA: The fair. warm weather. think. has
~ last settled enough for row on tho river.
| VIII You 60 with mo tomorrow II the day u
clear, or next dayf-the hrst pleasant day, IN
shortf
What couid be pleasauter or moro 10 my
| wishes than a row with you on . pleasant April
/ day, when we can float with the tide 1T will or
draw iato some shady cove 70 rcst7 wish l
could make IL irresistible. DO grant me this
request, AZ least, and believe me rs ever, faith
i fs35v y6urs ADRIAHdB WfNTERH0FT.
milI cAil tor you IT any hour you .w III name
liz the afternoon
She Is replacing the letter in the en-
| veIope. folding st mechanically, when
by chance it falls from her hands TO
the noor, and on picking it up She
turns Il over, SO that her eyes rest for
the first time on the tender and sug-
gestiSc words written on the fourth
i page, hitherto overlooked. Selling her
writing materials, she dashes off a sec
ond answer to make wrong right,
which, alas, Il read by Winterhon a
few hours later with this interpreta-
| ton.
/ A., ca, April g, 1872. My Dear Mr.. win.
terhoff: After meeting you in the street car
4 Today wondered Q good deal at your manner,
| 20 when came horne | took out your letter,
| which happily had not destroyed, and read II
over carefpliyto sec II II showed any signs Of
| mentAl alteration 70 excuse your reserve 20
| yoar friends
i Sefg, 90 you not know mo better than 70 write
n Tits way % moi Such things are folly
ohough IN other ways, but when Il comes q
written words upon wtieh 50 much depends
| how can enc be 30 wiidf
i Ny friend, forgive This seoiasng; il IS because
| am your friend that writa thus. Did not
| dare 70 speak frankly. where now would our
4 foag valued friendship be7 As always, very
4 staseFcly, MAZDA LEA
size need not have rubbed 1t in n
second time, he groans, for the poor
follow is hard hit and matters. far
from being aended, are made worse.
ut course, he sends no second answer,
and she, TOO. ii hurt, a chance comes
4 presently to both the unfortunate ones
4 To free their minds and he. on his part,
is eager to let her know, quite ifnper-
sonaily, what he thinks OF her sex gem
/ orally, while she Is ready TO explain
away her abiect apology by frigidity
of manner when they meet
1t was at a lawn party, SO notable
an event that even Adriance, with his
newly -aequired eremitc habits, could
hardly pass ii by lie was carrying
for his hostess some long sprays of wild
Cherokee roses, when he felt them
& catch on some one in the throng, and
turned to find his captive was Mazda
Len.
.'0h, III beg pardon, he colors and
falters. Let me free your dress from
the thorns
i Thank yon.' MAZDA says, stifiy,
i stopping to help in the disentangling,
though her hands are full Of bright-col-
ored hyacinths. Itseems necessary to
say something.
Roses are so persistent, she falters
finally.
And at first sight, too, he re spends,
struggling hard to make a Jest Of some
4 kind. They seem determined to make
j new friend. There goes the last one.
Good afternoon, Miss Lea-or- he
stands still with the roses, zone minute
why were you so careful not to let an
old friend--oh, hang this nonsense, Miss
Mazda, I can't keepup stage talk-why
would not you so rowing, and why did
you write a second time to tell me /
was fool2'' {
Il did not write second time to tell
you any such thingl wrote again to
! explain--''
"les, You made things as clear as
mud Z
"Dii you read it all2''
why, yes, it was only two pages. y
pardon me, il was four"
A pause, and then looking up she
said sweatly: ''Will you please go
home and read my second answer
straight through, as you read book
no skipping about, but first page first,
second page second and so on to the
end?r
II need not 60 home, Miss Lea, al,
ways carry my letters with, me- He
takes it from his pocket and together
they read it
A., Ca, Aprf 20 is9-. Ny Dear Mr.
xintefhaf: After meeting you on the street
ear to-day wondered good deal at your man
aer, SO when came home took out your let
ter, which happily had not destroyed, and read
III over carefully 70 see II II showed any signs Of
mental alteration 10 excuse your reserve L
your friends.
At flrst though there was not read Il
ever as is my haliL FIRST page hrst ther
| opened the leaves ana found q continuance OF q
cordial and friendly little letter asking me Il
SD rowing / was folding Il away when Il
elfoppea on the floor, so when picked IT up my
eyes fell for tho first time on the writing on tn.
i5aek ~ the sheet which proved 10 be quite
different nature from any thing had jdst reat
IN the complete note,
My dear friend il had known you had any
thing 50 urgent 10 tell me do you suppose
would have let even the claims OF Adress
maker stand 10 your wayf Why do you Writs
me In this hide-anaseek fashion, When do
. ever follow the whilhs or understand III.
freaks " changing fatsf am old fashioned Ii
ssil tAsasssS, read iss lstter as write one
straigltAheaa When this letters receive d
not make sense look about but yours unfor
trnately, was coherent. Ii was your fault, no
mine ala not. do not, mean 10 willingly mis-
understand you Now, do you not know mi
better-