The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-17
ALAsI ALAS?
a Scheme That Did Not Turn Out as sha
Hoped.

A Scheme That Did Not Turn Out as sha
Hoped.
The girl In the black and tan hat had q
pensive, PARKWAY look in her eyes.
"There SENS to be a screw loose in your
mental apparatus today" remarked hen
dearest friend
NO." she answered, with o calmness
born of despair. "I don't think there is.
I've been worried good many times In
my life. but never felt just as do now,
and it is all the result of my letter writing.
have at the very least calculation 25 cor
respondents. One of them is a girl friend
in ST. Louis, and another Is law student
in New York. I don't mind telling you
that he hasn't been conducting himself to-
ward me as should like to have him do
OF late.
81 read an article in a paper which sug-
gested quite a novel idea to me, and I
straightway determined to act upon it.
Oliver Goldsmith, or somebody else equal
1y impecunious, wrote letter, purporting
to be to friend, complaining of another
influential friends penurious clutch on
his purse strings, and then forwarded the
letter, as II by mistake, to the aforesaid
uncharitable parsonage figuring in the
note of complaint. 1t worked to perfec-
ton. The misery individual relented on
short notice and promptly favored him
with one of the incest bank notes the poor
fellow ever received in his life. Things
turned out SO we'll in that instance that
| didn't lose much time in making the ex-
| pertinent myself.
''In "a page letter, which knew my
| St. Louis friend would never get, dilated
eloquently on everything that seemed like
| ly to strike the New York man in the
right spot. Some of the things men
| toned she knew a little about, but the
| most of the incidents lugged in had been
kept total secrets from her. I might just
as we'll say here that l wouldn't have her
know of them either for the world. Then,
too, must admit that there was whole
cloth fabrication or two included, such as
my having been engaged to Ralph Spring
er. and SO on. OF course such state of
affairs never really existed, but thought
it couldn't do any harm to see what effect
jealousy would have on him, and I sailed
| in on that subject full tilt. Oh, tell
you it was a scorching letter-one of the
to be continued in the next brandt 1t
was strong enough to bring any man to
time
"And didn't itP'' queried the dearest
friend anxiously.
''Just you wait till get through. For
some time past my St. Louis friend has
been imagining that she had chance to
crow over me about some things, and in
the letter supposed to be written to the
New Yorker, but really intended for hen
special delectation, I got back at her in
good shape. I wrote him pure, unadul
terated love letter-not one of the mealy
mouthed, beating about the bush affairs
which girl is apt to send when the i'm
portant question is hanging fire, but every
phrase of my charming literary effor:
glowed with the settled alteration and de-
votion that can be expressed by a girl only
after the whole business has a cut an6
dried flavor. That ought to have 6xed
her too.''
"And didn't it?" calculated the dearest
friend again.
The black and tan hat wagged back an6
forth disconsolately.
t'Why not?' quoth the dearest friend
"Didn't it work?''
The fall hat Strengthened up energetic
ally.
"Work!'' she retorted spitefully. ooh
yes, it worked Thus endeth the frs
chapter. Now listen to the second. WheI
decided to follow in the footsteps of the
honored Goldsmith, addressed both en-
velopes the first thing. 1t was late wheI
finished writing. and in my haste for
got to make mistake, and-oh-don'1
you see?' she CRIED getting up and pacing
the floor wildly. 1.-the St. Louis girl go1
the letter written to her, and which
wouldn't have had her see for 81 900, ant
the law student got chance to devour al
those expressions of love that wouldn
have had him see for $40, 000 and ther'
you are. The girl promptly answered will
q curt note renouncing my friendship for
ever. So far the New York chap hasn
committed himself by so much as a single
sentence, and the chances are that h.
won't. Oh, yes, it worked. ''-Chicag'
News.