The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-31
TWO LETTERS.

had one solitary sovereign left and it
would be quite three weeks before could
expect the next remittance from my father
who was SO good as to exc out my own
narrow income A nice position was in
for makingA.n offer of marriage! Never
mind Let the world collapse, Emily Sim
mems must be mine!
began to write my proposal to Miss
Simmons, but could not please myself, and
several sheets of note paper were spoiled
before I had written the first page At
length I got thus far, but ths pen was q
broad one, there was no blott1ng paper
and no fire, and the ink took long time
to dry.
had no time to spare if I wished to
save the post and while I was waiting it
struck me that 1 might as well write a
note 30 nay father, begging him 30 antici-
pate my quarterly allowance. So put
the half written letter to Miss Simmons
on one side for the time and commenced
the other This 1 thought 1 was going to
dash of in moment, but did not get on
with the facility had expected.
Words require to be well chosen in max
ing such applications, especially to such
man as my father, SO it was some time be-
fore the first page of this letter was ready
for the drying process. Then l took up
the other again but here the choice of
words was still more difficult, and I soon
spoiled it and had to commence it afresh-
Then got nervous and spoiled the other
also, and, in fact, had consumed a large
quantity of paper and several glasses of
brandy and water before had completed
the two letters at all to my satisfaction
At length they were finished, and I huT-
ried of and posted them exactly in time,
just two or three seconds before the stroke
of the clock.
BY next days post got replies to both
my letters at once, the address of one being
in my mothers writing, the other in an
elegant ladylike hand, which was no doubt
the autograph of Miss Simmons How my
heart beat as opened the letter. But fancy
my CONSERVATION when saw that my own
letter was returned, accompanied by the
following short note:
Miss Simmons returns the inclosed
letter with the contempt it merits and re-
grets that she should ever have made the
acquaintance Of a person at once so mer-
ceRary and 50 stupid.
Here was a settler to my hopes. What
could 10 naean9 $50 mercenary.' mer-
eeAary? I, who had positively regretted
that Miss Simmons had any money at alb
Good gracious! Was it possible that had
put the letters into the wrong envelopes2
Such things had been heard Of broke
open the Enclosure No, it was all right.
1t was my letter to herself, commencing
with Adorable Miss Simmons. In
state Of utter bewilderment I opened my
mother letter. 1t iRelosed $40 note and
ran as fellows:
lily DEAR ALFRED-What could be the mean
ing of that dreadful inooherent letter you
wrote to ySur father? We could make out from
the commencement of it that you are in want
of money, bat never read anything SO strange
and incOmprehensible as the latter part. Oh,
my dear Alfred, how could you call your IA
ther oharzorP He is naturally most deeply
mortified at such term being applied to him.
He says you must have been tipsy when you
wrote is, but know that my dearest Alfred
could meyer be guilty of that dreadful vice.
Your father protested, that he would not send
you fRrthing but left you a $40 note ON his
desk, and incIose it to you, fully believing
that he intended me to de So Take care of
yourself, nay dearest Alfred and never call
your father q Oharmer again. Your loving
mother, JEAdKBfA PIPPINGToE.
What could my mother mean2 1 had
never called nay father charmer or any
thing of the kind. He was a little, short,
quiet, high dried, matter of fact, snuff
taking country attorney, an excellent ia
ther in his und09Onstrative way, but the
last one in the world one would think of
calling a chaFIner. Quite unable to IN
derstand the affair, 1 took up nay rejected
offer and mechanically read it through.
Yes, 1t was all right. 1 recollected every
word as went on. What was there in this
to make Miss Simmons think me mer-
cenary or stupid? Nothing. Stay, though
what was thisP There was some mis-
take. This was not what I intended to
write to the young lady L recolleot every
word of that letter at the present moment
7 shall never forget it. 1t ran thus:
ADORABLE ATfss S1aFs4oNs-I can no longer
delay the request which have to make te you.
Again AID again you must have seen it tren-
bling my bps when either seine awkward
interruption some hueFsEing of my own
heart has prevented it's being spoken. Oh,
Miss SiFnmoRs Oh. Emily Do not refuse mel
Oh, mistress of my soul, give by return of
post, If possible, Ave and twenty pounds, fer ]
have had some hsAvy expenses Of late, and in
a word, 1 know shat you like psople to come
at once to the point, regularly hard up
YoNr very Obediently,
ALFRED PIPPINGTeN.
New I saw through it. Ia the haste and
confusion of writing the letters, and espe-
ciany through having changed FROM one
to the other while waiting for the ink to
dry, had made the amazing blunder OF
commencing one letter 20 the lady and
continuing it to my father, and of begin-
ring a@Sther to that respected parent and
finishing is with what was intended for
the eye of Miss Simmons. Was ever any
thing so absurd? I rushed at once to ths
AadY's house, but was denied adEaittance.
I wrote to her a letter Of explanation, but
# was returned unopened. never saw her
aRRin. Soon after this her father took her
away and before Jerry long L heard that
she was Miss Simmons no longer, but had |
married a rich man called Potts.--Ex-
change.