, 1897-10-23
THEY WE'RE ALL R
George Made a Somewhat Too Sweep
ing Request.


meant"
The voice was lhJt OF Mrs. Ferguson
-shriil. piercing and omirous.
What does what mean?" asked
George.
This letser!"
She held 1t up.
Laura, have you been"
mo. / haven't been searching your
pockets. You know | haven't. l was
moving your coat from this chair and
a letter fell u This is the letter. 1t
is directed 10 you, and It's IN e woman's
hand. You haven't told me OF any cor
respondence you are carrying on
with"
Open 1t and read it, Laura" inter-
rupted Mr.. Ferguson. 'If there was
n letter in my pocket l d.dnit know 1t.
Go ahead and read 1t. Maybe it's a
millinery bill"
Scoring to reply Uo this, Mrs. Fer
guson opened the letter and ran her
eye over it.
'Oh, you didn't know his was in your
pookel!' she piped. You didn't know
l.! Maybe It's a millinery bill, is IL?
Lis.en! My dearest Georgs-so you're
somebody else's dearest George, are
yOu?-1My dearest George: When are
you coming TO see me again? l am
very ione.y'-she IL very lonely, is she?
Oh, you pwo-saced hypCcrlie!-'Ii you
can't come, George dearss;, do wrIte!'-
she wants o TO wits If you can't
come, does she?-You can't think. dear
el. George, how I miss"
What nonsense are you reading,
Laura?' demanded George. beginning
to be reused. DO you mean to say
II mean to say l am reading this let
ter you tod me to read, Mr.. Ferguson.
l am reading this letter / found in your
that dropped out OF your pocket. You
don't know anything about 1t, don't
you? You can't think. dearest George
-"
Laura, are you fool enough to think
chats genuine? Don't you know better
than to imagine"
Il am a fool, am I. Mr.. Ferguson?
Well, I'll just show YOU"
"Let me see the letter."
Let you see it? What do you want
to see it for? Oh, no, MI. Ferguson! l
am going to keep it and show it to my
mother!"
well, hold 1t so I can look at 1t 1
promise you solemnly l will not attempt
TO take it away from you"
"Ill see that you don't. Here it is.
Now look at it. Stay right where you
an, George Ferguson. Don't you come
a step nearer!"
How can l see 1t 10 feet away? Lay
1t down and her come and the my
hands behind me II you are afraid I'll
oh, yes. Lay it down and you'll
grab 1t! l see through you! Whats
the use OF pretending you never saw
this 'beiore?"
There doesn't seem 10 be any use
In it-that's a fact. Nevertheless. l as
sure you, Laua, on my honor as a man
-"
'On your honor! Humph!'
yes. on my honor-himph! I have
never seen that iea.er before. l never
put 1t in my pocket. l didnc know it
was there. l am not anybody else's
dearest George, and that letter is a
clumsy lake got up by somebody who
vans to have a little fun with me-"
81 wish l could believe it! Oh,
George! George" (Sobs).
Boys" said George Ferguson the
next day when he went into the office
where he was employed downtown,
"that was a good joke some one OF you
played on me when you put that letter
IN my pocket yesterday, but 1t threatens
to break UP q happy family, and l ask as
q favor .iat the chap who did 1t win
just write a letter to my wife and tell
her 1t was a bit of fun and that I am
not to blame In the slightest degree. !
don't want to know who 1t was. All
ask is that rhe thing shall be straight
ened out"
=
It was lite In the afternoon. There
came a ring at the door-bell pertaining
to the Ferguson dwelling, and u mes
senger Delivered a letter addressed to
Mrs. George Ferguson.
She opened 1t and read:
',Dear Mrs. Ferguson: In a spirit OF
nra,h!e; l slipped a e5:er in your hus-
bands coa;-pocket yaaeriay which
far may have fallen into your hands,
and IN order to ATONE for any mfsunder
sanding 1t may possibly have caused
Iwish to say that I wrote it myself and
that It Is purely imaginary. With great
respect. l subscribe myself yours tru-
~"
This was signed 'Marcellus Rankin
SON."
Hardly had she finished reading this
when smother messenger came and hfI
another letter. It read thus:
my Dear Mrs. Ferguson: I have Z
little confession to make. Yesterday, in
= thoughtkn moment, I wrote \ letteI
purporting tt cone from sone woman
and dropped 1t Into your huaband's
- ~ R~---- 1880 AlA~A ~ q