Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-12-18
A LITTLE PROBLEM.


Mr.. Richard Beechley told himself
that he was happy man. His friends
congratulated him on his happiness.
He had good health and reasonably
good education. He could play golf
quite we'll He could not play cards and
had no wish to drink. He was going to
make a name at the bar, but he could
afford to wait for it in comfort, having
e3, 900 year. And he was engaged to
a very pretty girl. He told himself that
he was very happy man one morning
as he ate his breakfast he repeated the
assertion with what would have been
chad he spoken aloud note of great
determination Although he was alone
in his chambers, he was very neatly
dressed. His tea was poured out, he
was rather thirsty, but he made point
Of eating before he drank. Meantime
he read his letters; those from his rela-
tives began Dear Richard and con-
graduated him gravely; those from his
men friends began ''Dear Beechley;"
not ono called him dear Dick" A
letter from the very pretty girl began
"Dear Richard" and announced that
she had prepared a surprise party for
him that afternoon. He was to expect
her at 4. He put the letter back in it's
envelope and made a note in pencil Oh
the outside. Then he turned to the lead
ing article in The Standard. When he
had finished his breakfast, he made
pencil mark in the article to show the
place he had reached, and went to his
writing table. There he wrote out
telegram II was addressed to Miss
O'Donnell, 1870 Egerton Gardens, S.
w., and ran:
Don't come without claperon.
BEECHLEY.
He sent his man with it to the te1e-
graph office, and resumed The Standard.
/ am sorry to say that 1870 tgerton
Gardens presented somewhat painful
contrast to the decorous establishment
Of Mr.. Richard Beechley. Elsa O'Don-
nell, in a dressing gown and with her
hair down her back, was belaboring
with a pillow her brother Tom, who
lay in bed and cried from time to time,
"Stop, you little devil, stop!" while
vigorous knocking on the ceiling in.
timated that the noise disturbed the re-
pose--it was half past 9--of somebody
overhead.
"say you'll come with me to Rich
ards
Keep your beastly prig toyourself. "
Elsa stopped abruptly, dropped the
pillow and turned away. She was of
the fair type of Irish girl, with pale
gold hair, and pale blue eyes, and a
pale, beautiful skin, small and slender
and upright. AS she moved to the door
Tom sat up in bed-a brown faced,
pleasant fellow, with tumbled, curly
head-and called out eagerly:
Hello, Elsal I beg your pardon. I
didn't mean to offend you.
She showed him a grave and slightly
tremulous face. "All right, Tom. Only
I wish you'd understand that I care
about Richard and can't bear to hear
him abused"
'I'm very sorry. 1t was beastly rude
of me. Only one can't help seeing if
there's weak point in chap even il
ones sisters going to marry him. I'm
sure Beechley's very good chap, but
he is bit reserved and--and that sort
Of thing, isn't he? That's really all I
meant. I'll come this afternoon all
right. y
mo- no, Tom. It doesn't matter.
dare say the mater will come. I"
There was knock at the door and
housemaid's voice, "A telegram for
you, miss. =
Elsa took it and looked at it for
longer time than the reading needed.
Nothing wrong, Elsa"
"No, only Richard can't be in this
afternoon.
She went out of the room, and Tom
muttered, Damn the fellow!'' as he
settled his head on the pillow.
Ten minutes later q telegram was
sent from Egerton Gardens:
Am not coming. ELIZA.
The same day, at O'Clock, Richard
Beechley went to Egerton Gardens.
II was afraid you'd be out"
ooh, no..
but you wired you oouldn' Z come
II thought I'd remove all apprehen-
sion about the chaperon.'
why, you know you said once You
we're going to look me up alone, and ! !
was afraid-you know, people don't un-
derstand''-
"You needn' t explain. Iquite under
stood. Only your fear was groundless
"I'm very sorry if offended you
y mot at all. !"
And then Tom came in and greeted |
Beechley with somewhat measured