The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-03
HER LETTER DIDN'T GO.
1t was Her Husbands Fault, and ]

IL was 1er huSDanuS Bault, anu II
Melted Her Nearly $4,000.
Years ago Cleveland man gave his
wife piece of what he supposed was
worthless Missouri land, tract which
he had taken in settlement from debt
or. 1t was d $40 acre section, and from
year to year he sent the few dollars
which were required for taxes If 1t
hadn't been for this small outlay he
might have forgotten all about it. The
property had been put in his wife's
name and few weeks ago she was
surprised to receive letter from an at
torney at Jefferson City making her an
offer for the land. 1T was a long letter
in which the writer said he had found a
man who would take the tract for the
timber that was on it, and was willing
to give 5000 for the property The law
yer went on to say that he considered It
very fair offer. Half the farm was
swamp and the other half rock, and it
was positively the first bona flde in
quiry regarding the property that he
had heard of. 1.-THE man who makes
the offer is an erratic, and touchy sort
Of fellow" wrote the lawyer, "and I
think it would be well to nail him be-
| fore he changes his mind"
The wife showed the letter to her
husband, who shared her pleased sur
prise.
That's pretty good" he chuckled. Il
| never expected to get the taxes back
on it. It's just as bad as he says il, is
| half swamp and half rock. I had q
man who was prospecting out that way
go over it and look at it. He said it
was worth about 81 an acre. Sit down
and write the lawyer that you'll accept
his offer and ask him to forward the
| papers at once"
So the wife sat down and wrote the
letter and just as the husband was
starting for the office in a great hurry
he always fancied he was late-she
gave 1t to him to mail, He slipped it ir
his inside overcoat pocket, grasped his
umbrella and was off.
! Once or twice thereafter his wife al
/ luded to the farm transaction and won.
/ dered when the papers would be along
/ The husband replied in an absent
| minded wayne was full of engrossing
/ business at the time--and when two
weeks had elapsed they both began tx
think that the deal had fallen through
i One morning, just as the husband wa!
starting for down town, the POSTWAR
brought letter for his wife.
why, it is the Jefferson City post
mark" she cried. LETS see what hi
says"
She tore the envelope open, hastily
/ SKINNED over few. lines, and thei
looked up with a little shrek.
Read that. Georger' she cried.
] And this is what George read:
Dear madam OF course / knev
what it meant when you failed to an
i swer my proposition. You were inves
tigating, and don't blame you. mad
my offer in the hope that you wouls
snap at it, but it is evident you haven
snapped. didn't dare to put the offe
any higher for fear of arousing you
suspicious, and perhaspI got it too hfgl
as it was. Having made my little con
fession-your husband win tell you |
was all a trick of the trade-I wi
come down to business. I represent
mining company, and we are develop
ing tract south Of here and need you
farm. We will give you $4,000 cas-
for it. That's the limit we are Willing
to go. I will admit that there is anoth
er company in the same field, but
feel sure that your adyices from her
will convince you that the offer W
make is a very liberal one. The mo
ment we hear from you favorably tn
cash will be deposited to your credi
here in the First National bank Kind
ly advise me as to your intentions a
the earliest possible moment"
The husband looked at the wife.
"Well, by George!" he said.
A wild light was in the wife's eyes.
d "wh-what does this mean?" sh
cried.
George fumbled in his inside pocket
There" he said, as he drew fort
the letter which never went, that
what it means
I'll have to forgive you this time,
, she said.
TRY it again." he cheerfully sue
gested Accept, the second offer, an
after send a telegram or two I ca
guarantee that it will 60"
'rm afraid 1 can't trust you.'
I'll carry it in my hand to the Of
. fee"
And so a bad and quite excusabl
failing is the means of putting beau
tiful gliding on the coming Christina
day In that household. -Cleveland Plat
Dao1ar