Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-18
Mrs. Middlerib'S Letter
Story of Wife Who E1asperated
Her Husband Internationally.


cup raised half way 10 his lips. as his
! wife took the letter from the servant
She turned 1t over once or twice
gazed earnestly at the address, ant
/ said:
81 wonder who It can be from?" She
looked at the stamp.
81 can't make out the postmark." Mrs
Middlerib said. carefully studying that
guide to the authorship of letters. III
isn't Perrysville. 1t looks something like
Tonawanda. but don't know anybody
in Tcnawanda. l wonder If it isn't in
tended for York? Cousin Ann Jackson
used to visit in York. Why don't they
make the postmark palmer. ] wonder!
l believe it's Indianapolis. after all!
Then it's from Eleanor Mcpherson,
whose husband you met last summer
in Canada. 1t isn't indianapolis: it's
Lacon. That's where Lilias Marshall
lives. That isn't an l.. either. No; it's
New Philadelphia, Ills. can make
1t out now. Don't you remember! Uncle
Abner Beasix went out there in the
grindstone business. ] wonder If any
thing has-oh, pshaw, its-what is It?
It's r; R-o-m-ch, now | see-R-o-m-e.
Rome. Why. it must be from-oh. dear
1t out at ALL"
And she turned 1t over and looked
mournfully at the receiving stamp on
the back.
'Tt was received here at o'clock
this morning." she said finally. Now,
where would letter have to come
from to get here at o'clock? II you
knew that, we could tell where 1t came
from"
LET me look at it." said Mr.. Middle
rib, who was beginning to fidget with
| impatience.
NO" replied the wife, turning back
| to the postmark once more. 81 can see
what it is now. It's Spartansburg, Ky.
| Sarah Blanchard went there after she
| married. / expect she wants to- 1t
| isn't Spartansburg, either; it's Gridley.
| That's Where Cousin jamie Buskirk
! lives. Her husband went out there and
bought grist mill. | wonder If she's
| coming on this summer? l hope; II she
does, she won't bring the children. Bat
it isn't from her, either think that it
is Mount Pleasant-oh! it's from Aunt
Harriet Murdoch, and know they've
ell been killed in that dreadful cyclone.
/ can't open the letter, my hand tren-
bles so. Do you know the last thing l
said to her when she moved out westf
said 1t isn't Mount Pleasant, Ell
ther. There are only five letters in it.
can't make anything out of it"
Perhaps" said Mr.. Middlerib, with
a slight tinge Of sarcasm In his infiec-
tion-"perhaps we'd better send after
the carrier who brought it. He may
know"
"But it is SO tantalizing," complained
Mrs. Middlerib, "to receive letter and
then not be able TO tell who or where it
is from"
did you ever try opening letter to
ascertain these facts?" asked her hus-
band
The lady looked at him with an ex-
preston of speecbless disdain upon her
features and half whispered. ''If that
isn't like man." as though any won1-
an ever looked into letter until she
had guessed all round her circle Of
relatives and friends and clear through
the United States postal guide to decide
whence and from whom 1t came.
This particular postmark. however,
was too blind" for the most ingenious
expert to decipher. and at last. with a
deep sigh and a little gesture of despair,
Mrs. Middlerib yielded to the inevita-
BILE and resignedly opened the letter,
pausing once or twice in the act, how
ever. to look longingly back at the tan
talizing postmark.
"At last" groaped her husband, who
by this time was burning up with curl
osity.
But she laid the envelope down and
looked at 1t little while before she
turned to the unfolded letter In her
hand.
Her husband by desperate effort
controlled his rising wrath. and in a
voice hoarse and strained besought
her to read the letter. as it was late,
and he should have been down town
half an hour ago.
She did not answer. She opened the
letter, turned the first page to look for
the end of it, went back to the first
page, settled herself In an easy posi-
tion and said:
''Well, will declarer' Then she read
on in silence and Mr.. Middlerib ground
his teeth. Presently she said:
"H'mr'
She read three or four more lines
with eager eyes and noiseless lips and
suddenly exclaimed:
81 don't believe it,"
Then she resumed her voiceless Pc
rusal Of the document and a moment
later astonished her husband by look
ing up at him and asking:
81 wonder if that is SOP
Mr.. Middlerib replied in mocking
tones that ''it must be so or the post
mark wouldn't have said IT," but her
eyes were glued to the page oace more
and she made no response.
"Oh!" she fairly shrieked. Did You
ever?"
The writing man at the other end Of
the table said he never had, but he
would if this intellectual entertainment
lasted much longer.
"It's too bad," murmured Mrs. Mid
dlerib, turning a page of the letter
without raising her eyes.
"Well, what's too bad" he broke out
wrathfully. "Who is the letter from,
and what is it all about? Either read
aIoud or mako yOur comments nc meD-