The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-11


nestly al the address. and said:
+ i wonder who ii can be from2'' sac
( looked al the stamp
Il can't make out the postmarlg," Mrs.
Middierib said, carefully STUDYING that
! guide 10 the authorship Of letters. s'It
! isn't Perryville. u looks something Ike
TOnawanGa- I wonder if it isn't intend
ed for York? Cousin Ann Jackson used
10 visit IN York. Why don't they make
! the postmark palmer. uonder9 be-
lieve lis Indianapolis after all- Then
+ it's from Eleanor Mcpherson. whose nus
band you met last summer IN Canasa.
IL isn't Indianapolis; its L-acon. That's
where Lillian Marshal lives. That sn't
an L. either No, lis New Phiiad Iphi1.
+ H. I can make it out now. Dent ygu
remembers Uncle Abner Beasix went
ont there in the sTindstone business. I
+ wonder if anything has-oT. pshaw. it's
what is it, It's r; R-o-n-0h. now
+ see-R-o-m-e, Rome. Why It must be
from-oh. dea- me, it isn't Rome either
I can't make 1t out at all"
+ And she turned Ii over and looked
mournfully at the receiving stamp on the
back.
1t was received here att o'clock this
morning" she SAID. final y Nov. where
would a letter have to come from 10 get
( here at O'Clock? II you knew that we
could tell where it came from.
Let me look az il, said Nr. MiSdle-
RIB who was beginning to hdget with i'm
patience.
NO" replied the wife. turning back to
| the postmark once more II can see
what it is now. It's Spartausburg. KY
Sarah Blanchard went there after she
married. exoect she wants t0-it ism e
! Spartansburg. either; It's Gridiey- Tha-s
where Cousin jamie Buskirk lives Her
husband went out there. and bought
grist mill. / wonder If sh' s coming on
this summer? 7 hope. if she does she
won't bring the children Bur it isn't
from her. either. think that it is
Mount Pleasant-oh. it's from Aunt Har-
riet Murdoch. and I know they've al
been killed in. that dreadful cyclone
can't open the letter, my hand trembles
so. Do You know the last thing I said
1t isn't Mount Pleasant either There
ares only FIVE letters in it. 7 can't MAKE
anything out of it''
Perhaps said Mr. aIiddlerib. with
slight tinge of sarcasm in mis- infection
perhaps we'd better send after the
carrier who brought st. He may know
But it is so tantalizing," complained
Mrs. Middlerib. "to receive o letter and
then not TO be able to tell who or where
1t is from.
did you ever try opening a letter 10
ascertain these facts2" asked her hus-
band
The lady looked Mt him with an ex-
preston Of speecbless disdain upon her
features and half whispered, eff that
isn't Ike man" as though any woman
ever looked into a letter until she had
guessed all around her circle Of relatives
and friends and clear through the United
States postal guide to decide whence and
from whom 1t came.
This peculiar postmark however. was
too blind" for the most ingenious expert
to decipher. and at last with a deep
sigh and little gesture Of despair Mrs.
Mddlerib yielded to the inevitable and
resignedly opened the letter, pausing once
or twice in the act. however to look
longingly back at the tantalzing post
mark
"At last" groaned her husband. who
by this time was burning up with curl
ositv
But she laid the envelope down and
looked at 1t a little while before she
turned to the unfolded letter in her hand
Her husband by q desperate effort CON
trolled his rising wrath and in a voice
hoarse and strained besought her 20 read
the letter. as it was late, 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 position
and said:
'rWell. I declared Then she read- on
in silence and Mr.. AIddlerib ground his
teeth Presently he said:
"H'mi'
She read three or four more lines with
eager eyes and noiseless lips, and sud-
denly exclaimed:
Il don't believe iti'
Then she resumed her voiceless PERU
sal Of the document and moment later
astonished her husband by looking M at
him and asking:
81 wonder If that IS so7''
Mr 8Tiddlerib replied in hooking tones
that cit must he so or the pos mark
wouldn't have said it," hut her eyes were
glued to the page once more and she
made no response.
"oh!" she fairly shrieked. did you
ever?"
The writing man at the other end or
the table said h never had. but h
would If this intellectual entertainment
lasted much longer.
cts too bad" murmured NFrs Nid7Ie-
ton turning page Of the letter without
raising her eyes.
We'll" what's TOO had2T ne broke out
wrathfully "Who IS the letter from
and what is it all about2 Either reed
aloud or make your comments as men
tsllv as you read
.I've hair a mind TO 60" she said, in
firm decided tones
"Oh. have you?" he futeriected with
sarcasm. shall 7 60 ard pack YOUR
trunks while Won finish that letter."
II don't see how they can 90 t.' she
said after an interval o. silence.
"Why don't you look at the post
mark then?" he growle6. ''Magbe thar
r~rrrTr cell e-+-rr 90