The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-19
By WAY Of Calcutta.

1 =
John Montgomery was desperately IN
love with Alice Blair. At $ 1t was his
| first experience of the tender passion,
| and love, ike measles, is apt to strike
in when taken late in life
| A fair amount of seff-confdence had
aided materially 70 his success as a
| business man; in his intercourse with
| Miss Blair that attribute deserted him.
and ne found himself wholly unable 10
| tell her his loye and ask her to marry
him. John told himself that he rad no
cause for such timidity; If Miss Blair
| did not openly favor his suit, al least
Moreover her father and mother were as
cordial, always. as heart could desire.
| All this to no purpose; opportunity stiil
found him a coward.
At last, Disguised with himself, he
resolved to write; his pen Should prove
more faciie than his tongue. Even thus.
he found difficulty in expressing himself,
and wrote half a dozen epistles before
he produced one to suit him. That was
really a model, sufficiently tender, yet
withal, concise and dignified. Few men
know how, always. to let well alone; the
letter was sealed and addressed, when
John bethought himself how dreadful it
would be to receive a letter of sisterly
refusal. Thereupon the letter was open
ed and rewritten, with the addition, Il
shall hope for a speedy answer. Your
silence l shall construe in the mega
tive" So the letter went.
John told himself that it would be I'M
reasonable to expect a reply within less
than twenty-four hours, and waited pa
tiently enough for that length OF time.
The reply did not come, and as mail time
after mail time passed with like result
he grew restless and nervous, then de-
spairing. Meanwhile he kept away from
the whole Blair family.
When, within a week Of the posting Of
his unanswered letter 1t became neces-
sary for one of his firm TO &C to En-
gland on important affairs he accepted
the mission with eagerness and set sail
without saying good-by TO Miss Blair.
It was ten weeks before John Mont
gomery returned. Absence, in his case,
had failed to conquer love, but time and
attention to business had taught him
philosophy. One of his first acts was to
call on the Blairs. He was told at the
door that the ladies' were out, and, dsap-
pointed, left his card.
A day later, as John was passing a
street corner, he caught sight of Alice
Blair coming down the intersecting
street. Joyfully he altered his course
and fastened to meet her, advancing
rors, she cut him dead Miss Blair was
as completely unconscious of Mr.. Mont,
gomery's presence as though that gen.
tlernan had been still in LIVERPOOL.
John stared blankly after the girl, for
getting in his astonishment to reDlace
his hat for fully half a minute. What
on earth was the matter? Surely the Of
fer of a reputable mans heart and hand
to woman was no good cause that, on
their next meeting thereafter, the woman
should refuse to recognize that man.
Verify the ways of women were past
finding out Nevertheless. he spent a.
wakeful night puzzling over the matter.
On his desk at the office next morning
lay letter postmarked Calcutta. Wright
& Montgomery received letters from a
parts of the earth, but this was per
sonal. He had no friends in British In
dia, so he opened it, wondering
A tiny note fell out. The address was
almost obliterated, yet it seemed IA
mtliar, and the seal bore the mono
gram, "A. B." He turned to the let
ter.
Dear Sir: The Enclosed note has Just
reached me, securely gummed, face
downwards. to the back of a letter to
myself. My explanation is that my cor
respondent used an excess of gum and
one letter falling upon the other in the
pillar box, they stuck fast, ard 50 trav-
eled together from Chicago to Calcutta
deciphered your address with some DIFF
fculty and forward your note, hoping
that the delay may have caused you no
serious inconvenience. Truly yours,
"DANIEL HOBSON,
'4Hobson Bros, Bankers and Brokers,
Calcutta, B. l."
John cut Miss Blair's note open care
fully. vet reathleSs1y
Il shall be at home, to you only, this
evening, at $50. Yours, ALICE"
He looked at the date of the precious
missive. then at the calendar on his
desk. Miss Blair's answer had taken
more than eleven weeks TO reach him.
John seized his hat and coat.
Wright he said, as he hurried past
mis- partner, Il am called out on import
ant business, and he vani sf1ed into the
elevator before Wright could answer
Mr.. Hobson's kind communication was
duly acknowledged with thanks Six
months later. when that gentleman re-
ceived box of wedding cake and the
announcement of Miss Alice BARS mar
riage to John Montgomery he put two
and two together and smiled, although
the mercury in the shade stood at $50
degrees.
-.--.