Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-09-20
A LUCKY BLUNDER.
1t Kept John Hobbs From Marry
ing the Wrong Girl and Led Him
to Marry the Right One.

The Daily Telegram, when John
Hobbs, manager and general fsctotum
for that enterprising paper, fron which
he derived a snug little income, sud
denly remembered the day of the week.
1t was Thursday and on the following
evening the most select concert of the
season would take place, where the
social set of Wrensville would be in
evidence.
Now for nearly year John had been
a frequent and more or less regular
caller on Miss Mabelle Whitney, the
very pretty daughter of a very rich
merchant.
He had intended to invite her all
along, but this delay in his invitation
might mean a disappointment. He
would soon know and why not embody
in his note a declaration Of his affec-
tions, and so put to the test whether
she returned his love or not. This
seemed happy thought, so he began:
Ny Dear Friend-May hope for the pleasure Of
your company at the concert tomorrow evening
by the Singers club? l have question to ask
you the answer TO which will make me either the
most miserable or happiest Of men. II you accept
my invitation 10 the concert, ! shall understand
your answer will not be NO 10 the more mo-
mentous question, and a refusal Of my invitation
shall consider as refusal Of yours, with deepest
regard, JoHs ELLIOTT HOBBS.
For a man Of SO brilliant mind this
was really very lame proposal, but
John signed his name with n conscious
ness of having said just enough and
not too much, feeling quite sure in the
depths Of his honest devotion to her
that her answer would be what he
hoped With this load off his mind he
turned to the perusal Of his afternoon
mail, with which his desk was Uttered.
Another story from the pen OF Miss
Davenport. Well, this one he had bet
ter reject, for she was really getting
beyond her depth, or so 1t seemed to
him. To be sure, she sketched her
characters with an artists skill and
was decidedly original in plot and ac-
ton, but the public, his public, must
be amused, and her heroines never
seemed happy, and, what was more,
never married the heroes, nor any one
else, for that ms ter. He did not
want to personally say "no" to this
girl, In whom unconsciously he had be-
come so interested and whom he recog-
niZed as clever writer, sure to win
for herself a name in the world. But
he had already made up his mind not
to accept more Of her work, and so
taking up the stub pen which had GER
tainly seen better days, he dashed OF
as follows:
Ny Dear Observation-Disclosures our appre-
citation Of and admiration for your style we hnd
we must discontinue acceptance for the present.
Trusting TO be Of service at some future date,
am yours very truly JoHs ELLIOTT HOBBS
81 flatter myself that is neatly DONE"
thought John, so LASTLY placing the
notes In their respective envelopes and
addressing the same he rang for the
Office boy.
Friday morning dawned dull and
rainy, with little prospect Of clearing
weather, and as John sat in his Office
his courage and spirits were at ebb
tide 1t was all owing to the weather,
he thought, and not a premonition or
failure. Anyway he had stopped at the
florists and ordered a box Of gorgeous
vloets sent his love, and they must be
received by this time.
Just then the postman opened the
door. Not a line from her In this mall,
only some advertisements, a bill or two,
three cards of invitation, a check,
thanks for that, and last Of all, small
envelope in the well known hand
writing Of Miss Davenport. reply
to his dismissal of the day before, he
| presumed, and, fearing to open the
note he read:
Ny Dear Mr.. Hobbs-The contents Of your let
ter, although a very great surprise 10 me, have
made me very happy. II IL hardly necessary fos
me to add that accept" your invitation and
shall expect you this evening. With regards from
my mother and self, ] am, most Eincerely,
MILDRED 4. DAVENPORT.
What did 1t mean. What invitauon
did she accept and why should his let
ter make her very happy2 Quite the
reverse, he had supposed. 1t sounded
like some mystery of romance from her
versatile pen, but it was no Jesting
matter he reflected, remembering the
concert and his anxiety Of mind con-
serning his answer from Miss Whitney.
Just then, in his reflection, the door
was flung open and n messenger boy
sang out: "Mr. Hobbs! Very important.
/ No answer" And depositing a pack
age handed John his book for sigma
| ture. John recognized the handwriting
/ OF the address and hastily tore IT open.
/ A large bunch Of yiolets met his aston
| ished gaze and letter, which read as
/ follows:
Mr. Hobbs:
sir-Allow me 10 return your property, which
| by some mistake was sent 20 me. As 10 my style,
| ! consider IL presumptuous your part 10 pass
| any comment on what cannot possibly be Of in
| terest concern Of yours ] most heartily in
dorge your desire 10 discontinue all future corrc-
| Epondence. as your insults only less clever
than your compliments. Yours, etc,
! MABELLE WmTsEY.
Poor John read II with sinking heart,
too utterly miserable to express the
| surprise II merited. Another riddle to
read, he thought Was the whole world
| turning topsy turyy and with 1t his
| powers OF comprehension First,
! letter OF acceptance for an invitation
which he had not given, and now this
whitening refusal and the return or
his poor, desplsed violets. Well, good
| by TO his dreams Of love and future
bliss and the castles he had built In
his vain ambition. The disappoint-
ment he would bear so bravely no one
|
explain 10 Miss Davenport her mis-
take, and, picking up her letter, he
carefully reread II. Her quotation OF
the word accept was bit strange.
It's blindness suggested his own use Of
the word What If he had made n mis-
take In the letters and incloscd them In
the wrong envelopes? In that case he
could understand all but his own ash
nine stupidity. Was ever man in such
box before, engaged by letter to q
girl he did not love and refused by the
woman he did love and In n way that
left no chance for explanation that he
could see. Perhaps later he might find
way to enlIghten Mabelle as TO mat
ters, but how to explain TO Miss Daven-
port without cruelty wounding her
pride and making matters worsef OF
course lie must call tonight zEd take
her to the concert, trusting for some