The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-05


| YOU dear woman, and our love is our life.
I lie is frivolous and hateful, and We may
(word undecipherlblc) tell the fool to 40
| hang
J was appalled, at first. Could Wyvern
J have gone off his head, and really written
! this nonsensef
did YOU really find this In the letter.
Yes. | tell YOU that. taking IL with
the rest, 1 understood A.. / thought at
| first IL was a code, or something. but
| soon saw IL was plain English"
plain English, But It doesn't make
sense-and Wyvern doesn't make love.
| oh. believe me-"
Silence! If you like. well go through
the letter together. / wish 10 be just"
What on earth could "IIe Is frivolous
and hateful" mean? Why should Harvey
suppose Il TO refer 20 him? We went
through IL. and fought the letter word
by word, till my brain whirled. One
sentence 1 read, IT bought "a shutter on
the Alps" which Harvey perversely de-
clared was 81 sought shelter I'm your
arms" IL was endless and maddening,
until / had bright idea Ask Wyverni
Harvey scorned II. saying the idiotic fool
would be sure 10 have some clever.
rotten explanation, ana we went on,
he reproaching bitterly. | denying and
crying, until ! suddenly said:
Listen. Harvey. L am certain Wyvern
would not write To me in that strain,
but I'll make this suggestion. Go 20
an expert in handwriting, and IN abide
by his decsion!'
And Harvey agreed, seeming struck
with the idea. After grumbling "A little
more and few words with Charlie and
Violet, he consented 10 20 back 10 town
and see an expert. lie refused 10 Siay
10 luncheon. and went by the 12:45. pro-
visionally cold and civil in manner.
Ia the afternoon our troubles were
over. The following telegram arrived:
Everything all right. Too sorry for
words. Experts explanation follows by
post. VIII come and fetch YOU tomorrow
morning. -Love.-IIarvey'
And by the evening post 7 received the
experts version of the important SEN
tences. IL ran thus:
IL am quick at making verses. and
have finished the play m an hour. IL is
possible and probable that / shall bring
IL out as soon as can get a man to go
shares"
81 suppose" Harvey wrote. that dear
old WyVern has written a play and hasn't
enough money TO get IL produced HIM
self. If he can't find a capitalist, I'm
going to back him up. Forgive me, darl-
ing"
The next day we went back happy.
though l still had an uneasy belief that
WyVern must have been writing 10 me
about some woman--and / was quite GER
tain he would soon write play in
an hour as a year: also that he was NOT
quick Mt making verses" We were talk
ing 1t over when Wyvern came In, and
signed To him TO say nothing when Har-
vey discussed II with him.
Harvey put down Wyyern's smiling ST.
lence. awkward looks. and apparent en-
tire ignorance of the subject, title, or
style OF his play. 10 shyness, and went
out leaving us together, 10 show his
renewed confidence.
Then Wyvern read me his own. real.
original and genuine version OF the letter.
The fatal sentences ran AZ follows:
81 am sick OF dancing attendance on
that woman and can bear IL no more.
She is frivolous and heartless, and /
shall go 10 Norway TO fish as soon as l
can get pal 10 go, too"
Since this happened. the only result OF
any importance is that wyvern has learn
| ed typewriting Certainly the expert did
| get one or two OF the unimportant words
right--which was rather clever of him.
Here are the three versions:
| HUSBANDS VERSION.
| "You arc (the) soul OF my existence,
YOU dear woman, and our love Is our life.
| lie is frivolous and hateful and we may
| tword undecipherable) tell the fool 10 go
| hang"
EXPERTS VERSION.
I'm quick at making verses. and have
| finished the play i'm an hour. 1t is pos
| sible and probable that 7 shall bring IL
| out as soon as 1 can get man 10 go
! shares"
GENUINE VERSION.
4
woman. and can bear 1t no more. She Is
| frivolous and heartess, and | shall go
| To Norway To fish as soon as can get
| pal to go. too
And. wasn't II extraordinary? j asked
| Harvey the name OF the expert, and its
| Augustus Henderson--A. IL, YOU know
So Mrs. Hopkinson was right, after
| all,-Punch.
\ - - r ~"