The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-09
A CORRECT MISTAKEl
by WALKER KENNEDY,


! his mind than the writing of two letters
II was clear cold winter evening, with jus
u bit too much Of a whipping wind to bt
| comfortable, and it was with sense of re
| lief that he entered his comfortable apart
ments and found a cheerful Light blazing in
the crate in his sitting room.
Saintsbury dropped into an easy chair
and ran his eye casually over the evening
paper. Then came parenthetical smoke,
and he sat down to his desk to write his let.
ters. A fine, spirited young fellow he looked,
with his clean cut features, his well l-shaped
head, his soft, dark hair and his bright, clear
eyes. There was in short the touch OF the
neat thoroughbred about him :,
Salntsbury's two letters were as dissim.
liar as it is possible 10 imagine. One was
merely a note to Edith Crawford asking her
to go with him to see ''Cylano de Bergerac"
the latter part OF the week. Yet how fond.
iy he wrote it. He began the note Dear
Edith, writing the words with a caress,
and he sat admirng his own rashness,
though be knew he was merely writing for
his own edlhcatlon and that the aTlstocrat.
lc Miss Crawford would never see what he
had there written. lie scribbled the name
all over the page and then, with sigh,
laid the sheet aside and began to write the
formal note which he always sent to Miss
Crawford. Saintsbury was so deeply in
love with this lady that it actually scared
him. She was SO stately so inaccessibly
beautiful, that it almost seemed to him
basphemy that he should dare to love her.
lie had tried times without number to tell
her, but he always failed For what right
had mortal man to make love to one of the
saints And SO things had drifted along,
and saintsbury had lived in a sort of divine
despair for more than year.
The second letter which he had to writs
was for friend who was in love and
wished to send beautiful letter announc.
ing this fact to the woman he adored, but
did not know how to do it, Write me a
letter, John" said Dick, "as if you were
writing to your own girl" John endeav.
ored to follow out these instructions. He
did not know the name of Dicks sweet.
heart, and in order to do his best he ad.s
dressed the letter to Edith Crawford, ini
tending to leave her name out when he
copied the letter. He found il easy to
write under these circumstances and when
it was concluded he read it over and
glowed with the beauty of it. He could
find no fault with it, and he felt that he
could not improve upon it by rewriting it.
So what was the use of rewriting it? Dick
lad to copy it anyway in his own nervy
land So he took out couple of en-
'elopes and addressed them and inclosed
he letter, having forgotten all about
riend's letter.
The next day at the bank he was rung
,p by his friend Daniels. 81 say" said
)ck over the telephone, you didn't know
hat you sent me letter addressed to
rlend Of yours, did you! What's up, any
vay old boy?'
John remembered then that he had for
often to erase Miss Crawford's S name, and
lie bIushed through the phone as he re-
'lied: "Oh, that's all right Just scratch
Ter name out and think it will do
You haven't given yourself away
plenty, have you5' SAID Dick.
"Go away, Dick cant jabber with you
uring banking hours"
"All right; but you'd better straighter
his thing out soon. replied Dick, with
luckle, as he rang off
Santsbury was really annoyed that he
lould have left Miss Crawford's name
andmg in his friends letter. 1t was SO
1oughtlcss and indicate in him. And as
E worried over the matter new idea
me to him. Could it be that he had
Happed the letters and sent Edith's to
lick and Dicks to Edith The idea was
lite amusing until he remembered that
dith's name was in the beautiful love
tier. 1t was impossible that he could
I'VE made such mistake, but he was
lguely uneasy about it. and that evening
E fastened out to Miss Crawlord's to set
lie matter al rest.
He found her in the drawing room alone.
I'd looking pen-ively into the fire. How
'autiful, how tender, how dainty she was
the freight glow! He entered the room
rvous and confused. She arose to greet
m and he observed slight flush upon
II cheeks and a touch of uncertainty in
r manner. lie shook both her hands
thout saying anything. She seemed
fife surprised and Il silence fell between
EN-.
He broke it awkwardly: Did you scta
tier from me-
Yes" she answered with adorable soft.
So
We'll, did did you-.can you tell me
nat wrote--I mean did say
4 do not understand you, Mr.. Saints
ry, SAID Mss Crawford, rather dig
atty.
Pardon me. but mean, did ask you in
E letter You received whether you
red
Is it possible You do not remember what
i wrote me- she inquired, with beauil
lriness.
Why, OF course but fear there has
EN- some mistake
Mss Crawford was not only amazed, but
, was apparently quite angry As Tor
n, he wLs in an agony OF doubt. Which
ter had she received? II he only knew
felt that he could act, Ii she had re,
we'd the love letter, he would have been
Igh'rd TO let it 60 at that. At any rate,
knew that his time had come to speak,
Wltn this convection came resolu.
n and freedom from embarrassment.
Pardon my awkwardneSs. he said with
mile, "and will explain. Last night
to write two letters. One asked YOU
~ with me to see tyrano de Belge
: The other was written for friend
o asked me to write it as il | were adj
ssug the woman | loved began by
ting her name az the head of il. and
II | wrote love letter into which my
I feelings entered don't know which
OF these letters you got, but really both
hem should have gone to you. loue
,c was at the beginning OF each,
are the woman | love. and you are tho
nan | was writing to IN both letters. /
not intend to tell YOU this by letter.
eccd to tell you by word OF mouth il
got the courage to do so.
Then, said Edith with a sort OF sweet
nay, this letter was not for me-
III Ans Il MAs Ii want straiuht hu