Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-12-27

+ course it was a silly notion.
and she didn't expect that
anything would come of 1t.
but Mrs. Blocker had set her
heart upon arranging some sort of a
clandestine correspondence. She knew
It was a rather vulgar form of diver
sion, but she meant to cover up her
identity so thoroughly that she might
drop the whole affair at any time with
out fear OF discovery. She conned our
of her imaginative mind many reasons
that seemed to condone. if they did not
justify. the little scheme. Curtis
Blocker, her husband. was. she be-
lieved. commencing to neglect her.
They had been married six years. had
no children. and were still struggling"
TO keep out of debt. She was suffering
from ennui, amusements We're expens-
and Curtis showed each night
when he came home the evidence of
busy. nerve-racking. bothersome days.
Sometimes he didn't come home till
past midnight. and she was beginning
to doubt his stereOtyped apologies.
Maybe he was perfectly loyal. and
anyway. Mrs. Blocker was sure of her
own fidelity under any conditions. and
she was fascinated with the idea of get
ting up some sort of letter Irritation
with some unknown man whom she
never expected or cared to see.
She confided the plan TO Miss Annie
Cuthbert, her best friend. who had n
typewriter. and between them they
fixed up an advertisement. which APP
peared in the next Sunday newspaper
as follows:
WANTED.-By n young. handsome
intelligent woman. the acquaintance
of sympathetic. educated and NOR
al man; object. the exchange OF in
structive and helpful letters. Adj
dress Q So. this Office.
Miss Cuthbert went for the answers.
and the clerk handed her many That
night Curtis didn't come home even
for dilner. and his wife. for the first
time in her life. was glad OF it, She
went with her friend into the kitchen.
LOCKED the doors. and together they
sat dow nto gloat over those answers
TO 20 50. Most of them We're idiotic
of course; few Were sane enough
, but '-lercenary or commonplace or ill
Some contained photographs of
youths with curls and fool
$. Some We're the ridiculous
old men who had outlived or
their opportunities TO be
was very funny, the whole
nd Mrs. Blocker and Annie
n the reading and over the
till the bell announced
II. Then Annie bundled
TO her satchel and said:
N the morning. Chloe. and
them
it came to formulating q
most likely" OF the COR
nd they saw what study.
lge and what time it re-
determined 10 burn up
but one and make the
The lucky object of
signed. or rather print
Rodger Fortescue. and
General Delivery"
no photograph his
er showed every evil
IN. good breeding and
or the unknown 20
h he became a per-
-Ig of a hero i'm the
inds q N these good women. who
ever expected TO see him. and would
ave laughed at his frank confession.
is gently limited hopes. his dignified
'elancholy-if they could
mt they couldn't. Rodger Fortes-
letters more than satisfied their
,nticipations. His typewriter
In successive letters of increas-
length were almost vocal of gen.
Gus. wise and tender nature. Mrs.
ecker and her friend began to en-
wv him with every imaginable virtue.
/ the replies which the young wife
rote she strove to rise to his stand
d of rhetorical excellence. to his
,lendid imagery. to his vague but
insome messages OF love. She no
niger permitted her friend. Annie
uthbert. &c dictate even an occasional
ntence. and at last she even failed to
fare with her friend one OF the let
rs which. as usual. she had received
the SGhNidi uciANtky WinuuW
hen Mrs. Blocker. almost uncon-
lsly. began to compare Curtis. her
md. with the unknown Fortes-
Why had the master OF her des-
yer written such letters to her:
he not eloquent like Roger
he had begun to call him
She became a bit scared
was a true and dutifui
Blocker had exchanged
IS in their counting days.
uld have written just
'scue If he'd had the
thought And then
ton of her folly ar
ubtIe and hatef'
she went 10 An
a long letter TO
she begged his