The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-23
Awful Pile Pain.

ored him. He was saved the task of
mentioning the letter by Anna herself.
What made you write to me, Joe"
she said, instead of asking me? Were
you afraid 1 should say no, and didn't
like to chance hearing a refusal?"
We'll, that was one reason" said
Joe, looking up with a smile and
clutching at any way out of his diff
Guilty.
And what was the other reason?"
II thought 1 could express myself
more clearly in a letter and then l
thought 1 might get chance of seeing
you alone"
well, you certainly made yourself
quite clear" said Anna, laughingly.
But l had no idea that you were such
fearful exaggerator."
What was she referring to? So he put
in bravely: There was not single
word of exaggeration in all 1 wrote
you"
''All you wrote me, you goose" said
Anna, why, there were only three
lines to the whole letter. You must
have been very busy, if you only had
time for three lines. But why did you
say that you loved me for years, when
you have only known me for eighteen
months?"
"Only eighteen months" he said.
well. it seems far longer than that.
Besides. you know, L knew you by
sight long time before we met each
other"
well, but then just fancy writing a
letter containing a proposal of mar
riage on a typewriter" said Anna.
What a terribly unromantic young
man you are! never heard of such
thing before. Perhaps you even die
tated the letter to clerk. Confess.
Did you dictate it to a clerk?"
How can you think of such a thing,
Anna?" he said. do you think that
a man would dictate a letter of love as
he would a business letter? l don't
know what made me use a typewriter
except that have, got so much in the
way of using one that 1 have almost
forgotten how to use my pen. But it
must have seemed very odd to you,
now | come to think of livery odd.
Still, it doesn't matter does it, whether
it was typewriter or not?"
Not a bit" said Anna, shyly, "but
l shall always keep it as a curiosity,
and later shall tell people about it as
great joke on you
Eyes, it will be a joke" said Joe
feebly. But was there anything else
in the letter which surprised your"
We'll, l didn't know you were so
well on" said Anna. "Stil / should
have loved you just the same if you
hadn't been, so we will not talk about
that dear"
Joe was only too glad to turn the
subject. 1t was getting decidedly awk
ward, and he felt that he was in a
hole from which there was no escape
The man who had written that letter
had evidently stated his income, and
Anna thought 1t large. What was it
likely to have been? What would she
consider a large income for him? He
could only trust to Providence to get
4 sight of the letter; else he must
make clean breast of the whole truth
So his was a qualified joy when he
got back to his rooms that night. He
mad arranged to call and see Annals
father the following day. and ask his
consent to the match, and he would
Of course, have to go into details con-
corning his financial position. Anla,
in all probability, had shown the letter
TO 1er father, or had told him of it's
contents, and he was bound to be found
out.
Perhaps, he thought, it would be bet
ter after all to take Mr.. Davenport
into complete confidence, and tell him
how matters really stood. The father
was not a formidable sort of man. He
had a sense of humor and Joe thought
that if he could only convince him
that he was really in love with Anna,
he would excuse him for acting as he
had done.
While he was thinking the matter
over with no great satisfaction to him
SELF he was interrupted by a knock
at the door, and the servant told him
that there was a gentleman who had
called and wished to see him.
"Who is it?" asked Joe, in none too
good a temper.
"Mr. Wright, sir"
what the deuce can Wright want
with me, / wonder?" thought Joe to
himself, as he got up and stood with
his back to the fire.
Wright entered. Hello, Davis, are
you busy? / want a good talk with you
about myself. That is, of course, if
you'n not be bored by listening to
me-" y
mot BIT" said Joe. "Is it some
thing confdential?"
II warn you that you will think me
a precious fool, and l give you permits
sion to call me one"
Now, my dear fellow" said Joe,
you don't mean to say that you have
come over here just to hear me call
you a precious fool What have you
been doing? Is it money matters again?
Or is il q woman? Those are the two
usual VeXations, aren't they?"
yes. it's a woman said Wright
seriously.
"Have you asked herr"
yes"
"And she says. no?"
"Tm afraid she will"
"Then you haven't got your final
answer? Let her take her own time.
Don't fluster her, and IL will come out
all right in the end. What did she
say?"
her and | haven't got q reply. Surely
she ought to have answered it one way
or the other. for It's two days since
/ wrote II"
"Oh, you're sure 10 get an answer be-
fore long, old man. And, after all,
it's not such a bad sign, your not get
ting an answer, for, II she had meant
10 refuse you, she would have an-
swerered YOU by return mail Keep up
your spirits, and hope for the best"
YES, but look here. 1 am afraid that
she WIN be puzzled by the way IN
which / wrote that letter You know
how ewfal my penmAnHhip IN, ana how
everybody laughs al a., and says Il
looks Ike her trncksY
Yes" wss the answer, II DO but
what did you do2 DID YOU disguise
~"
aweu 10 tdi you the truth !
never thought about ~ until ! bad
written fhe letter. and Then ! suddenly
remembered fhHf fhf lnHf conversation
that D had hn1 WITH ihe riu WAS about
character reading from handwriting