The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-07-18
BY WHAT RIGHTi
forlEinall

Nellie Blake was Nery nict kli' The only trouble with her, trouble common with most girls whose parents are abundantly able to support them, was that she hadn't enough to do to keep her out of mischief. Having nn' ished her education. there seemed nothing more for her to do but to walt for her affinity and be married. This was not to her taste. and she proposed to her father to study - well, some thing. anything. SO that If she should be left without
 .'Nonsensc.' said the father. "rh not permit anything of the kind
 Then Nellie considered matrimony. The only man who wanted her, SO far as she knew. was Fred Langley. But Fred was too matter of fact. He was A plodder. He had plodded at college, at the law school and was now plod' ding in his profession. She thought over a number of others, but they an had something about them unsuited to her taste. She gave up the matrimo- nlal problem. but one day, on reading a matrimonial advertisement Just Tor fun she thought she would advertise for a husband and see what kind of an- swers one receives in such cases.
 Sitting down at the mahogany writ ing desk In the library, she wrote In q large hand (her own was very delicate) with a stub pen and very black ink a communication In the usual form. Then lest some one should And out that she was SO absurdly engaged she took the precaution to carry it to the newspaper office herself.
 IL would require q large volume to dll in the body of this story, for cor respondence sprang up between Nellie and an unknown gentleman who called himself AIonzo Courtney. Nellie writ inc as Clarlssa Varlan. the letters grow Ing in length tlll near the end an av' craze letter covered twenty-four pages. Nellie had expected to have good laugh at her replies. She was mistak' on. The first was 30 delicate and def erential that no one but thoroughbred could have written 1t. All denoted ex- treme refinement. Then the original and attractive Ideas the man had! And how those Ideas appealed to her! It was marvellous that one who had ney- OF seen her should have such an Insight Into her most hidden feelings. Ills let ters became more and more impas- sloned tlll at last be begged for meet Ing
 Had not Nellie Blake fallen in love with a soul she had seen expressed on paper she would not have granted such an interview. AS it was, taking ad- vpntage of an evening when her par ents would be out. she wrote Mir. Court pey that she would receive him at 5 o'clock. When the hour arrived, she was in the drawing room in her most becoming costume. pink silk, her hair done high and no jewels. The lamps were dimmed with artistic porcelain shades. and she had arranged when her correspondent arrived to be stand Ing with a screen and a large palm for n background. When the dOoroell sounded. her heart went up in her throat Then came the card of Alr. Alonzo Courtney. and while he was getting on his coat and hat in the ball she thought she should faint The drawing room door was pushed open, and In walked the matter Of fact Fred ] Langley.
 To say that Nellie was angry gives DO idea Of her condition. She was too enraged to say anything for few mo ments. Then she hlssed:
 "ImpOstor.'
 "Is it an imposture for a man to transcrlbe his inner self in words to one be lovesT
 "How did you know that | advertis- edg"
 cone morning. doubtless soon after YOU wrote your advertisement, l called on you when you were not at home. The maid. who did not know that you were out showed me Into the library and went upstairs to deliver a mes sage rom me. While waiting for her return [ noticed some large black let ters In reverse on the blotter on the desk. amused myself deciphering what made an excellent puzzle and had nearly finished before it occurred to me that was reading e secret For this | must apologize. Wll you for give meT'
 And thenY
 "It occurred to me that you had writ ten the duplicate. wanted to discover under cover what of strength or weak ness. good or evil. there might Do in you I watched for your advertisement and answered lt."
 Had you a right to do soT'
 "No. One has never the light to lie In concealment for a friend. Yet had I not been your friend I should have had a perfect right. A girl who adyer- tlses for a husband Is open to all the world. Would you deny me the right you had given millions of strangersr
 Nellie wineed.
 Nevertheless" be went on. "the h. discretion has brought revelation to me. I had 10 idea of the depth of feel Ing there Is in your nature. your no- ble conceptions and especially your de- sire to be something more than a drone. Had you not been born to wealth you would have been. may yet be. of great service in a world that needs 30 much" He could have said nothing that