Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-01-09
HIS CLEVER -MISTAKE


+ ,,r;t;no sbo lnou, ,,,,e;t;,1,. - - uNaa e
.Iobn 1anster Sha was ox1,o,t;a. Iat.or
from him tbis n,orn;ng Va ' sha fa,t 49,
this letter was NOT for hor Uor rrino;n,i
reason for thinling so was tbat Il hoaan
oNv Dear louisa Uor go, Co... ,GisSi.
inc as she did was that ber nonoa r,s aii' nnt
/ dear Louisa >, ar avon .sT .o,iso" uan fuIi
name was Helene El;zahoth Nar,i,, Al.
most anvbodv wonld saw at frSt hlmDh tbat
letter addressed Dear I.ouise" was man.
ifestly not intended for Helene Elizabeth
Martin.
She turned TO the signature At the end
of the letter. Yes, there it was. John Ar
thur Lanster." She was so perplexed she
could hardly eat her breakfast. Immedi-
atey afterwards she went into the library
and sat in front of the crate fire and non.
uered John had never called her Louise.
lie had never spoken of Louise. Yet here
was a letter signed by him and addressed
TO some one named Louise. Some one. too.
who had "his happiness at heart"
Then she sent short note TO Mr.. John
Arthur Lanster which said
Your letter addressed to me- but Begin
ming Dear Louise. is received. / am afraid
that both Dear Louise and myself have
received the wrong missives. WIN YOU ask
Dear Louise to return me my letter and
/ will send her hers? | shall have to admit
that | read this much of Dear Louise's'
letter, L know you have my happiness at
heart l hope she will believe me when |
say that / read nothing more. Possibly
it will be as well for Dear Louise to keep
the letter she received by mistake or re-
turn it to you. On second thought, do
not believe | want it even though it were
originally intended for me-
I. 4.
after this note had been sent with another
note, which this time did not begin My
Dear Louise" but instead My Darling
Helene" Miss Martin perused its contents.
1t said: "In justice to everyone concerned
it is necessary that YOU read the letter in
tended for another person. | am sorry
made such silly blunder as TO get my letters
in the wrong envelopes. But there is moth
ing to do now but for you to read the letter
sent you by mistake. | am afraid you will
not speak to me again. | have told Louise
what | would never have dared to tell you.
But now you must read that letter. There
is no other way. | can only hope you will
not hate me afterwards. Then followed the
signature, John Arthur Lanster."
Miss Martin Immediately took the Dear
Louise letter and read it.
My Dear Louise: | know you have my
happiness at heart, and | write to answer
your questioning of the other night. Yes,
| am unhappy. Very, very unhappy. 1t is
right that | should tell you why. You said
you knew | was in love. You guessed right.
1t is because | am in love that | am I'M
happy.
But you think that love ought to make
one happy. Well, it should ordinarily.
But, q Louise, my love is such a hopeless
7 in, Iowa 1t-itb ,vbO l. Far
away from me as the stars She Is so beau
tiful, so good so sweet that when | am near
her | realize how unutterably unworthy
am OF her.
"You know, my dear sister, whom mean
1t is Miss Martin. | cannot stand the pain
that is eating out my heart any longer. |
am going to resign my position here, bright
as my prospects are, and go away. ! don't
know where | shall go. | care less-Alas-
ka, South Africa, the Philippines, the ends
of the world. Anywhere. just to go where
shall not see her and where in solitude and
silence | can finish life that, without her,
is not worth living. Good-by.
JOHN ARTHU II LANSTER."
For an hour Miss Martin sat with the let
ter in her lap and with her eyes fixed on
, the Pickering CRATE fire. Then she put on
her hat and coat and went out.
|, The next morning Mr. John Arthur Lam
ster remained at his boardinc-house for a
considerable time after breakfast waiting
for tbe postman. When his mail arrived
he had no difficultv in throwing to one
side those enyelopes which contained re-
mests from varions tailors batters and liv-
ervmen IN nlease call and settle sundrv
and numerous LITTLE hills and nickinp ont
A letter in a violet colored envelope and
sealed with a MONOGRAM which had an M
nrom;nentlv interviewer in il
t He tore omen the envelone and started to
read the letter when he suddenly mt il
down with an exnression Of di,mav He
Iooted at tho envelone If was addressed
n himself But he felt the letter was not
/ intended for him II booon. NV Own
: Darlino Fred " Tie Looked Al the signature
II ,,,t .;aned ..IJaleno EIi1abetb Martin y
SomohoiT also had mode a mistake Hs
2 ;nmodiately u,roto = telegram II road.
2 Nj UnIene N,r,in. There i mistake
somayoe,o Wi return letter delivered 70
,,,,' ,,,r,,ad AJn