Bisbee daily review., 1903-02-26
BY WHAT RIGHT?
lorigInaLl

was that she hadn't enough to do to keep her out of mischief Having fin ished her education. there seemed nothing more for her to do but to wait for her affinity and be married. This was not to aer taste. and she proposed to her father to study - well, some thing. anything. so that if she should be left without
 'Nonsense.' said the father. "I'll not permit anything of the kind"
 Then Nellie considered matrim0ny. The only man who wanted her. so far es 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 all had something about them unsuited to her taste. She gave up the matrimo- nial problem. but one day, on reading a matrimonial advertisement, just for fun she thought she would advertise for husband and see what kind of an- sssvers one receives in such cases.
 Sitting down at the mahogany writ ing desk in the library. she wrote in large hand Cher own was very deilcate) with stub pen and very black ink communication in the usual form. Then lost some one should find out that she was so absurdly engaged she took the precaution to carry it to the newspaper Otice herself.
 It would require a large volume to fill in the body of this story. for a cor respondence sprang up between Nellie and an unknown gentleman who called himself Alonzo Courtney. Nellie writ ing as Clarissa Varian. the letters grow. ing in length till near the end an av- craze letter covered twenty-four pages. Nellie had expected to have good laugh at her replies. She was mistak en. The first was so delicate and def erenttaI that no one but a 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! IL was marvellous that one who had ney- CT seen her should have such an insight into her most hidden feelings. His let ters became more and more impas stoned till at last he 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 1t was. taking ad- vantage of an evening when her par ents would be out. she wrote MT. Court ney that she would receive him at 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 sue had arranged when her correspondent arrived to be stand ing with screen and q large palm for q background. When the doorbell sounded. her heart went up in her throat Then came the card of Mir AloTzo Courtney, and while he was getting off his coat and hat in the hall 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 no idea Of her condition. She was too enraged to say anything for few mo- ments. Then she hissed:
 "Impostorr'
 "Is 1t an imposture for a man to transcrsae bis inner self in words to one he IovesY'
 How did you know that advertis- edY"
 "One morning doubtless soon after you wrote your advertisement. 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 mes sage from me. While waiting for her ! return I noticed some large black let ters in reverse on the biotter on the desk I amused myself deciphering what made an excellent puzzle and had nearly finished before it occurred to me that was reading secret. For this must apologize. WiE you for give meT
 And tbenT
 "It occurred to me that you he'd writ l ten the duplicate. wanted to discover under cover what of strength or weak ness, good or evil. there might be in you. watched for your advertisement and answered it."
 Had you a right to do soT' N
 ''No. One has never the right to lie in conceaInent for friend Yet had I not been your friend should have had a perfect right. A girl who adyer- tises for a husband is open tossll the world. Would you deny me the right you had given millions of strangersY'
 Nellie winced.
 Nevertheless" he went on, "the in | discretion has brought revelation to me. had DO idea Of the depth of feel ing there is in your nature. your no- bIe conceptions and especially your de 1 sire to be something more than drone. 1 Had you not been born to wealth you would have been, may. yet be, of great service in a world that needs so much. !" | NHo@