The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-01-13

anything would come of it,
but Mrs Bleeckcr had set her
heart upon arranging some sort OF IA
clandestine correspondence. She knew
II was 4 rather vulgar form OF diver
sion, but she meant to cover up her
Identity so thoroughly that she might
drop the whole affair ut any tine with.
out fear of discovery. She conned out
OF her imaginative mind many rea Soas
that seemed to condone, If they did not
Justify. the little scheme. Curtis
Blocker. her husband, was. she be-
iieved, commencing to neglect her
They had been married six years had
no children. ana were still struggling
TO keep out of debt. She was suffering
from cnnui, amusements were eNpens-
I've. and Curtis showed each night
when he came home the evidence of
busy, nerveracking. bothersomc days.
Sometimes he didn't come home till
past midnight, aud she was beginning
to doubt his stercotypcd 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 a letter Irritation
with some unknown man whom she
never expected or cared TO see.
She coniided the plan to Miss Annie
Cuthbert, her best friend, who had
typewriter, ana between them they
Hxed up an advertisement. which APP
peared in the next Sunday newspaper,
as follows:
WANTED,-By Il young, handsome,
intelligent woihan. the acquaintance
of Il sympathetic, educated and NOR
al man. object. the exchange of in
structiye aud helpful letters. Adj
dress q 49,. this office.
Miss Cuthbcrt went for the answers,
and the clerk handed her many. That
night Curtis didn't come home even
for diluer. and his wife, for the first
time in her life, was glad of II. She
went with her friend into the kitchen,
locked the doors, and together they
sat dow nto gloat over those answers
to 20 81" Most of them We're idlotic,
but mcrccnary or commonplace or i'll
spelt. Some contained photographs of
lOvclorn youths with curls and fool
ish smiles Some We're the ridiculous
plants Of old men who had outlived or
neglected their opportunities to be
loved. 1t was very funny, the whole
business, and Mrs. Blocker and Annie
In, . la
photographs iii the bell announced
Mr.. BlcccEcr. Then Annie bundled
the stun into her satchel and said:
"Come over in the morning. Chloe, and
wen n wer them"
But when II came to formulating n
letter to the most "likely" of the cor
respondents, and they saw what study,
what suhterfugr and what time II re-
qulred, they determined TO burn mp
all the letters but one and make the
most of that. The lucky object of
their attention Slgued, or rather print
ed, his name rs Rodger Fortescuc, and
his address was General Delivery"
He had enclosed no photograph. his
typewriter letter showed every evil
dence Of education, good breeding and
even reverence for the unknown go
S3," and forthwith he became II per
sonage, something of n hero In the
minds of both these good women. who
never expected To see him, and would
have laughed nj his frank confession
his gently limited hopes, his dignifeC
melancholy--if they could.
But they couldn't. Rodger Fortes
cues letters more than satisfied thei
first antlcipations. His typewriter
words in successive letters of increaS
ing length were almost vocal of a gen
erous, wise and tender nature. Mrs
dow him with every imaginable virtue
In the replies which the young wifi
wrote she strOve to rise 10 his stand
ara of rhetorlca! excellence, TO hi
splendid imagery to his vague bl
winsome messages of love She II
longer permitted her friend. Ami
Cuthbert, TO dictate even an occasions
sentence, and mt last she even failed I
share with her friend one of the le
tiers which, as usual, she had receive
at the general delivery window.
Then Mrs. lilcecker. almost uncoI
sciously, began 20 compare Curtis h,
husband, with the unknown Forte
cue. Why had the mnster of her de