The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-11-17
ID LETTERS.

a|-TmN SN'T it funny" said Polly,
tl9 @I holding up bundle of yell
low looking letters, how
4 they sound when you read
ElGl l6l1 them over? They're just
like old-fashioned frock, or
the way you used to dress your hair
ridiculous. And once you thought
them so beautiful They look Ike
white coflins, don't theys' and Polly
pointed TO half a dozen bundles Of once
white envelopes, each tied with diff
ferent colored ribbon. which she had
laid out on the library table, ready for
sacridcial burning on tile altar OF our
engagement
They remind me- remarked, as !
began pulling ont Of my own oyercoat
pocket bundle after bundle Of pink and
blue envelopes, each tied with com
mon cord. apd deposlting them beside
PoIlys collection, more of skeletons
OF stale cigarettes"
"Or dead roses suggested Polly.
"Or cold pudding" said !.
Polly commenced untying the violet
string around a slender packet, and |
lay lazlly back in the big armchair and
watched her through the smoke Of my
cigarette and legan reading.
who was he, Pollyin ! asked gently,
blowing wreath Of smoke and watch
ing Il curl around the chandelier.
"He-he doesn't sign his name, said
Polly, eyadvely. and turning pink.
/ raised my eyebrows significantly.
Because said Polly, hurrying on.
''as he always said. Il Is inartlstlc to
sign your name TO a personal letter.
Ii the one for whom II is intended eau
not guess the sender by the very first
sentence, then either he or she does
not care very much. or else the letter
IS entirely without individuality. You
do not have to label good picture
This Is a cow 10 youg'
VERY clever OF him. 7 remarked.
Il don't know what you mean, Mr..
Heavyfeather"
Il mean said I. "that the man who
doesn't sign his name 70 the letters
he writes 10 woman Is either
ashamed Of what he IS doing OF in
sincere In what he is saying: he is
either 4 cad or a coward. When a man
really loves You. the only thing on
earth he is afraid Of is that he VIII not
get YOU"
.Nr. Heayyfeather." said Polly, cold
". You never did appreciate style in
letter writing. You"
"oh. ] know his STYLE" I remarked,
cynically, the lnsinuaung, noneommlt-
tai style: the style that never signs
his name and begins each letter imper-
sonally. as though he were talking to
space or posterity."
There was fash Of something white
through the air. and the bundle Of
letters fcll from Polly's hand into the
blazing FIRE with crash.
Now" said Polly, bringing her el.
bows down on the table with a little
thump and leaning her chin on her
clasped hands, ats your turn"
but you didn't finish reading them,
/ said, in surprise.
whats the user said Polly They
were all alike"
l sighed and opened a pink packet
first. l felt Polly's eyes on me. and
flushed hotly at the very srst line in
the intensely interesting episile / hap
pened TO draw out.
''wellT' asked Polly, at length.
"Oh, pshaww | began feeling my
cheeks growing hotter every minutel
''It isn't fair. Polly, to-"
'You mean." interrupted Polly, "thai
the lady who wrote the letter said some
silly thlngsY
"They didn't seem silly at the time,
I replied warmly.
"They never do" said Polly, "and
pudding never tastes fat when its
fresh, and cigarettes never seem stcle
until they 20 out; and you never have
a headache until the day after the
dance"
''And a woman never seems happy,
appended, until she can spell heI
soul out on paper"
"Well,' flared Polly, ID girl ought tC
be at perfect liberty to lay her sou
quite bare in a letter to her sweet
heart"
"That depends l remarked, ION til,
sweetheart
"And on the kind of girl added
Polly, thoughtfully
And on the situation" / concluded
"and then you have to reckon viii
death, accidents and prying land
fadies."
Il suppose said Polly, "that th'
safest thing for a girl to do is TO writ
with the idea that she is going to bl
famous and that her letters are to b.
published after death by mercenarl
progeny. Then she will say a lot o
clever, interesting things which vii
charm the man in question and We
would luake good general reading, i