Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-01-11
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
WANDERLUST IN REAL LIFE

subject OF letters, the vanities and non.
sence Of them, their value for evasion
or directness, their cruelties and
kindnesses, the parts they have played
In the tragedies and the comedies of
life. Carlton finished his glass and set
IL down with unwonted deliberation
TITS my opinion" he said, slowly.
that nine-tenths Of the letters written
are insincere in part at least"
Evidently you include the letters Of
women" Darragh, the youth, said
with fine wisdom.
"Youngster, what I know Of the
letters of women"-Carlton was look.
ing fixedly at Darragh-"leads me to
believe that they are In the remaining
tenth. And hope you may never find
1t otherwise"
Darragh, very properly, made no
reply; there was really nothing to he
said. We looked at Carlton rather
hopefully, although not one of us ex.
pccted anything. Carlton is known
for the hold he has upon his tongue.
But his comment had led our talk into
the still sidestream of personalities.
Saunders, who was sprawled out to his
length on the chimney seat, peered
through the tobacco smoke with a
cynical eye said:
Granted that womons letters are
sincere, that is, In certain instances"
there was the faintest suggestion of a
nod towards Carlton, which Carlton
lost, as he was looking at his pipe,
"now many shining examples OF sin.
certify in letters-men's letters-are
known to any of ls here? or course,
don't mean letters from ones family,
one's brothers. | receive letters day
after day signed yours faithfully
or most sincerely yours the ordinary
penultimate line Of correspondence
which know lack sincerity either
because ] know the writer's or the cir.
cumstances in which the letters have
been written. It's so easy to read be-
tween the lines of most letters" He
lighted cigarette and settled himself
back among the cushions. THE only
really sincere communications re-
ceiye are part In print and have
Please remit at the bottom. The
persons who send these are sincerity
personified."
my observation of letters" said Ins.
ley, with yawn, has caused me TO
divide them into two classes, interest
ing and embarrassing. If I am anus
cd | make no demand for sincerity.
II letter has amused me, there has
probably been, at least, a sincere dc.
sire on the part Of the writer to amuse
Inc, and accept that and am amused"
You've voiced what in measure I've
felt about letters" Barnes said from
which amuse always seem to see
the effort of the writer to be amusing"
This may be due to the frequency
with which the sacred personal letters
Of the illustrious dead have been pub.
lished OF late" Willing said. perhaps
those who write the letters Barnes re.
ceives are living in the fond hope Of
yielding a volume or two of corres.N
pondence for the edification of those
who remain after the curtain has fall.
er upon their little personal play"
While we had been talking. Wander.
pool, the civil engineer, had sat in
silence, his elbows upon the arms OF
his chair, his hands clasped, and his
gaze upon the rug There was pause
after Willing spoke, and 1t was broken
by Vanderpool.
81 want to tell you people a little
story" he said. without lifting his
gaze. 1T has to do with a letter.
have the letter here, and I want to
read It to you. don't intend to make
any comment upon 1t and | don't say
II answers any of the statements you
have made. Perhaps I should have
read 1t before all these comments were
made. However, I'll make a preamble
to the letter, and you may read 1t your
own way. You don't know the man In
the story; will not tell you his name,
only this much; know a man; knew
him at college, and liked him, as did
every one else. left college two years |
ahead of him, and soon after he was
graduated heard Of him in the West.
He had always seemed to have a hank.
ering for the West, for the wildness,
the unrestraint of II. He used to say
that cities did not appeal to him
whether they were Eastern or West.
ern; he wanted to get out in the
rough, open air, free part of II. /
L.