The bee., 1908-12-17
THE LOVE
EPISTIE
Mr. Rarfounder FIpdo q Letter a. the
Front Door
BY John n. McNeeiy.

pick up something!" calculated
Ramfounder.
That's exactly what l said. 1t
looked to me like a letter. Now you
need not try to dodge my question by
pretending surprise. will repeat 1t
for your benefit Didn't you pick up
something as you came in the front
door,"
IF your eyes," replied John, with
great courage, ARE failing you, /
would certainly insist that you go to
an oculist"
Il want you to understand, Mr. Ram
founder, that my sight is as good as,
II not better than, yours. / will not
allow you to cast reflections upon 1t
even while you are attempting in your
petty and mean manner to practice a
subterfuge and evade the answer.
Didn't Just see you pick up a letter
as you opened the front door,"
Il suppose you did"
"Ahl So have trapped you, Mr..
Ramfounder, at last SO l have cor
nered you In despicable trick.
felt all along that Twas being wanton.
ly and willfully affronted. And now
you openly admit that you are guilty
Of picking up letter from under the
door and hiding It in your inside pock-
ct, although. of course, in the begin
ming you tried your nefarious and
heinous fraud and deception. When
you found that had discovered your
contemplate and sordid- scheme you
lost no time in confessing. Why?
ask you, Mr.. Ramfounder? Oh! Do
not try to fool mel Do not delude
yourself into thinking that cannot
see through your mean and base trick
cry. Can you answer my question?
You would be only too delighted to
blurt out In your coarse and ugly way
the truth just to get the pleasure Of
insulting a faithful wife, who labors
until her finger nails almost drop ont
making your home comfortable and
pleasant when you come home from a
days toll down in that office where
you claim you work. have my doubts
on that score, too. But / shall GER
tainly not give you the opportunity /
can say that much. 1t was merely one
to know that you picked up the letter
and concealed 1t away In hopes that
l would ask you for IL. But would
never do such a thing. would not
contaminate my mind by reading any
thing that was written to you. I am
not anxious to lower my character by
satisfying your insolent purpose. OF
course, you thought In your weak and
insipid mind that would let my curl
osity get away with me and demand
that you expose the letter. You were
trying some more OF your trickery. II
gives me profound satisfaction to say
Mr.. Ramfounder, that you are de.
feated and that you will not have the
pleasure of mistreating me any longer
/ have always done the right thing. No
one can accuse me Of"
MY dear, here ia the"
Don't you dare force that horrid
letter upon me, Mr.. Ramfounder. Did
mt just tell you that would not
touch the awful thing for million
dollars7 Mo- You need not entertain
any hope that will ask the name Of
the writer. have my suspicious and
II is not necessary to corrob0rate
them. The shame and disgrace ii
upon your conscience, not minel YOU
monumental Arrogance has exceeded
all bounds. The highest pinnacle Of
! insult has been reached, assure you
Mr. RamfOunder / can comprehend
clearly now why the letter was placed
under the door. You had hopes thai
l would discover 1t before you ar
rived home. You were anxious that
should pick 1t up and read II merely
to give you an excuse to hurt your Low
ing wife. ! suppose 1t is keen dlsap
pointment to you that one Of the
neighbors did not happen in during
the afternoon and find It, The humili
alton would then have been more cut
ting and your satisfaction would have
been greatly increased, being familiar
as you are. Mr.. Ramfounder, with the
habits of the neighbors to take al
every little thread of evidence and ex
aggerate until Il develops into a regu
lar scandal. But never mind There
is an end to this fragrant Haunting o.
y 2 violent attachments In my"
II you will listen"
/ That's right. Mr.. Ramfounder; X
ahead insisting upon my looking a
your love epistle. But 1t will not d.
you the slightest good. As I said be
fore. you are not satisfied 10 hide you
intrigue in the secrecy OF abashmsnt
You want me to know all about II
You are determined that shall hay'
every iota OF knowledge, so you ar
range for your yictim-mind you, sa!
victim, because any one who has tn,
least connection with you is certain
TO be e victim OF your small and ruth
less characterize slip the letter unde
the front door. How dare you, Mi
Ramfounder. abuse and mRltreat N,
without concealing your face I'm re
noraa and haoaaahlno .a-dc.9 L.