Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-12-29
UnSealed
Notes
How They Were Carried by Girl
Between Two Philanthropists
; By F. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.
By r. A. mitchell
by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

Lucy" said Mrs. Gonage to me, Il
wish you to take this note to Mr. Con
stable. The automobile is at the door,
! and Peter will drive you there at once.
| send the note by you because it is
! upon matter of unusual Importance"
am Mrs. Gonagle's secretary. She
is wealthy woman and a philanthro-
bist. l am unfortunate enough to have
been born and reared in affiuence and
then forced to make my own living,
| l confess | do not take to the work
kindly. Mrs. Gonagle is very good to
me, telling me that | should marry a
man able to take care of me in style.
TO which | reply that fate has deprived
me of an opportunity to meet such
man.
! 1 was driven to Mr.. Constable's
house and admitted to a sumptuously
furnished room that was used for his
office. All l knew about him was that
he was worth several millions, and like
Mrs. Gonagle. philanthropist, the two
| occasionally working together in their
benefactiOns. A young man not more
than twenty -one was sitting behind IL
rosewood desk writing. l advanced to-
ward him with the note and said:
Twill you please give this to Mr.
Constable and say that Mrs. Gonagle
would be obliged for an immediate
answerT'
The young man looked at me, and
! nolIid San in hic that ha admiral
my appearance. But l. being woman
of the world, knew how to appear I'M
conscious of his appreciation. Then he
! glanced at the address on the note and
inviting me to be seated, left the room.
After short absence he returned and
handed me a reply addressed to Mrs.
GOnagle. 1t was unsealed.
| will you kindly mention to Mrs.
Gonagle." he said, that Mr.. Constable,
understanding that the bearer of his
| note is her secretary, does not feel
warranted In sealing the reply? He
wishes Mrs. Gonagle to understand
this. for the subject matter is of con-
siderable Importance, and the note, if
carried by an ordinary messenger
should be sealed"
| Now. while am to the manner born
and thoroughly understand the motives
that would induce Mr.. Constable to re-
frain from sending a sealed communi-
cation by me, am nevertheless a
| woman. The sense Of honor supposed
to exist in a highborn dame. l claim.
is as strong in me as in the rest of my
class. but that does not necessarily i'm
ply that | am devoid of curiosity. At
any rate, what did on this occasion
was to prove that l am gifted with
my full share of that feminine trait.
had not long been seated in the auto
when | took out Mr.. Constable's note
and read it.
Great was my astonishment. This
was what found in it:
Dear Mrs. Gonaglc-I am delighted with
your secretary. | am sending this reply
by her unseaied. If she reads 1t she has
not the high sense Of honor and the deli
Cacy l would require in a wife And if
she does read 1t / shall knew by the con-
sciouspess she will display that she has
done SO and shall be ready To have you
recommend another helpmcet. l trust she
will not for L am half in love with her
SINCE tH1S single meeting. Cordially and
thankfully yours,
DONALD CONSTABLE.
Heavens. What had lost? A mil
lionaire husband. 1t was plain that
Mr.. Constable. instead of being mid
die aged or an old man. was the young
fellow l had taken for his secretary
And had spoiled it by my curiosity.
In another moment | resolved to
fight the matter to the bitter end. But
to carry me to Mrs. Gonagle, and that
would be insufficient time for me to
form plan. i had owned an auto
before the collapse Of our family for
tunes and knew how to run one.
Peter" l said, ''let me take your
seat. 1 wish to drive awhile:
Peter stopped the machine. and got
into his seat.
Are the tires in good order?"- + ask
ed.
"Ali but this front one on the left.
I've got new one I'm going to put
on there"
determined to obtain delay by
bursting that tire. Turning into a
street in which l knew the pavement
to be badly broken. l drove vigorously
over several holes. at the last of which
there was n report, and the imperfect
tire was bursted.
Il shall have to leave you, Peter" I
said, ito get out of this trouble as
best you can. am carrying an i'm
pOrtant message to Mrs. Gonagle
which must be delivered as soon as
I Ossible."
Alighting walked on. The ten
minutes that had been necessary for
me to get home was now extended to
nearly an hour. for had driven the
car as far as possible from a trolley
line. When l reached Mrs Gonagle ]
pretended to be so full of the break.
down as to forget Mr.. Constable's
note. talked "a blue streak" about
the former. not mentioning the latter
Finally Mrs. Gonagle spoke of my err
rand. :
81 saw no one" said. but an, un
derstrapper. who took the note. to Mr.
Constable and brought me this one In
reply. He told me to say to you that