The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1912-06-13
The Letter

Having scrutinized the sheet of note
paper carefully the young man laid II
down tenderly. He dipped his pen II
the ink and tried it on scrap of pa
per before he spread his feet apart
and hunched over the desk to write
He began:
"Mr. Alwell w. Adkins, New York
City, Dear Sir-I wish to bring to your
attention a matter which while con
corning both of us yet pertains more
closely to affairs connected with my
self and yet also is perhaps more i'm
portant to you judging from the
standpoint you naturally might have
taking into consideration all the facts
that"
The young man suddenly crumpled
he sheet and cast it from him, then
picked it up again to smooth it out
and glare at it.
"Now," he said to himself, 81 won.
ing. I suppose if l had gone on with
| that should have ended the sentence
| with something about picking cur.
rants on the mountains and why pre-.
fer white fish broiled!"
Selecting another sheet of paper he
wrote down the same address and
started in again:
"No doubt you will be surprised at a
letter from me on this subject, though
on second thought the fact that you
are not acquainted with me should
have nothing to do with it, inasmuch
as you have doubtless considered the
possibility of circumstances bringing
about situation which, while not ex-
actly similar to the one that at pres
ent engages your attention, still!-"
The young man paused, bit his pen,
got up and walked around the ROOM
came back and read over what he had
written and then sat down dejectedly.
"Oh, that won't do" he groaned. 1T
simply won't do at all! l know pre-
cisely what am trying to say and it's
doggone queer I can't make it come
out right. Come to think of it, the
start is too businesslike!"
Beginning a third time he wrote:
my Dear Mr.. Adkins-I suppose 1t
would be we'll to tell you something
about myself, because it is in the ma
tu1e of things that you should wish to
know more-in fact, all-about per-
midst of the most important part of
the daily existence of circle which
while far removed yet seems in
measure united with the hopes and
aspirations that at present overpower
the more humdrum phases of every
day life that hitherto have occupied
the"
Sinking his head into his hands the
writer let his fingers run wildly
through his hair The more he
thought the more impossible it seem
ed to complete the sentence.
1T began we'll, too," he murmured
mournfully as he slowly tore the pa
per in two and added it to the heap In
the waste basket. "... ..
Then he went and got drink Of
water, looked out of the window and
opened a book before he once more
settled himself at the writing desk.
He began slowly, determinedly:
"Mr. Alwell W. Adkins, New York
City. My Dear Mr.. Adkins-Putting
the matter briefly, which is best, wish
to say that while I realize no amount
of preparation would make any easier
the blow" e
; "Good gracious, that isn't the word"
1.-The loss that it would be to you II
what am going to say should incline
you to look favorably upon the propo
sition that l feel it is time for me to
bring to your attention, still, on the
other hand"
The young man looked fxedly at a
figure in the wall paper. Leaning
back, he examined the end of the pen
frowning at it. He hummed a little
tune Slowly his eyes wandered back
ito the paper before him and he shook
his fist at it.
"Confound you!" he muttered in
tones Of concentrated rage. Ion the
other hand'-what is on the other
hand, anyway? Not blamed thing!
I've forgotten what 1 had in mind
when / started out-and l started out
briefly, too! The inside of my head
feels like patent churn with a hash
ed up dictionary going round and
round inside it! You could almost
set that to music II you were clever!"
He store the paper into pieces vi
:iously, got out another sheet, slammed
It down, jabbed his pen into the ink
and with his damp hair plastering his
! brow wrote:
"Mr. Alwell w. Adkins, Dear Sir
You don't know me, but love your
daughter and want to marry her. My
income Ia $4,000 year and below are