The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-18
THE LETTER IN
THE ENVELOPE
What Comes of a Man Not
Trusting His Wife.

Mrs Ketchum was seated at her es-
critoire in a dainty morning gown, pale
blue to suit her hair and complexion,
attending to her correspondence, when
the postman arrived and left a letter
for her husband. She took it up,
looked at the pOstmark over the stamp
giving the date Of mailing, then at the
pOstmark on the back giving date OF
reception, examined the handwriting
carefully and unused:
Il wonder who-I mean whom-it Is .
from"
The handwriting was unfamiliar to
her.
He won't be at home before 6 .
O'clock" she continued, thinking. land .
if it contains anything that requires .
attention it might be too late and
cause no end of trouble. Then l would .
be blamed, and Justly blamed. Be
sides, | don't object to Alan's opening
my letters, though for some reason or +
other he never does. I'm going to do
what I think right and take the con .
sequences
However, to guard against contin
gencies she pried open the envelope
with a hairpin and without tearing the
paper. She read:
Dear Ketchum-I have no objection to
going to Chicago TO close the deal. but
my wife always objects TO my going away
anywhere especially when ! don't take
her with me. When I do I have to leave
her all day in a hotel I'm a strange city,
which is worse for her than staying at
home I shall keep my departure a
rffre4gs hat
l was called away suddenly / give you
this that you may write me about the
matter at the house for she opens all my
letters. Otherwise she is a model wife,
and this Is the only fault l have to find
with her But l believe il is q common
falling with women. I congratulate you
on having a wife who respects your pri-
vate correspondence. She is an exception
to the rule
Now. Mrs. Ketchum was no fool.
She saw in this letter covert lecture
addressed to herself for opening her
husbands mail. Again she studied the
address. also the letter gradually COM
ing to see an excellent disguise Of her
husbands chirography. She folded the
decoy and was about to replace it in its
envelope when there was a howl from
the nursery. Dropping both letter and
envelope on the desk, she ran to the
nursery and picked up her darling
Tommy, aged five. who in trying to
climb on n chiffonier had fallen on the
back of his head
When Mrs. Ketchum returned to her
escritOire she was agitated. She had
heard that children who fall on the
back Of their heads are liable to injure
the base of the brain and thereby he
crippled for life. She hurriedly picked
up the decoy letter, placed 1t in the en-
velope, wet what mucilage remained
and rubbed the flap down with the
palm Of her hand. This done she set
the letter up on the mantel. brushed
her own unfinished correspondence
into Il drawer and went back to cOddle
her boy.
When Alan Ketchum came home tC
dinner his wife was still worrying
about Tommy. who had a headache
and was feverish. The father looked
at the boy. then went into his wife's
room, where he saw the letter on the
mantel
Hello" he exclaimed. That's from
Steve Britton. | wonder if he's going
~ NAAlN 4l5o. IL he 1OtoA / blAtAAA Aiel Z
to go myself"
It wonder said the wife. you dom
have your letters addressed to your Of
fee. You are always complaining OF
my interfering with your private az
fairs. 1t occurred to me that there
might be something requiring atten
ton, but you're SO particular about my
opening your letters that l wOuldn'
have opened it for a farm. Some da!
an important matter will need to be at
tended to for YOU and you'll wish yoI
hadn't been So
The reason she failed TO finish the
sentence was a peculiar expression OF
her husbands face Her heart began
, to beat like kettledrum. Something
had gone wrong. Mr.. Ketchum reat
, aloud:
Madam am sorry that I cannot sc
any stuff to match your pink silk
have been to every store in the city an
2 have found nothing that will be suitable
2 VIII you please instruct me what to do
= Respectfully yours,
ELISE CORBIER
By the time the husband had finishe,
. reading his wife was looking for a.
q avenue Of escape. He saw her inten
T. ton and sauntered to the door.
p What in the world does 1t mean?
= he asked. "a letter from your dress
: maker in an envelope addressed i
. Steve Britton's handwriting? Is
o Steve BGitton's or somebody in Nine
Y COrbier's shop?"
1T may be that" said his wife in
:, faint voice.
e Singular. would have swOr
It Steve wrote that. But now look at
It see the first letter of the address,
o isn't Steve's. He makes most of hi
l. capitals big little ones. This A Is
o real capital"
Hope was beginning to rise in Mr.