The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-11-13
A MISSING
LETTER
By DONALD CHAMBERLAIN

My wife. who is predisposed to VI
lions, was perambulating the street
one day when she came to IL dwelling
with a red flag at the door. She went
in and bought a small library of books.
1t was brought home and added to our
family collection. My wife took the
books one by one and busted them all.
giving each a cursory examination. Be
tween the leaves of one of them was Il
letter. sealed and stamped, addressed
to James Overaker. in Il neighboring
city, which had not been mailed.
| was appealed to for an opinion as
to what should be done with it. l adj
vised that it be taken to the house
from which it had come. This was
done. but the place was deserted. /
then advised sending it on its way
through the mail. but since it might
be lost l wrote our address on the
upper left hand orner In a week it
was returned. My wife then insisted
on making a dead letter office Of our
| selves. opening the letter. learning the
address of the sender and returning
it to her. l say her, for the address
had been written in a feminine hand.
Before l could stop my wife she had
opened and read the letter.
1.-The brute!!' she exclaimed, handing
the letter to me.
The writer was evidently d young
girl who had had a spat with her
lover and either had tent him of or he
had left her of his own accord. She
wrote that she was heartbroken over
their separation and had decided to
ask him to come back to her and
make it up" though Sue-whoever
that might be-had said she would be
a fuol to do SO.
at looks to me-" said. that this
Sue is the mischief maker in this case.
wonder If she didn't cause the trou-
BILE in the first place."
"what makes you think that?' asked
my wife.
my most cogent aso is your find
ing the letter IN the book. Evidently
the writer was bent on posting 1t, but
was unable to withstand Sues in1u-
ence. It was laid away for considera-
ton as to whether it should be mailed
or not-and never mailed.
II am going to send it back to the
poor girl and advise her to send 1t. No
man could resist such an appeal"
"Send it to her without the advice"
The letter was inclosed In an envel-
ope addressed to the location given.
which was the house where the books
had been bought. with a statement Of
its finding. l inferred that the post
master had been advised of the new
address and would deliver the letter ac-
cordingly. I was right. In due time a
letter came from the writer Of the n
returned. thanking me for sending it.
Her name was Winifred. and this time
she signed her full name. Winifred
Marbury. She said that she had sup
posed the letter had been posted. Her
cousin. Susan Fountain. had agreed to
post it for her. but had delayed doing
so. thinking she tWinifredl might re
greet having sent it. and the letter had
been forgotten.
l smiled cynically.
DO you doubt the poor girls story
asked my wife.
II do not doubt that she is more o
fding than bright. This Sue. instead Of
posting the letter. hid 1t in the book.
Her explanation is a f%alsehood."
Il wonder if that is so? Ill write
back and tell this Winifred Marbury
that she has been duped."
She'll not believe you. IL you wish
to do some altruistic work find the
man and tell him to find the woman"
what woman!"
Sue"
Explain"
Tell him to get his girl from under
Sues influence. No: it's NJ business
of yours. Send him the correspondence.
II he is too stupid to perceive where
the trouble lies he Is no loss to any
girl"
This got me into trouble. My wife
started me on a hunt for the lover.
finally secured his address. and my
wife mailed him the correspondence.
including IL copy of the original letter.
The very next day the gentleman call
ed on my wife when l was at bust
ness to thank her for having interest
ed herself in the matter. He told her
that he had been wavering between
the two cousins. though he really
wished Winifred. He was convinced
that Sue had acted dishonorably in the
matter, and he was sure he could con
vince Winifred of the truth.
Doubtless II he had eel me instead
of my sympathetic wife he would have
confined himself to thanks.
"You men," she said to me. are
brutally unsympathetic. II 1t had not
been for me these lovers would have
never been reunited"
IF it had not been for my discre-
tion." I replied. they would have
been further apart than ever. Sue
would have got the fellow. and you
would have been hopelessly mixed up
in It"
mot at all. If I had had my way
the matter would have been settled
limo AGO. :,