Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-02
The Daily
Short Story
An EXCHANGE OF LOVE LETTERS
Rr Richard MarkeiE.

Mary Chalfnch and / were friends.
II did not occur to me that We would
become lovers. | had no thought of
marrying. and if should marry pre-
snmed that | would mate with
heavenly creature altogether TOO good
for any man. except myself.
one morning wrote, from my club.
a note to Mary. asking her for some
information she possessed. waited
some time for a reply and not receiy-
ing one called upon her with view 10
learn the reason for her silence
"Your note was written from your
| ctuh - she said. 81 never write man
to his club"
why not?" [ asked.
Because a girl friend of mine wrote
man. addressing her letter to his
| c,uh and he showed it all over the
club"
| Of all the reasons for such rude
ness that I ever heard this was the
/ most remarkable. Why she argued that
| would show her letter "all over my
club" because some one else had acted
thus brutality I could not imagine.
WHY is it that these stupidities of
women attract rather than upset US
| men? I don't know, but ND to this
time while I had liked to chat with
Miss Chalfineh on substantial sub
iacts. without thought of anything
lender between us, now for the first
time was drawn to her IN loyelike
way. NY visits not only grew more
FREQUENT but emotional. Not long after
this was called away and strange to
saw. | fell to writing love letters TO
her. I returned and 8. regular court
ship was inaugurated that ended IN
an engagement We were engaged
year and since ! was frequently alb
sent. there were more love letters.
| declared that ] had always in
tended-should I marry-that would
only marry one who possessed every
virtue. Miss Chauldnch replied that
she had always averred that she would
only marry the most honorable OF men.
| / mention these two among the many
laudations that passed between us be-
cause we soon faIsified them.
Miss Chaifnch suddenly became
: angered with me. It would be i'm
9 possible to state the reason of ORE
9 who would not answer a note / E.4l
0 written from club because Sc 70
n wretch had shown, or was said 10 gave
e shown, all over his club. letter re-
n ceived from a girl In fact, never
h exactly understood her reason.
: Well, where lovers fall out the first
j. thing 10 be done is to return these
heartfelt iaudations Of each other com
IS monty called love letters. Mary Chal-
II finch wrote me a curt note: Please
q sand me every scrap I ever wrote You.
n I have not the slightest doubt you viii
Of read what / have been silly enough to
h write you TO ali your friends
Is This from the girl who had called
ar me the most honorable of meni Il
n. made me mad-not displeased, not an
ID gry but mad wrote her: Pleas
a. send me my letters. In the hands OF
e such an irrational person they are
70 not safe This to the girl who had
&c said possessed every virtue. She re-
ae piled that on no account would she
give up what she possessed till she
A. had received what / possessed.
elk And SO We were at a deadlock
IS ! next prepared that the exchange
'et be made through some honorable wom-
'e- an such as / had supposed her to he
in TO which she protested that an hon
nd cradle woman would naturally be
IS trustful-as she had been-and / would
he trick her. getting back my letters and
ais keeping those for which they were t.
tt, be exchanged
OFT ] paid no further attention to the
matter, making no reply to Mary.
ae, suggestions. read what she wrote ms
IN but did not deign to reply. FINALLY
OF she proposed that ! bring her letter:
'a5 to her home: she would meet ne q
itn the front door with mine; the exchaBg'
N might take place there, l could &
OF away, and she hoped she might neye
see me again
I replied that unless I might hav
mr. ian opportunity to examine what sh
lie returned to me ! would have no con
er fdence that they we're my letters: q
.er, any rate, all my letters So I de
clined her proposition
After brief silence Mary wrote II
that if ! would bring her letters
5u should have an opportunity to exam
'nii inc those she would return to me
81 accepted this arrangement and agree
Vi to call the next Saturday Afternoon
= at the time appointed I drove up
i1e' her house in the car and lifted ont
~, " corded package of encomiUms Of ny
nc self and pledges to love me alway
that would weigh something like
dozen pounds, and carried them up {
fur the front door. maid received n
No - and ushered me into a little receptjo
49, room. where 1 had done hours {
: counting with her mistress.
There before a blazing wood fl
- stood Mary, robed in what had d
~ ways been a favorite costume with m
,,,e and looking what had considered h'
az during our correspondence very al
Iiea gel. Her wearing that costume aloT
'a,,t indicated that the farce was played I
~ the climax. I dropped my burden az
,arn advancing. took her in my arms The
mad sitting on a sofa on which we ia
non breathed more love, than there was
,rss the letters that had passed between U
and We took UP the courtship where it hs
bsr been dropped several weeks befo
without referring to the cause OF Il
quarrel or TO the exchange Of letter
Why is it that the most importa
reel event in a mans or a womau's i
ei- should be iumbled up with so nut
nay nonsense?
gain
lex =-7-==-------=
ance on the Socialist ticket unless he is
IN MON mar of tho ~ ~, daol,a.J a