The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-06-10
INSPIRED LETTER
BY w. KENN EDY.

After dinner John Salntsbury re-
paired to his rooms with nothing more
serious upon his mind than the writ
ing of two letters. 1t was a clear,
cold winter evening, with just bit too
much of a whipping wind to be COM
Portable, and it was with sense of
relief that he entered his comfortable
apartments and found a cheerful fire
blazing in the CRATE In his sitting room.
Saintsbury was one Of those young fell
lows who may be described as nicely
fixed" His apartments were not "too
much" but just right. He dropped
into an easy chair and ran his eye
casually over the evening paper. Then
came a parenthetical smoke, and he
sat down to his desk to write his let
tiers.
Saintsbury's two letters were as dis
similar as it Is possible to imagine. One
was merely note to Edith Crawford
asking her to go with him to see 10y
rano de Bergerac" the latter part of
che week. Yet how fondly he wrote
1t. He began the note Dear Edith"
writing the words with Caress, and
he sat admiring his own rashness,
though he knew he was merely writing
for his own edification and that the ar
istocratic Miss Crawford would never
see what he had there written. He
scrubbed the name all over the page
and then, with q sigh, laid the sheet
aside and began to write the formal
note which he always sent to Miss
Crawford. Saintsbury was so deeply
in love with this lady that it actually
scared him.
The second letter which he had to
write was for a friend who was in
love and wished to send a beautiful
letter announcing this fact to the wOm-
an he adored, but did not know how
to do it. "Write me a letter, John"
said Dick, "as if you were writing to
your own girl" John endeavored to
follow out these instructions. He did
not know the name of Dicks sweet
heart, and in order to do his best he
addressed the letter to Edith Crawford,
intending to leave her name out when
he copied the letter He found it easy
to write under these circumstances,
and when it was concluded he read it
over and glowed with the beauty of it.
He could find no fault with It, and he
felt that he could not improve upon it
by rewriting it. So what was the use
of rewriting 1t? Dick had to copy it
anyway in his own nervy hand. So
he took out couple of envelopes and
addressed them and enclosed the let.
tiers, having forgotten all about leav-
ing Edith Crawford's name in his
friends letter.
The next day at the bank he was
rung up by his friend Daniels. 81 say"
said Dick over the telephone, "you
didn't know that you sent me letter
addressed to a friend of yours, did
you? What's up, anyway, old boy"
John remembered then that he had
forgotten to erase Miss Crawford's
name, and he blushed through the
phone as he replied: "Oh that's all
right. Just scratch her name out and
| think it will do"
"You haven't given yourself away
a-plenty, have your said Dick.
Could it be that he snapped the let.
ters and sent Edith's to Dick and
Dicks to Edith? The idea was quite
amusing until he remembered that
Edith's name was in the beautiful love
letter. 1t was impossible that he could
have made such a mistake, but he was
vaguely uneasy about it, and that eve
ming he FASTENED out to Miss Craw-
ford's to set the matter at rest.
He found her in the drawing room
alone, and looking pensiyely into the
fire. How beautiful, how tender, how
dainty she was in the freight glowI
lie broke it awkwardly: "Did you
get letter from meT
"Yes," she answered with adorable
sOftness.
"Well, did did yOu-can you tell
me what | wrote-I mean did / say"
~ do not understand you, Mr.,
Salntsbury," said Miss Crawford rath.
er distantly.
Pardon me, but l mean, did l ask
you In the letter you received whether
you cared"
as it possible you do not remember
what you wrote me2" she inquired,
with beautiful iciness.
"Why, of course; but | fear there
has been some mistake"
Miss Crawford was not only amazed,
but she was apparently quite angry,
AS for him, he was in agony of doubt.
Pardon my awkwardness," he said
with smile, "and will explain. Last
night ! had to write two letters. One
asked you to 90 with me to see 'Cy-
rano de Bergerac.' The other was writ.
ten for friend, who asked me to write
ii MS If | were addressing the woman
/ loved"
"Then," said Edith, with a sort of
sweet dismay, this letter was not for
meY
"Oh, yes 1t was. 1t went straight
by mistake. That was all" said John,
"But what becomes of the invitation
to see 'CyranoP" asked Edith.
Bother Cyranow cried John, now
grown entirely brave. "What | want
TO know is whether you accept the In
yitntion IN hecomp Edith SalntsburyT
81 suppose | viii have to, for / am
dying to see 'Cyrano.'"
And that IS how II came about.
Copyright. 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa-
Gyp1irutpA