BANK NOTES AS LOVE LETTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 59

BANK NOTES AS LOVE LETTERS.

To many strange purposes bank notes have been placed, but it is seldom they have served as billets-doux. One purseburdened individual, hailing from Philadelphia, became enamoured of a pretty actress, and after betiothal wrote her daily, though a distance of two miles only separated them. His notes every now and again took extravagant form, being written in pencil on the backs of £10 notes.

Of course, the fair recipient erased the terms of endearment, and promptly disposed of the money. This mode of procedure did not exactly please her lover; he wished her to preserve the sheets as tokens of his undying devotion; accordingly, the j following epistles were indited in the I .blackest of ink, which could not be effaced without damaging the precious paper. | Not to be outdone, his fiancee continued ! to change a note now and again, the essay 'of love-talk notwithstanding. A few she , kept back, wisely conjecturing that a sweeti heart so lavish must be somewhat brainlesa j and apt to be fickle. Nor was she wrong. ! Another girl excited his passion, and he I begged to be relieved of the engagement, i With business-like promptitude the be- [ witching actress sued him for breach of I promise — his valuable billets-doux, produced ! in court, flooring him at once. | A love-letter written on the back of a ' fiver was sent to the manager of a big ! woollen warehouse by mistake. The crisp ! sheet was intended to reach the sender's ' fiancee, but in his hurry to catch the mail j the £5 note was packed into the business , envelope; while the girl received a be- | wildering sheet of numbers and degrees of j serges, tweeds, broadcloth, etc., puzzling to her as Hindustani. Yet she recognised the caligraphy on the envelope, and sent back the manufacturer's list, passing the incident from "her mind as a mistake on the part of her •suitor. The manager, not ' lecognising the writing on the wrapper inclosing the' note, knew not to whom if;

should ba returned, the love epistle being merely addressed to "Dearest lovey," and simply signed '"Rex." As Rex received no acknowledgment of his princely letter from the desired quarter, he, like many a love-blind wight, treated the silence with neglect instead of demanding an explanation.

To render the matter more complicated, his sweetheart, in sending the cloth-list back to him, inclosed no note of explanation, being at the moment elbow- deep in soap-suds ; and, persuading her brother to address the envelope, the handwriting was strange to Rex. Provoked at this silence, the young lady proudly kept in the background — a months estrangement being the result. Matters brightened when, on calling at the woollen merchant's office, some explanation was needed concerning the list. Placing his hand in his pocket Rax produced it, saying it had been sent back to him. No, it had never tvecn received, and the writing on the envelope was not that of any of the firm ; bub something else had come on the morning when the list should have arrived — showing the £5 love epistle. Gladly the young man claimed it, able now to express "the matter clearly. His fiancee was clasped in his arms the very same evening, and the go-astray note boasts a silver frame in the cosy parlour of their little dwelling. Broken was a love romance through a letter of sentiment indited on a bank-note. The writer published a volume of poems, presenting a copy to his imancee, and inclosing the folded note between the pages. Gilt-topped, the side and bottom of the book required cutting ; the note, placed between the gilt edges of two leaves, was enwrapped envelope fashion, needing a p?per knitc to free it by separating the pages. The young lady hated poetry, but surely she would do him the honour of perusing his work — the bank-note should bear witness.

Called abroad,' six months waned before the poet returned. Seated in the drawing room awaiting his fiancee's descent from her apartment, he examined the presentation volume, to find that not one of the leaves had been cut ; and knowing exactly where the note had been placed, lie withdrew it from the gilt top, placed it in his purse, and restored the poems to the book shelf. After which he scribbled an apology on his card and quietly withdrew.

■ Two days later the astonished girl received a letter fully describing his discovery and disappointment. Quitting his lodgings hurriedly." he left for Liverpool, thence to America, and nothing more was heard of or fromjiim. The "maiden all forlorn" pined a little, but sought balm by union with a gentleman of means who did not write poetry. Remarkable was the career of a 510 note, bearing on its blank side loving words from beau to belle. This was addressed to BromJey, but the sender omitted to name the county (Kent). The envelope was ofiicially stamped: "Try Bromley, Yorkshire" ; but it never reached the West Riding village, becoming wedged between a book-package designed for Australia . This package reached its far-off destination ; but, unfortunately, the recipient placed it aside, some months intervening before he undid the wrapper. Discovering the letter, he rejposted it, adding "England"' to the directions ; another few weeks of wandering, and the precious missive was handed to its owner, none the worse for its hazarduous journey. - A love message written on a bank-note was perused by a librarian, who, during an examination of some dilapidated tomes, found the paper serving as a bookmark in an ancient volume of history. Referring to the ledger, the name of the last borrower of the book was found, and the money restored to the lady claimant. It had been missing for two years. Luckily the book was of little interest to the general public, otherwise it might have fallen into dishonest hands, to be returned minus the costly marker.