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Chicago May 20^th

Dear Bob

Andrews handed me your
highly characteristic letter yester-
day - in it I find the following - "Is
"it possible you still feel "ill" about that
"unhappy matter of his missing letters."

Now, Bob, I don't feel "ill" about it ^now whatever
I may have felt when I heard you had
(as I then thought) abused my confi-
dence by sending my letter to your
father - I don't know exactly
what tone to assume in this letter,-
for if I speak plainly and truthfully
as I prefer doing I run a risk
of hurting your feelings - but I
know you prefer "calling things by
their right names," - therefore I
speak so that we may understand
each other. In writing you that
letter I did so in the fullest faith
that you would explain or have
it explained in the most delicate
possible manner - at least if you
thought I was wrong you would
spare me the pain of hurting your
father's feelings. Had I not been
actuated by this feeling I sho'd
have written him myself and
had it been any other man
- I care not who - I should have
demanded an explanation -

But you know, Bob, I love your
father full as well as I ever did my
own and prize his friendship and
kind feeling too highly to subject it to

Chicago May 20th

Dear Bob

Andrews handed me your
highly characteristic letter yester-
day - in it I find the following - "Is
"it possible you still feel "ill" about that
"unhappy matter of his missing letters."

Now, Bob, I don't feel "ill" about it now whatever
I may have felt when I heard you had
(as I then thought) abused my confi-
dence by sending my letter to your
father - I don't know exactly
what tone to assume in this letter,-
for if I speak plainly and truthfully
as I prefer doing I run a risk
of hurting your feelings - but I
know you prefer "calling things by
their right names," - therefore I
speak so that we may understand
each other. In writing you that
letter I did so in the fullest faith
that you would explain or have
it explained in the most delicate
possible manner - at least if you
thought I was wrong you would
spare me the pain of hurting your
farther's feelings. Had I not been
actuated by this feeling I sho'd
have written him myself and
had it been any other man
- I care not who - I should have
demanded an explanation -

But you know, Bob, I love your
father full as well as I ever did my
own and prize his friendship and
kind feeling too highly to subject it to