The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-30
AJAX 5OUGIs al
EnURsDAY, JgNE 30, ts7O.
rom Routedge's Christmas Annual
LOST IN THE POST OFFICE.

The will lay upon the counter be
ore me, and my eyes we're rivete
81 the large cover which contained i
an5 which bore the Inscription Il
Grey, ESQ, Mitre Buildings, Th
Fe-ople. Londop. Within it Ia
Tase's destiny and mine. Whethe
we're to Re married or no, before on
f was gray, was the secret Wrapt u
is folds.
% 90 back to the beginning. M
her had been a junior partner i
th8 old bank of Fletcher aud Slaney
0f Thornbury, which had come t
of. after an honorable and old fash
oned manner, paying off all its debts
1oc0rding to the custom of forty year
AGO. at the expense of the firm. VIII
thereupon became peor men. Ny ia
Cher had many friends, and IN those
times, when political influence had IL
8nger in the bestoWal of all ppSilc
ohces worth having, the members OF
onr tory bough had little diAculty IN
procuring for the ex-bankSf the ONCE
0f post master, then yacant. The
bauk offices, occupying the ground
foor of our residezce,. were altered
somewhat to suit the new purpose to
Tbioh tbey wee put. The public
business room became a sort OF outer
oihee, and my fathers private apart
iaent the stamping and sorting place
r3 E letters. The upper portion Of
the artition wall was thrown down,
BAIT ft &C sufficient height TO screen
yh uer room from the observation
0f person in the outer one; yet i
cen enough to make every word
Eoaie in either part, unless inten
~ spoken in whisper. In the
faAg OF few years my father ap-
naiaiod me his head clerk, upon the
prou0iion of the previous clerk to an
oh es oil his own; aEA our united sal
aries hen amounted to Zoo year,
besiaes tie nunerous perquisites
wAisb & that the Of day fell to the
sbsrr ~ tie pot master, such as pri-
49, ter-bsgs, and the postage up
cL rt letters We had tive under
elsrks. and the duties were Light
Verv ferent from what they have
sinae boone; as / ana told. The
PENNY vostaRe had only just come In
boqssre. stamps were still an iDstitu-
tian 81 he future, and money orders
bad feen a rece gaized branch of the
ftsHA|aaH AAA ~A1 LIZ AAOAO A4A4 eftQ IGAAEs
3lty four years before, the stamp du-
g 0t Wspapers had ben Gid apiece,
ard Ar widest Wing had not vet.
d7eaEe1 OF a penny paper. There
we're nCurs IN our post Office when
Gus subordinates were more than
~ tia sat COR all the work Of the place,
,7i Joy fathers post was little else
thau sineeure.
4g Hh- II III
latu A0st active In procuring this
comfort able berth for US, was on old
crg0g of my father s-both of them
1asons and both dabblers in
ry--and also the wealthiest
the whole neighbrrhood. He
sr dachelor and continued to live
TF oh 10 tho simple and mex
W Nj style be had been used to in
% avs. His money had grown
v IoLy speculations and careful |
u a good number of his |
.as lived about the town, all /
i. sly we'll off, aRd more or less
Sd al IN life, except the brother
est to himself, who, having |
the church, had gained no
emotion in it than a poor |
. his native town, with an in
Il NJ e1O0 year. Old Lawrence
I'm with a kind of fretful. ir
br0therliness, which was but
astered over by yearly gift, |
.sc ly given, of another hundred /
scarcely say that all the kin
Iraa specially sfeotioRate to old /
l,-sraH 0.
III nieee, Kate Lawrence, the Gu
..-as laughter, was-welll shall /
-t v describe what she was, OK
lying that l was in love with
had been ever since | had
80 et her in church, listening,
y aiming and loving face. to her
ste eaohiDg one of his prosiest
am14 Everybody knew | was in
tee Katie, for / made no secret
Katie was just as simply
lkly In love with me. aud
a1 secret of it either. Yet | am
ars | had Dever asked her, 10
words, ii she would he my
we vere tacitly, without
promise given, engaged to
Z another as soon as tickle
ould permit it. When that
5. the most prophetic soul
fortell for our lavish house
Ddiuure at home, which had |
Bee materially reduced upon
of the bank, swallowed up
i income of my father and
SCI lille my three sisters, DOW
lca So, did not seem in a fair
make eligible settlements.
here ) only one chance, a distant
1la--rr old Lawrence died. would
aVs Katie or her father any por-
tou ot p Is accumulated wealth.
SIX 0r even years had passed with
grv tightening OF our prospects
I'D &c UNEXPECTEDLY, one morn
oh awrence's houskeeper rush
ith the news that she had
tanG II master dead in his bed.
night before he and my fa-
--- p. leen trying some chemical
lts, and the shock to the
so violent that he was 10
for a time, and continued
after his conscience had
returned. OF course, my
~ q sisters were iR great agi-
d IL was an hour or two be.
Id leave them, after assisting
father to bed and sending
)ctor. As soon as could,
I fastened to the poor soil
mans house. The streets
q connection, and the whole
med in a fever of curiosity
ag the sudden event, and
-1t result from it. In the
seif found every one of the
10 lived in the town, inclu
ryoung brothers and a mar
or Of the deceased; and by the
ae dead man sat Katie's faith
luioe tears Of sorrow binding
cxcifement. onea nuaLanad