The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-22
Milly More's Letter.
BY NARY KYLE DALLAS.

81 NARY khl4E DALLAS
Pm Aunty Gunter. Job Gunter IS my
husband. We keep the Anchor Port
post Office and store and sell groceries
and garden sass, calico, shoes, ana med
icines, like other folks in our line, when
anybody asks for 'em.
When a ship comes in, and the sailors
come home to their wives ana mothers,
trade grows brisk. The housekeepers
do their best, and the raisins and dried
currants and eggs and butter go oil line
ly, and it's worth while to lay in rib
bons for the girls, and smoking tobacco
and long pipes for the men.
Jack and wages make old Anchor
Port brisk for a while, but at last he
sails away, and all the women seem to
ask for will be letters-letters, letters,
letters-when they have a right to eX-
peet them, and when they haven't all
the same.
It's "Please, Aunty Gunter, look over
them and see if there aren't one for me-"
and it's "Please, Aunty Gunter, il might
have got mixed up and overlooked some
hOw;n often and often-God help the
poor souls!-after Jack lies at the bot
tom of the sea, and nothing will ever
reach them but the news of his ship
wreck. But plenty of letters come after
all, and sometimes we have to read them
for the folks, Job and /, and we do get
TO know something of their lives.
Niilly More could read and write her
self, but still / always knew when she
had a letter from Will Massett. l knew
it by the handwriting, and / knew it by
her bushes, and by that happy look i'm
her face. When he came home she
bought ribbons and bits of lace by the
aprOnful; and 1 knew where the pack
ages of candy that he bought were to go
TO. And 1 used to keep Job from fishing
down in Pullman's creek of afternoons,
because ! knew that was where Milly
and Will liked to walk. COurting time
comes but once i'm n lifetime, and / al
ways like to see it prosper.
At last he sailed away, second mate
of the Golden Dove; and when he came
back from that voyage they We're to be
married.
1t was a sad day when that ship
sailed. Mrs. Captain Rawdon and her
girls were crying on the shore. Twenty
women from the Port and five from the
Hill were there to see her set sail.
1t was grim, gray day, and the voy-
age was TO be long one.
It was under our old sycamore that
Will took Milly to his breast.
"DOn't fret, darlingr' he said, sTll
drown now; pve too much to live for.u
Poor boy! in spite of that, the Golden
Dove went down in mid-seas, and only
three men reached Anchor Port to tell
how Captain RawdOn and the rest were
lost, at dead of night, in a most wOeful
storm.
Captain Kincaid brought the news up
TO Mrs. Rawdon. He stopped at our
store to tell about it. A nice old man.
A bachelor still, at fifty-eight, and rs
handsome, with his white hair and red
cheeks, as picture.
That was twelve months ago, the
night went into the store to sort things
out, as l always did Saturday nights.
Through theweek Job used to get every
thing mixed up-letters i'm my tea
boxes, candles in the letter box, eggs
where they Oughtn't to be, and all the
place askew. 1t was warm autumn
night, and Captain kincaid's vessel was
in port, and We had plenty of custom.
Job served the people while tidied up.
found half the last mail in sugar box,
and clothes pins in the ground coffee
canister, and Just dumped them out.
Gather up your letters, job" said /.
what possesses YOU, old man? ?p
AND he laughed, and piled 'em up.
anu made vow to myself that I'd
Keep the sugar box full after that, so
That he shouldn't use il for the mail.
had twenty-four pounds of sugar
known as "cOfiee crushed,n because il
was prepared especially to use in coffee.
That was the finest sugar Anchor Hill
folks often bought, though had a little
cut and powdered by me, in case Mrs.
Rawdon, or Mrs. DIR. SpeeT, or the min
ister's lady should send in; and | took
the paper up and tilted it over the Japan
ned box, pouring il in i'm a nice smooth
stream, when who should come running
into the shop but Alilly More. She was
not dressed carefully, and her eyes were
red with crying.
She asked for some tea, and while Job
was weighing it, she whispered TO me:
"Oh! Aunty Gunter, have you looked
to-day? Isn't there a letter from Will?
He said he couldn't die. l don't feel as
If he could die. Mightn't he write, after
all? Do look"
MY pet" says /, ''it's year ago that
the Golden Dove went down. 1t isn't
likely. And He don't let those live that
VA want to, always. 1t isn't likely, dear,
but pll look"
LOOK the letters in my hand one by
Ohe; Many OF them would make hearts
gia4 before the shutters were up that
iaa,tII,ao.t.I ieeI ote none Tor Milly. 1t couldn't
VI NoAlSe.
u U0iu her soi but took her into my
little back parlor, and made her sir dow, ny
there. Si' uo"
/ talked as good as could to her. bpt
what good does talking do? e'' 'u'
"Oh, Aunty" said she, 'I know II
seems as if was fool; but I wal,ed nT,
hoping this morning. / don't beIieve
he is gone. / can't, ean't.n
"When the baby died-the only one
we ever had-I thought / never shoui6
believe it, said /. "But had Job; and
YOU have your mother and sister.
Milly."
At this she burst into tears, and put
her head on my knee.
al must tell YOU" said she. "They
want me to marry Captain Kincaid.
He's courting me. He fell in love with
me the night lac brought the news to