Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-16
The Postal Card.
BY FRANCIS HENsHAw BADEN.

BY FRANCIS HENsHAw BADEN.
fE
"What have you there, Kittie ?" asked
merry little Nellie Andrews, holding out
her hand to receive the parcel held to-
ward her.
"Oh, lot of postal cards, Kittie an
swered, with twinkle in her black eyes.
Guess for what"
81 know. You are on fun intent. |
must hunt up Latin, French, German,
and Spanish dictionary, Il I..suppose.
eyes, ,Kittie, darling, presently. First,
though, l want to tell you something.
You know Charlie Blain, and what ex-
quisite teeth he has ?"
g Yes, many folks declare he has re-
ceipt from Doctor Leblanc, for the pay
ment of seventy-five dollars, for set of
teeth for s0ne60dy-"
'sOh, nonsense know his teeth the
good Lord gave him. Well, last week
he was absent from the Office five days,
with bilious attack. Saturday, when
he came back, there, On his desk, he
found a postal card. OF course, all the
gentlemen just round had peeped at it,
for they were nearly convulsed with
laughter when Charlie walked up to his
desk and took up the card.
Uncle says they just shouted right out
when he laid it down and turned to look
at them. oh, with such a comical ex-
preston he read out:
"DEAR CHARLIE-Your teeth are not
lost John found them in the bath tub
after the water was let off The stupid
fellow forgot to mention it until just
now. How sorry we are that you had
to be kept a prisoner so long, and still
more regret the great and unnecessary
expense you had to incur.
g Yours, A. B.
r. Oh, declare that was too bad. His
absence from the Office made it all the
more funny 1t must have been from
some one Of the clerks"
=" No. Kittie. Cnclc says Charlie
thinks it either from VIII Lawson, or
his cousin, Howard Marcy. SO I'm just
going To SET these young gents brains TO
puzzling. 1t would be of 10 use to send
Howard a love missive, for he cares for
his cousin Annie more than everybody
else in the world He would know well
enoagh size would not send him one. and
he would MT care to find ont abont any
one else So, what. toiH we do Z"
:. know Annie's folks are -awfuliy op-
posed to her having him, only just be
cause he il poor. Indeed, he is a SPLEEN
did fellow and if Mr. Lawson thought
there WAS my chance Of his ever becon-
ing rich lie would like AiIa well enoHgh
I'm sure Kittie, will pet pen. Now
how will this do?" Nellie asked a few
moments after, passing a slip of paper to
her friend. on which was written:
HowARD MARCY, EsQ-We have been
daily expecting to hear from your rels-
tive 10 the funds in our hands. We
have now eighteen thousand dollars uu-
invested. Please let us know what dis
position to make of it.
Respectfully yours.
ROADS & MEANS,
CounsellOrs at Law.
80, Nellie, if | WAS not fearful it
might raise hopes in the poor fellow
would say it was just the thing. But
don't you think il would be pity ?"
"Oh, think he won't be likely to
build much on it. Now Ill write little
verse of pure sentiment, you may send
either you chose"
mo, | will send the one You have
written to Howard. I've an idea if viii
do no harm, and who knows but it may
help him ? | will tell you how"
just then bevy of young girls came
fiuttering in. Kittie hid away the cards,
slipping one, with the note she intended
to copy on it, into her pocket.
That night the card was mailed tn
Howard Marcy, just about the time the
poor fellow was sitting ia his room,
bluer than ever in his life. Mr.. Law
sons manner toward him had grown
cold, indeed; he scarcely ever addressed
him at all now. And Howard knew
well enough why it was, and said
{" Just because can't help loving An
ME he treats me thus Who could live
in the same house with her and not love
her? Dear girl Oh, if / was only
rich If can only get over the coming
two years with Gods blessing | do not
fear the future l know can make my
way But what a struggle it will, it
must be How can | do it on fifty dol
lars a month Board twenty-five now /!
And if cousin Lawson continues to give
me the cold shoulder, | must find some
other home and of course strangers
will charge me higher-thirty dollars,
likely. Then washing four more books
and tuition, fifteen and have six dollars
left for clothing, and possibly, in few
days, it vii be reduced to just one. ]
cannot, with the respect due to myself,
remain much longer, if things do not
improve. | think Annie loves me a lit
tie more tkan girls are apt to love their
cousins. I'm glad we are distantly re-
lated, or the old gentleman might add
that for another objection. Indeed, if |
had only the means to buy that exqui-
site little pearl ring, / would find out if
she loves me as / hope. Oh, if slight
streak of good fortune would come to
me now, | think never could any man
appreciate it so truly as l. Well, it is
no use to sit up in this warm room.
groaning over what is now inevitable.
will go down, and be happy while
may"
Sweet Annie Lawson was sitting just
where Howard Marcy expected TO find
her, on the shaded porch, looking very
lovely, but little sad, he thought.
However, she managed to call up a
smile to welcome Howard.
What is it, Annie, that is troubling
you?' he asked, seating himself beside
her, and endeavoring to take her hand.
Annie drew it quickly away, at the
same time glancing anxiously into the
library window, where her father sat
writing.
Howard understood the meaning of
her glance, and the cause of her sad
ness
Poor girl! she could no longer dis
guise her sorrow. The tears filled her
eyes as she whispered:
g don't dare | wish might"
Another look into the library window,
another sigh-almost sob-and How
ard felt that a crisis in his love making
was about approaching. Would it be
life or death to him? What had he to hope
for? Surely that evening was the
gloomiest of his life. Miserable enough
he went back to his room.
g 1t is no use for me to struggle
against fate. l wish now I had been
content to stay at home, with no higher
thoughts than working the farm. No