Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-29
MISCELLANEOUS.
A RED SEALED LETTER.

| ntoio hhu poft Dluce.
John Fairjohn, tho postmaster, had counted
the letters. There were, as he made it out,
just ten, and ono was larger than the others,
and had red seal and then he found that he
had left his glasses OH the newspaper in the
back room, and without his glasses he could
not read line and so. OF course, he had gone
after them, returning to find two persons In
the store--Farmer Roper and Squire McKibbon,
whose ancestors had given name to the place.
"Wot, amt 2" said Mr.. Fairjohn, nodding.
wet or not, our folks amt going to do with
out their groceries, you see, said the squire.
| Mails in, sec. That train came near run
ming into my truck, too. Wasn't noticing the
| Any letters for me y
9 III see" said Mr.. Fairiohn.
He turned to the little pile OF envelopes and
told them over in his hand like a pack of cards.
"Why there's only nine, he said. "I'm sure
l counted right. ! counted ten, and thought
one hada red seal. 1 might as well give up
Keeping the Office, ii I'm going to lose my
senses like that. There wasn't any one in here,
while was gone, was there, Squire?'
"Only Roper and L" said the Squire, "and
Roper and Kopers son. But he didn't come in
| did hep
"No," said old Roper 81 don't think that
Job came IN at all He just went of some-
| where"
"well," said the Postmaster, after another
search. "well must be mistaken. Yes, there
| Id letter for you-your folks, anyway-and
something for you, Mr.. Roper. And / suppose
you wouldn't mind tossing that in at the Smiths
| as you pass.
"oh, nc" said Farmer Roper. "Give it to
me- That's from Smith that's clerking it in
New York, reckon. Can't get any Of EN- to
stay and farm"
Your son, Job did," said the Squire,
"Oh my son, job. He'd try the patience Of
| his uampaakn." aaid Eartner nenat. NV anp
job, hah"
Just at this moment the door of tho store
opened and there entered at it little woman,
dressed in cheap calico and wrapped in a thin
and faded shawl.
She looked timidly about the store, still more
timidly at the heap OF letters, and then, in an
appealing voice like that Of n frightened child,
| said
"Mr. Fairjohn, is there any letter for me this
timer
| The Postmaster, who is little deaf had
turned his head away and did not know that she
| had entered, and she came closer to the counter
and the light upon 1t before she spoke again.
She was a faded little woman, and her face had
| signs of grief written upon it, but she was not
either old or ugly yet, and there WAS something
| in the damp curls clustering under tho faded
calico hood, and IN tho little round dimpled chm
| absolutely child-liko even yet.
SIS there u letter for me this time Mr.. Fair
john?' she said again, and this time the Post
master looked up.
"No, there amt and You're fool for taking
such walk to ask. said he with rough kind
ness. "Wouldn't have sent il if it had come,
Mrs. Lester 2"
swell. you see felt in hurry to got it, said
she. You can't blame me for being in hurry,
it's go long"
"That's true," said the postmaster. "Well.
better luck next time. But why don't you wait?
Mr.. Mchibbon will take you over when he goes.
He passes your corner"
eyes. wait Mrs. Lester" cried Mr.. McKibben.
"1'll take We and welcome"
But she had answered
"Ihank you. l don't mind walking" ana was
gono.
''Keeps it up, don't she :? - asked tho post
master.
tits shame" said Mr. McKibben. Chow
many years is it since Lester went OFF,"
"Ten," said tho postmaster. II know, for it
was the day came. She was as pretty woman
as you'd want to 500 then, wasn't she ?"
"We yes" said Mr.. MoKIbben.
"Sailed in tho Sphynx, said the postmaster.
And we all know that the spnynx went down in
that yoyage,all hands along with her, the rest Of
tho women put on widows weeds, them that lost
husbands-four in this town itself. They took
what the Almighty sent, and didn't rebel. She
set up that her husband wasn't dead and would
come back She's Kept it up ever since comes
for his letter regular, and he was drowned along
with all the rest, of course, ten years ago. She
must bethirty. Well, she's changed good deal
in that time"
'les," said tho other man "but there's my
son job wild over her yet. Hos offered himself
again any day-ready to be father to her boy
and good husband to her. He's bet
ter off than l be. HIS mothers father left
him all he had. He's crazy, ia Job-crazy
call it. Plenty of pretty gals, and healthy, smart
widows, and lie secs no one but that pale, slim
little thing that's just gone out into the mud I;
and she-why of course slio's lost her senses, or
she'd have him. Works like slave 10 keep her.
self and the child, lives in rickety shanty, wait
ing for drowned man to come back again. Why
every one knows Charley Lester was drowned
in the Sphynx. There wasn't soul saved, not
one. 1t WAS in the paper. Now the bottle was
found with a letter in it. written by some one
lust before the ship sunk. Aud she's waiting
for him yet! "
"Well, poor sou she'd only been married
week when the Sphynx sailed that makes diff
ference"
'Oh, yes" said the farmer.
Then, their parcels being ready, they went out
to their wagons, and Mr.. Fairjohn having etert-
ed out into the rainy night awhile, put up his
shutters and went to bed Meanwhile the wo-
man plodded through the mud. "Walkng OF
her disappointment" she should have been used
To, and now the absurdlty of it seem to strike
her for the first time in all these years.
''They laugh at me-" she muttered to herself.
81 know they laugh ut me- Perhaps am mad !;
but they don't know what love is. Charlie
wouldn't have loft me like that. II he had died
le WOulu nave given lne HuIHo bibn ycb--
yet if he were alive, it would be stranger still.
No, no they are right am wrong. He must
be dead"
Aud AZ though the news had just been whis-
pered to her. she clasped her hands to her fore
head, gave cry, and sank down on her knees in
the road.
She knelt there few moments and then
arose. In this interval the wind had blown the
clouds from the sky, and tho moonlight lay
white upon tie path and lit her on her way to
her poor home.
There at the door sat man-a strong deter
mined looking fellow, who arose as she ap-
preached and held out his hand.
"IIere you come" he said, " tired to death,
worn out, still on that fruitless errand. Jessie
Lester, can't you give up this nonsense and
think Of the living little. Think of me, jessie,
for just half III hour"
al do think of you," she said. "Tm very
sorry you should be 30 good to me when must
seem 30 bad to you."
Then she sat down on the porch and took her
| little hood Off, and leaned her head YEARLY
against the wall of the house; and the man arose
| and crossed over and sat down beside her
"Gye it q softer resting place, Jessie, he said,
| hero en- my heart"
She looked out into the night, not at him, as
she spoke.
| "Job" she raid, al begin to think you are
right. that he went down III the Sphynx with the
| rest ten years ago. But what good would 40
You? What do you want to marry me Tor Z
| "The man drew closer still as he answered.
"Before you were married to Charles Lester
I ry.a.l g.Nno