Smyrna times., 1876-08-23
VOLUME XXII.--NO. 13
eIIU21 e ONS.
The PoSt-0mce.

had all sorts of things at the fair-fsh
ponds and grab bags. 1t was mean to put
so many tract in those, l do say; and as l
told you we kept the post-office, and don't
know how it came into my head to write
two letters just alike; "Meet me at the
oak tree if you have not forgotten the
past" and put them into pink envelopes;
but we wrote trash of all kinds, of course.
The oak tree was just outside the room
where we held the fair, the big room of the
academy; and there was a nice beach
there, so it struck me to write the notes.
"Give one to lady and one to gentle
man," said |. And Ann Lunn, who de-
lvered the letters, laughed merrily.
Whoever get them will be sure to go to
the tree" she said; and almost as she
spoke up came DIR. Steelwaggon, the old |
bachelor in Bluehill, and putting his head |
in at the window, said slowly:
young ladies, are there any letters for
mc?'
"Yes, sir; one for DR.. Steelwaggon,"
cried Ann, tossing me a pink envelope,
and addressed it. He paid a liberal post
age-he was sure to do that.-and away he
went.
Watch him for half an hour, and you
will see him go to the old oak tree" said
Ann. And sure enough in less than that
we saw him make his way out of the hall
and sit down under that oak tree in the
moonlight.
"Men never lose vanity" said Ann.
"Do women? Let us discover" said I.
Ann saw old Miss Barnett coming towards
the office, and 1 directed the other enve
lop to her.
In a moment up she came smiling-a
pretty old lady in black silk, with the
incest little ruffles of real lace on her neck.
g Have you letters for me, my dear?"
she said.
zone, Miss Barnett" said Ann
She handed out the pink envelope num-
Der two she spoke.
"If were a young lady should think
this was a love letterl' she said, as she
walked away.
"We shall soon see" said Ann.
And though she did not 60 soon, it wa
not long before we saw her gliding out of
the hall and walking very slowly indeed
toward the beach where DR.. Steelwaggon
was sitting.
He arose as she came near; he bowed.
She courtsied. They sat together.
After awhile they rose and walked away,
arm in arm
Didn't l tell your" said Ann.
"Of course when they met they had a
CHAT" | answered. "They are two old
neighbors."
But Ann would joke and say all sorts oi
things of course.
Well, we were busy with the fair, and
forgot all about the little incident soon
and when the fair was over there was still
good deal to do, until one day we al
went to the minister's house to count uI
what we had made, and talk things over
when, as we were counting the gains of thu
post-office, the minister's wife suddenl!
cried out:
"Oh, girls, we are going to have a wed
ding here tonight, and the post-ofic
brought it about. Miss Barnett is t
marry DIR. Steelwaggon, and all because c
two letters that they got at your office.
"You see, long ago, when she was
pretty young girl, and he a handsom
young man, the two were engaged, an
loved each other dearly. But they qua
relied somehow, as lovers do now and theI
and separated. From that day to tn
they have never spoken TO each othe
But neither of them, as you know, hi
ever married, and lately, Miss Burnett tol
me she had begun to think that the doct'
must have loved her more than st
thought, else he would have had wifi
Men can always marry if they please, yo
know. And then she knew very we
there had never been any one TO her lil
the dQctor She thought, as she wake
about the fair, how happy the old coup
looked, arm in arm, and he thought so to
Indeed he has told her so since. Al
when she walked to the Office she W
thinking how handsome he was yet. Al
when she opened her letter and rea'
= Meet me at the oak tree if you have n
forgotten the past" it gave her nervo
feeling, and after awhile she walked slow
along to the door and looked out. I
moon shone bright over the lawn, a
there under the oak tree, in the midd
sat the doctor himself. Had he writ
her the letter? She walked on toward
tree, not meaning to scents see him uni
he spoke; but he did speak: HearOse
spoke.
Miss Barnett" he said, hope
you WE'LL"
And she said;
Srhank you, quite well, DIR. steelw
gon.n
And that was the first words they
spoken since thirty years ago.
She had said TO him: