The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-11-17

/ Nacleus lntft NCtc uc< p-utaNl llLce
around the mouth and eyes, and the
fresh flush had turaed TO a wan pale
ness. A friendly greeting was on the
tongue Of the clerk As he tnrned 10 meet
her, but when BE- saw how pale she was,
how wasted, and hop the calm express
sion OF her tce had been erased and
covered with fhe autograph Of pain, he
suppressed the cordial words that were
/ pushing his lips open, and simply re-
marked:
Z" You have been sick?"
"Ies, have been sick she said,
and gathering her letters in her hand
/ she left the window, and, like - snow
/. fake ana the sea, melted away into the
surging wave of humanity that was
/ roaring in the street outside.
After this she came regularly again,
bat ths paleneSs never leit her face.
and the wrinkles heightened and deep
ened instead of growing less.
The clerks began To talk Of her
changed appearance, and concluded
that she was suflering from some cause,
they could not decide Just what, al
though there were plenty Of reasons
suggested, and il was concluded 81 an
informal meeting behind the wall of
boxes in the post-office one day that
next time she came il was their duty 70
find out If she was needing any thing
that they with their i'll filled purses
could supply. SO when she came the
clerk who happened 10 be At the win
dow held her letter in his hand a mo-
ment TO delay her, and said with 4 great
deal Of trepidation-for the mystery Of
her life and the distant self-possessiOn
OF her manner discouraged any inquisi-
tive attacks:
81 pray YOU TO excuse me, madam;
thought that if You were in any sort
of need"
IL am very well cared for, thank
YOU" she interrupted. - You have y
letter for me, see"
And she was gone again.
The clerk went back 70 his fellows.
and, being person Of pride, related I
the incident, with some details that .
were not supplied in the occurrence. 4
He said he had rendered the lady in
their name, IS delicately Is possible,
any aid that she might need, explain
ing TO her that they had learned from
long association 10 feel an interest in
her, and hoped if she was in want Of
any Of the necessaries OF life, or if she
needed assistance of any kind, that
they would assist her 10 the extent Of
their abilities.
The clerks applauded the defines
with which their fellow had performed
The duty, and inquired anxiOusly for her
reply.
"She told me-" he said. "that she
vas in good circumstances, and was
lot just now in want of anv assistance.
put, with our permission, she would
our kind offer, and IL ever
n need would not hesitate 10 call upon
Is"
And il she had been a heroine for
ncrly she became a goddess from that
lour out-a goddess in an Old-ashioned
eghorn bonnet, a rusty brOche shawl,
md reticule ike the ones their grand
mothers carried. But she was as divine
o those habit-hardened pOst-office
Jerks as ever was -. Cecilia 10 the
one poets of the medieval, or 81.
agatha 10 the suffering women of the
hureh. The gray hair of the goddess
lad grown much thinner, in the last
ew years, her eyes were sinking back
Inder her temples and growing dim,
md the hands that clasped the letter as
'ach month came round were getting
cry gaunt and shriyeled.
The war came on, the mails were Ia
len down with messages Of sOrrOw and
bereavement; the clerks were hurried
81 as sOldiSrs, and the widows and sis
ers Of those whose places they went 20 /
III came into the POst-Oflice to do the Z
public service; but the wan old woman
anne Just the same as ever, and the vel /
ow-wrapped letter Was always waiting q
Ter there.
The war was over; the clerks who
vent ont 10 hght came back limping
nd armless, 10 inquire after their mys- :
erious friend She was still coming. :
'ut soon after, in March, 1865, she was {
zen for the last time. The letter came 7
IS usual, one of the FIRST days of April, I
'ut no one called for il. The clerk, 1
Who was lady, then put il aside as Il Z
was too good for lis company and [
Iept Il near the window sOthat il would c
'e ready when Maria Russell came. I
mother month went BY, and another g
etter came, which was put away with I
Is mate. Two more months and two Z
more letters, and four Of them we're " I
ng here 10 pile waiting for the queer Z
I'D woman" the mysterious woman Of :
ne delivery window they called her q
Iow-to come for them. How often {
hose letters were examined. How c
loosely the address and the seal were q
canned, how they were held up - the g
.ght so that maybe a word of their con-
ents might BE discovered. What q c