American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-30
MISS CLAPPER'S BEAU.

Is the best.
Temple Bar.
MISS CLAPPER'S BEAU.
The letters had all been given out at
the Cherry Hill Post-office, and the
crowd would have scattered but for the
peculiar actions of "Col. Joe," the
Postmaster. "Colonel" did not signify
Joseph Dole's connection with the
United States Army. 1t merely meant
that he rode his team horse once or
twice a year before company of militia,
shining in cooked hat, and a coat
trimmed with gold lace and gilt but
TONS All the rest of the year he at
tended his little store, gave out his few
letters, and helped eAunt Nancy" with
the homework.
Although the Colonel handled letters
every day, he never received any him.
self. How could he? He had neither
father, mother, sister, brother, or child j;
and he was not the man to spend letter.
paper and ink on strangers. But Col.
Joe, somehow, got all the news without
the trouble of writing and answering
letters. It was the fashion at Cherry
Hill for all letters, not specially private,
to be read at the office, and the news
passed round for the benefit of neigh
bors and friends.
But this time Col. Joe had q letter
himself. 1t had foreign stamp on it.
The boys saw that, and began guessing.
The Colonel looked at the direction
through his big-bowed spectacles, and
then over the top of them. He screwed
up his eyes, and then opened them very
wide, and raised up his brows till he
looked like an owl. He scratched his
head; he put his hand over his eyes, as
If to call up some dead memory; and
then he sank down, as if exhausted, in
to his chair, the arms of which had been
almost Whitfield offby active customers,
and exclaimed,
Well, If II amt beat nowi"
All this time dozen curious boys and
girls had stood waiting for the news.
But the Colonel's hour had come to pay
back the reserve of some village girls,
who always put their letters in their
pockets, and walked off as independently
IS il it was nobody's business but their
own what was in them.
Finally the Colonel, having tantalized
himself and the spectators long enough,
read the letter, making up grimaces ex-
pressive of anazement, and exclaiming,
" Well, well, if that don't beat ALL" and
the like, as he went on.
When he closed the letter, he put it
away carefully in his breast-pocket, and
began to weigh out sugar for little boy
who stood for some time on one bare
foot, waiting for it. All hope being
gone of learning what were the contents
Of the letter, the young folks began to
retire, when the Colonel ran hastily to
the door, and shouted to the most dis
tant boy:
"'iphlet!"
"Hallo!" replied the boy.
I" You just step into Betsy Clapper's
as you go by, and tell her want to see
her very particular and alone. Tell her
to come down to my house after shut
the store, and that me and Miss Dole
will see her safe home!" Colonel Joe
screamed.
eyes, but what shall say you want
her for?"
"I'n tell her when she gets here"
was the non-committal answer.
People had often heard the Colonel
say he wished Betsy Clapper was in
Guinea, or anywhere else than on Cher
ry Hill; for she, being milliner, sold |
and combs, and ruches, and |
other articles, which interfered with the |
Colonel's general trade. Every body
knew they were not good friends; and |
now the Colonel and his wife were in
viting her to visit them when other peo-
pie were asleep, and promising to sssee
her safe home" What could it all |
meanP was the question asked at every
dinner-table in town when the tardy
boys came in with the mails, and the
news of the Colonel's strange letter, and
his stranger invitation to Miss Clapper.
Miss Clapper was by no means en-
attractive lady. She was tall, gaunt
and so, and had the misfortune to have
2 touch of some trouble which sent the
blood to her nose rather than to the
cheeks. She was, however, good
woman and kind neighbor, and most
people forgave her LONELINESS, espe-
cially as she did not increase it by load
ing herself with the finery she supplied
Tor other folks. Miss Clapper was well
aware of the Colonel's hostility, and
shrank little from accepting his kind
invitation. Maybe she was afraid he
was going to spring some trap on her
in commercial way; but she resolved
70 go, and to keep sharp watch of his
words.
The letter, which was involved in so
much mystery, was written Gin the
'trictest confidence )" and the first thing
he Colonel did was to show it to Miss
Clapper. 1t was from a man in South :
America, named Robert Gray, who had