The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-09
4 POSTAL CARD.


Mrs. Bender, stopping at the gate.
How are the folks to-day?''
"All well, thank you, Mrs. Bender"
II didn't see any light in the best
parlor last night, Miss Laura; how's
that? Any unpleasantness?'
None in the weather, surely"
laughed Laura.
"Ah! I'm going down to the Post
office; shall look in your box? Isup-
pose YOU want your letters early, and
one likes to be neighborly."
Yes, thank you, Mrs. Bender. l
shall be in school till noon, and love
to find letter under my dinner plate,
and there'll be no one to go to the
office. rs Miss Frill is here, cutting and
basting. Yes, would be glad to have
you look in our box, not that l expect
much of anything
Anything in Box 297?' she asked,
having reached the Office and secured
her own mail. "A postal card! well,
[ never!' the clerk surrendered it.
Miss Laura Vaughnr' she read, as she
trudged homeward. Gracious! who's
writing to her on postal card? l
wouldn't thank my folks to write in
that public way. Everybody reads
them, of course; just as much common
property as poster. Ahem! You can
hardly help reading one; he who runs
may read-you see every word before
YOU know it. Don't fail to be at the
Studio Building by eleven a. M. on
Wednesday. Mum the word. Jack
Jack! Who's Jack, l should like to
know? Pretty work, Miss Laura, for
u deacon's daughter! What next? An
elopement, maybe. And there's poor
Devens. too! He ought to be told of
these goings on, and put on his guard.
It's duty not to allow the young man
10 remain in the dark. shall have to
manage it somehow"
Mrs. Bender left the postal card with
the servant at Laura's door, and pro-
ceeded homeward. Mr.. Devens, as
fate had ordered it. boarded with Mrs.
Bender, and had been making himself
too agreeable to her young neighbor,
when she had other views for him
when there was Prudence Bender sit
ting at home at the piano, in her black
silk, waiting for something to happen.
Mrs. Bender had somewhere read that
the fate of future generations had been
decided by the toss of a curl or the
waving of a ribbon, and she was de-
termined that neither curl nor ribbon
should be spared to favor her case.
Have you seen any thing of our
neighbors lately?'' she asked Mr..
Devens at dinner.
Il met Miss Nell Newcomb this
morning and walked to the mail with
her." he answered, evasively.
''Oh, mean those on the other side
of the house," Miss Nell was engaged.
and man might safely walk to Jericho
with her. Miss Vaughn and you
don't see so much of each other as you
did, eh?''
''Oh, don't we? May l trouble you
for the pepper, Miss Prue?''
Law, no trouble, Mr.. Devens. II
you're going into the city tomorrow,
would you mind matching some fringe
for mep'
II wouldn't mind matching anything
for you. Miss Prue; but I've no more
idea of going into the city tomorrow
than of going to the MOON
''Oh, understood that Miss Laurs
was going, and 1 supposed didn'1
know but
Miss Vaughn hasn't mentioned thu
excursion to me. Aren't you mis-
taken?'-off his guard.
''Would she be likely to mention i
if she were going to meet somebody IL
PARTICULAR" put in Mrs. Bender.
LAW, ma, don't worry MIR. Deyens. .
II only said 'supposing.' It is vel
to be prepared for the worst, isn't It
Mr.. DevensP"
II am not in the least anxious, as
sure yOu," averred that gentleman
but it struck him little oddly that h,
should have heard nothing of the pro
jected journey, since trip to Boston
was holiday affair to Laura, which
she openly discussed for weeks befor'
and after. To be sure there had been ,
little GOODNESS between them, dating from
the time when he brought her lettel
from the mail, directed in . fine mas
culine hand, and she had refused t.
CRAFTY his curiosity about it He hat
spent the next evening playing euchrt
with Miss King, and Laura had seer
him 60 in for that purpose. One trifle
after another had helped to widen the