The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-28
ROMANCE OF A TAGE.STAMP,

| breathed more freely after it was
over. 1t was a temptation resisted, but
| felt better after having done it, As |
was asserting the letters, preparatory
to putting them in the mailbag for New
York, one letter turned up and sent
Jealous shock through me that set my
heart throbbing and my head swimming
with a sudden dizziness. | might have
expected to see it, but not the less did
it affect me when | did see it" Joseph
Norris, India Dock, New York" That
was the address-and | knew that it
was his. | had dear little note in that
same handwriting next to my heart
then-a few graceful words, thanking
me for book | had sent her-a little
note had read over countless times,
and kissed as often, wondering would
it displease her to know how fondly |
cherished it. thrust the hateful letter
out of my sight, and, leaning my head
on the table, lived over again the hopes,
the fears, the Indebtedness of the last
twenty-four hours.
The day before, while distributing
the mail matter came across letter
addressed to myself; and, on opening
it, learned that through the generosi-
ty of a distant relative. whose name |
bore, had been left in California an
inheritance of $4,000. What a change
few strokes of a pen had made-trans-
forming Karl Bergman, postmaster of a
secluded Connecticut village, into Karl
Bergman, the possessor of a competence
well invested, yielding a certain income
And how, before my good fortune, |
had thought of Annie Merrill as one
separated from me by my poor circum-
stances-my salary barely supporting
my mother and myself-and how could
| ask any woman to share my povertyP
Now that the burden of poverty was
most Unexpectedly lifted from me, |
felt at liberty to tell her the hopes |
never dared to entertain till now
What would her answer beP That
would learn that very night. In the
same mail with my letter was one adj
dressed to her, pOstmarked New York.
Her correspondence all passed through
my hands, but | had never seen that
writing before. That was no weak,
wavering, feminine style: it was large,
clear, decsive-the writing of self
possessed man. Who could the writer
beP Annie's uncle, DR. Merrill, had
male correspondents in New York; but
this letter was the first that had come
to her since she came orphaned from
the great city year before, and had
been received into her uncle's heart
and home. But other thoughts put the
question of the letter out of my mind.
| sent by n messenger few hurried
lines to my mother to prepare her for
our good fortune, and then counted the
hours that would pass before could
offer my inheritance to Annie, encum-
bered with its possessor. When |
reached home found her there before
me; my mother, who had taken her in
to favor from the first her sweetness
and orphaned situation proving a pass
port to her heart-had sent for Annie
to communicate the good news to her.
She was strangely quiet, l thought, and
there was a troubled look in her blue
eyes | never saw there before. In fact,
after a while, subdued feeling stole
over us all. Annie's disquiet seemed
to impart itself to us. was thinking
how / could venture to tell her all my
hopes, and my mother, guessing what
my thoughts were, left us together mos
of the evening, but my heart failed me-