Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-08-28
Che Sturp Teller.
A TEMPTATION RESISTED.
THE ROMANCE OF A POSTAGE STAMP.

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and sent jealous shock through me that sent
my heart throbbing and my brain swimming
with sudden dizziness [ might have ex-
pected to have seen it there, but not the less
did it affect me when I did see t-"Joseph
Norris, India Dock, New York"-that was
the address-and knew that it was his. l
had dear little note in the same handwri-
ting next to my heart then-a few graceful
words thanking me for book | had sent
her-a little note I had read over countless
times, and kissed it often, wondering would it
dsplease her to know how fondly | cherished
it. I thrust the hateful letter out of my sight,
and leaning my hand on the table, lived over
again the hopes, the fears, the wretchedness OF
the last twenty four hours.
The day before, while distributing the mail
matter, came across letter addressed TO
myself, and on opening it, l learned that
through the generosity of distant relative
whose name bore, had been left, in Call
fornia an inheritance of $4,000. What
change few strokes of a pen had made
Transforming Karl Bergman, postmaster OF
a secluded Connecticut village, into Karl
Bergman, the possessor of competence,
we'll invested, yielding certain income. And
how before my good fortune had thought OF
Annie Merrill as one separated from me by
my poor circumstances, my salary bare sup.
porting my mother and myself, and how could
/ ask any woman to share my poverty! Now
the burden of poverty was most Unexpectedly
lifted from me, felt at liberty to tell her the
hopes l had never dared to entertain until
now. What would her answer be? That l
would learn that very night. In the same
mail with my letter was one addressed to her,
postmarked New York. Her correspondence
all passed through my hands, but / had new
err seen that writing before. 1t was large,
clear, decisive, the writing of selfpossessed
man. Who could the writer be? Annies
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. I sent, by messen.
ger, few hurried lines to my mother at
home, to prepare her for our good fortune;
and then counted the hours that would pass
before I could offer my inheritance to Annie,
encumbered with its possessor.
When I reached home, l. found her there
before me. My mother who had taken her in
to her favor from the first, her sweetness and
orphaned situation proving a passport to her
heart, had sent for Annie to communicate the
good news to her. She was strangely quiet,
] thought, and there was troubled look in
her blue eyes never saw there before. In
fact, after while, subdued feeling stole
over US all. Annie's disquiet seemed to i'm.
part itself to u.s. / was thinking how could
venture to tall her all my hopes, and my
mother, guessing what my thoughts were,
left US together the most of the evening, but
my heart failed me. 1t was only when was
walking home with Annie to DR.. Merrill's
that found courage to speak. She led me
on by saying that must not think, from her
silence, that she did not rejoice in the happy
change in my prospects, for no one could be
more sincere in her congratulations than her
SELF l answered that my good fortune would
be valueless to me unless could share 1t with
the girl loved.
"The girl you love?" she repeated, ques
tioningly.
felt her hand trembe on my arm.
"The girl love-" | answered, in tones that
she might have interpreted, but failed to do so.
"She ought to be happy woman" she
continued. "May ask if know herr"
"If YOU know herp' I cried. "If you
know her! O, who could she be but you? p
"Me?"
She drew her hand quickly away from my
arm and stood quite still before me.
"Me! o, did you say me9"
And then saw the moonlight falling on
L.. e~,o o,1 ,poo MT fha fooo of 0irl
shining in happy confusion when she hears
the story of his love from the man che pre-
fers. 1t was pale and shocked, and then she
hid it from me in her hands and burst into
tears.
needed no other answer knew my suit
was hopeless.
Don't cry, dear" said I. 81 never thought
to wound you"
81 thoug ght you knew" she went on sob.
bingly. 81 thought my uncle might have
told. I am to marry Mr. Norris. got
letter from him today. O, can you forgive
me?"
She stretched out her little hands i'm
ploringly. 1 took them in mine, and kissed
them while my heart was breaking.
"Forgive you, my darling" l said-"l
would forgive you if you killed me, 1 think.
Don't grieve, Annie. will try to bear it"
We parted at her uncles without another
word, and went home to the motherly heart
that I knew would suffer with me, but whose
tender sympathy would uphold me in this
hour of bitter trial.
The next day sent off my resignation to
Washington, for my mother and l agreed to
leave the village where we had passed so
many quiet years. 1t was in the afternoon OF
the sameday that the letter Of which have
spoken, that I now know was from my rival,
attracted my attention. / took it up reluc-
tantly-I felt I would as readily touch
poisonous snake-and was just about to put
the postmark on, when saw the stamp upon
it, instead Of being postal one, was reve-
nue. stamp, and that the letter, instead of
speeding of on the wings of love to New
York, must be consigned to the dead.letter
Office in Washington. With thrill of saw
age delight flung it into the box appropri-
ated to the reception Of such castaways, and
went on mechanically, but my thoughts were
not agreeably employed That, then, was
the answer to the missive she had received.
But it should be long before he would get it
get it too late; perhaps, for an explanation !;
for misunderstanding between lovers had
often arisen from slighter cause than the
non-arrival Of an expectant letter. | pic
tured him waiting and longing for the letter
that would not come, and she, poor girl, how
her tender heart would be tortured by his i'm
agiped neglect, when no answer would be
forthcoming. She, l knew, would suffer in
silence, and fondly hoped he would do the
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