The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-07-29
A BITTER GAIN.

"A AcmaAAoOAo oAIAty c46t6O UttW zen
the occupants of two separate windows
in one Of dingy row of brick houses
one exceptionally hot summer not many
years ago; it was the more remarkable
that these two people were very unlike
each other, being of opposite sexes, the
one grizzled, gruff, GRUMPY bachelor
on the wrong side Of fifty, the other a
round, rosy, rollicking maiden of ''sweet
and twenty y The man was evidently q
foreign er, the woman an unmistskable
Am erican, and these two heads framed
by the embrastlres Of the separate WIN
dows. formed a strong contrast. It was
about four o'clock in the afternoon, and
both of them were looking for the post
man-she from her attic window, he
from his second floor front. They had
been looking tor the postman every day
for a fortnight, and hope deferred had
paled the cheek and subdued the meri-
ment of the maiden while it deepened
the already rublcund coler and sharpened
the already testy temperament OF the
man. Presently appeared in sight the
brisk, dapper little fellow in the gray
uniform, with his bag strapped over his
shoulder, stepping along from house to
house, dealing JOY and sorrow, surprise,
fear, ecstacy, all the emotions incident to
poor hapless humanity, as he went. But
he dealt nothing to the two ANXIOUS
watchers in the dingy brick row. Their
heads simultaneously turned to watch
him as he disappeared around the corner.
The man grunted out bitter ejaculation,
and slammed down the window
I1rxp Tho ~,,rl c;rb od ou1 with .1s&o,,1+,,
repIessed a sob as she closed the blind.
The next day at four o'clock the same
pantomime was enacted. The same anx-
iety, hope, fear. disappointment, were
painted Oh the two faces. The girl
brushed the tears from her eyes, and put
YEARLY back her hair. As the man, with
his usual expletive of disgust and disap-
pointmont, tugged at the blind, alpuff
of wind blew the light ribbon from the
hair of the girl straight down into his
eyes and from thence to the floor of his
room. He saw it at once. It lay upon
the faded carpet almost under his feet.
His first impulse was to tramp upon il
as he marched to and fro, growing at
the hard luck that shut him up in this
hot hole during the dog-days. His next
impulse was to kick the bauble aside
but it was not of kickable nature, and
chung close to its feet. He stopped at
last and took it from the floor, and found
it suspiciously damp. @ #-
"She's been shifting again." he said
GAS usual she gets no letter, and cries; ]
get no letter, and swear. wonder
which is the most consoling. And why
in the thunder don't she get her letter!
She can't have any rascally lawyers to
deal with, that lie, and conjole, and cheat
and steal. She can't be waiting for q
witness to come from the other side OF
the world to testify IN q caae that ough.
to have been settled before he went tc
sea. believe it was q conspiracy on the
part OF those internal lawyerslto dwaddle
along with the case, and not discover the
existence of this Martin Malloy till he
mad shipped again, and was well out Of
their call. And now it appears that the
fate OF the suit depends upon the test,.
nony OF this fellow before the mast. A1
least i've thousand pounds Of my money
at this present moment is at stake in the
life of miserable sailor tar ont at sea. !.
Here his soliloquy was interupted hv
light tap at the door. ssCome.', h.
growled, without turning his head.
BE thought it was his landlady Mrs.
Matson, for whom he had no particula,
Affection, or her rough featured domestic
that he felt certain WA shok tening his lift
! BY her miserable cooker, But q gentle
voice said, "Did YOU 81 vat anything. sir9'
And turning he behed his landlady,,
daughter. And how in the world sh,