Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-11-04

all my letters. | shall no longer know
what to d0.'
The other humbly excused himself
for his awkwardness.
The evil is reparable, added he.
s'Seat yourself at this table and you will
have no trouble to arrange the letters
according to the route you should
take"
The postman emptied his sack before
him and began to arrange his letters.
His questioner affected to keep dis
creetly at distance, but found an OPP
portunity to cast furtive glance over
his shr uldrs.
While Martin was busy with his work
he heard furious growls behind him.
''Pere Martin, help me TO prevent
your dog from strangling mine" said
his new acquaintance.
The postmsn arose and caught his
dog by the skin Of the neck. The ami
mails fury contrasted with his habitual
gentleness.
This fact seemed strange to Martin.
He felt distrust of the communicative
stranger grow upon him. He was
about to replace his papers in the
sack, when the man, as if to see what
was the state of the weather, opened
the door.
At the same instant the wind swept
impetuously into the room, which it
filed with thick smoke, and lifting the
letters spread out upon the table, scat
tered them in every direction.
The postman uttered an exclamation
of anger.
Bah! it is nothing, said the person
who had caused the accident. Eve two
will speedily gather them up"
And, without needing the refusal OF
Martin, who wished to avoid his help
and do the work alone, he began to
search for the letters.
When they had collected al they
could find, the postman carefully ex-
amined them ; then he seemed wor-
RED, as if he had not the full number
care any missing" asked his COM
panion.
at appears to me that there was
another letter"
Bah Either you are deceived or
you forgot il at the postofiice.
''That il quite possible"
He said t. himself that it must be
SO. However, he resumed his hunt
and searched beneath the furniture.
He found nothing, and concluded that
his memory had not served him faith
fully, for he had watched his com
panion's movements, and It die moi
seem admissible To him that he had
stolen II letter Nevertheless, he hast
a 49,. II ~ No hnd
entered the drinking house. The man
who had chatted with him inspired in
him verltable repulsion, and it was
his rule, because of the habits of dis
crction which the postoffice imposes
upon its agents, TO keep 1T i distance
all who did not appear to him worthy
of confidence.
The storm had somewhat abated it
fury, the rain soon ceased to fall and
bright sunshine lighted up the country
when the postman reached the nearest
village.
A woman was Mt tie door Of her
house awaiting his passage. She was
still young and, without possessing re-
markab.e beauty, had neat and sym
pathetic countenanee.
Monsieur Martini said She to the
postman, "have you letter for me-"
ono, Madam Andre, have not"
That's strange ; my husband should
have written to me to-day. you cannot
imagine how much his silence troubles
me-
She grew pale and seemed scarcely
to have the strength to sustain her
self
The postman assisted her into the
house and handed her char, upon
which she let herself fall Two charms
ing children fixed on her sad and anA-
ious looks.
''l on will receive Il letter tomorrow,
Madame Andre" said Pere Martin;
the delay oC day is easily explained;
your husband was disappointed, some
unforeseen business suddenly demand
ed his attention and he missed the
mail
No: know and cannot understand
Ills silence. You are aware that lie de-
parted two months ago for the city.
some work was e. he attended tD which
promised to bring him in u great deal
of money; small inheritance was also
to be received But all is concluded.
lie sent ME word that he would return
this evening; he has made his arrang >
ments To that end Tomorrow the
farm of La Name is to he sold; he has
decided To purchase either allorpart OF
it, Itis an opportunity which will
never again present itself, but would
prefer thousand times that he should
miss it to having him return without
notifying me"
Why"
"Re ause some one has wicked de-
sirls against him, and ut night terri
DE blow is soon struck You know
there are two routes by which to return
hcfr, one Is longer than the other but
safer ! ann afraid lest he may return
by way If the Moulin Brule, the more
so as there is some one to see III that
direction trcmble III the mere
thought of it, Ii only knew
The postman strove TO calm her fears,
nut she shook her head.
You cannot think, resumed She.
what certain men are capable ef,
when they have 4 grudge against any
body
She seemed t. hesitate and then
added
.If trerlhle. ii il not simply be-
cause my husband will have to pass
through dangerous spot With money
in his pocket, but also because there Is
iii the district wretch whose dearest
wish is to put five feet of earth between
them.
This hatred dates from long aga.
When | was young girl he wanted to
marry me, but he filled me with horror.
lie has never pardoncd me for having
repulsed his offers and has enveloped
in the same luminosity the man | pre-
fcrred to him. He hates George and
myself for being III easy circumstances,
while he vegetables in want, rs if honest
people were responsible for the mis-
takes Of idlcrs and drunkards. This is
not all \ crime was recently COM
mitted; suspicious were aroused, bat
the proofs were wanting | possess
them and the guilty man knows it.
Ahl il is dangerous secret for We
man who has only children around
her
Yesterday he accosted me to sound
ME; | did not hide from him my con
tempt. He saw clarly that he was I'M
masked IN my eyes; he overwhelmed
me with insults and threats took the
unfortunate notion To say to him that
sann whom my husband returned