The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-11-10

The postman was a little ahead of
time, and the demands of the service
do not go so far as to forbid the accep-
lance of a momentary shelter when it
offers itself under such circumstances.
He, therefore, went into the house
and sat down beside the fire which
cracked on the hearth. The man
who had invited him to enter threw
upon it some dry branches, which were
soon in flames; q heavy yapor arose
from Martins soaked garments.
The stranger Intercepted the post
man as to the hours Of the departure
of the mails, and asked him host of
questions about himself, his service,
and everything concerning it.
"You know me, then?' said the post
man.
"Parbleu! Everybody loves and es-
.eems you here; Pere Martins value is
well known. l hope you will not re-
fuse to drink with me. Ho! Madame
Roster, two glasses ofyour best brandy"
A woman waited on them and return
ed to her occupation.
"What dogs trade you follow, Pere
Martini" said the man. "Wlll 1t take
you much longer to finish your round?
You doubtless have yet to 60 to the
Landa Grise, to Plessis. | know some
one who is impatiently waiting for you
there. / am obliged to pass in the Viz
entity. If you wish it / will relieve
you of your letters"
"Thank you; will deliver them my
self"
Chats yourself out and out. After
all, you are right. 1t is your duty to
deliver them"
While talking with a loquacity which
did not encourage the postman, he took
up the sack the latter had placed beside
him, seemed to feel its weight, and
turned it over and over.
"Let my sack alone, lplease," said
Martin, coldly. "You have disarranged
all my letters. I shall no longer know
what to d."
The other humbly excused himself
for his awkwardness.
"The evil is reparable, added he.
"Seat yourself at this table and you will
have no trouble to arrange the letters
according to the route you should
take"
The postmah 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 Shoulders.
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 postman 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
filled with thick smoke, and lifting the
letters spread ont 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 all they
could find, the postman carefully ex-
amined them then he seemed wor-
ried, as if he had not the full number.
care any missing?" asked his COM
panion.
ut appears to me that there was
another letter."
Bah Either you are deceived or
you forgot it at the postoffice."
"That is quite possible"
He said to 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 not
seem admissible to him that he had
stolen letter. Nevertheless, he hast
ened to depart, regretting that he had
entered the drinking house. The man
who had chatted with him inspired in
him veritable repulsion, and it was
his rule, because of the habits of dis
cretion which the postoffice imposes
upon its agents, to keep at a distance
all who did not appear to him worthy
of confidence.
The storm had somewhat abated its
fury, the rain soon ceased to fall and
bright sunshine lighted up the country
when the postman reached the nearest
village.
A woman was at the door of her
house awaiting his passage. She was
still young and, without possessing re-
markable beauty, had neat and SYM
pathetic countenance.
Monsieur Martini said she to the
postman, "have you a letter for me?'
'sNo, Madam Andre, have not"
That's strange ; my husband should
have written to me to-day; you cannot
imagine how much his silence troubles
mo-"
She grew pale and seemed scarcely
to have the strength to sustain her
self.
The postman assisted her into the