River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-11-10

nave no trouble 10 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 a furtive glance over
his shouldrs.
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
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. "We 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.
"Are any missing?" asked his COM
panion.
cit 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 clearinghouse. The man
who had chatted with him inspired in
him a veritable repulsion, and it was
his rule, because of the habits of dis
cretion which the postoffice imposes
upon its agents, to keep at 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 tie 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 letter for me?"
"No, Madam Andre, | have not"
CHATS strange my husband should
have written to me today; 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
house and handed her chair, upon
which she let herself fall Two charm
ing children fixed on her sad and anx-
ious looks.
"You will receive letter tomorrow,
Madame Andre" said Pere Martin;
''the delay of 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
his silence. You are aware that he de-
parted two months ago for the city.
Some work was to be attended to which
promised to bring him in a great deal
of money; a small inheritance was also
to be received. But all is concluded.
He sent me word that he would return
this evening; he has made his arrange
ments to that end. Tomorrow the
farm of La Name is to be sold; he has
decided to purchase either all or part of
it. It is an opportunity which will
never again present itself, but would
prefer q thousand times that he should
miss it to having him return without
notifying me"
"Why?"
aBe ause some one has wicked de-
signs against him, and at night terri
BILE blow is soon struck. You know
there are two routes by which to return
here, one is longer than the other but
safer. | am afraid lest he may return
by way of the Moulin-Brul the more
so as there is some one to see in that
direction. / tremble at the mere
thought of it. IF | only knew"
The postman strove to calm her fears,
but she shook her head
"You cannot think" resumed she,
"what certain men are capable of,
when they have grudge against any
body"
she seemed to hesitate and then
added:
"If trerlble, it is not simply be-
cause my husband will have to pass
through dangerous spot with money
in his pocket, but also because there is
in the district a wretch whose dearest
wish is to put five feet of earth between
them"
"This hatred dates from long ago.
When l was a young girl he wanted to
marry me, but he filled me with horror.
He has never pardoned me for having
repulsed his offers, and has enveloped
in the same animosity the man | pre-
ferred to him. He hates George and
myself for being in easy circumstances,
while he vegetables in want, as if honest
people were responsible for the mis-
takes of idlers and drunkards. This is
not all. A crime was recently COM
mitted; suspicious were aroused, but
the proofs were wanting. l possess
them and the guilty man knows 1t.
Ali it is dangerous secret for wo-
man who has only children around
heri
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
soon, when my husband returned,
when he had man before him, he
would be less presumptuous. Oh, If
you knew what glances his eyes shot at
me; what an expression of hatred his
features wore / know that often dur
ing the night he haunts the ruins of
the Moulin-Brule. If this man should
discover that my husband is to pass
n +.