St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-11

boy, as he was closing up Tor the day,
"and 1 want you to take them to the
post office Immediately
Eyes, SIR" replied Ben promptly,
taking a last glance around the room,
to satisfy himself that everything was
in order.
Here they are, SIX" said Mr.. Osgood,
placing them in his hand. ''Mind that
you mail them all"
~ will, SIR" promised Ben, slipping
them into his jacket pocket.
That's the comfort in having a boy
from the country" thought Mr.. OsgoOd,
as Ben whistled himself down three
flights of stairs; che is just as trust
worthy as he is active"
Meanwhile Ben walked along the
street, feeling rather stiff and tired, as
active boys are apt to feel, especially
when they are fresh from the country,
and have been only four days in their
new situation in the city. The pave
ments tired his feet, the strange, new
sights tired his eyes, and, oh, what
whirl his head was in with all the hustle
and noise
His boarding-place was long, long
way from Mr.. OsgOOds office, and the
pOsite direction.
''If l only boarded next door to the
post office" thought Ben, walking more
slowly, chow nicely should be fixed !;
or if that grand post office-it must be
as big as Queen VictOria's house-could
only move down to my boarding house.
Don't it sound nice, though, to say my
boarding house p Won't the boys at
home think Tn some7 Mother thought
it was 'providentiar for me to get such
"A good place, and guess it was; and l
may stay here till Pm man, and study
law, and break wills and things"
At this moment pOstman turned
the corner. Ben had at first supposed,
from his uniform, that he was police
man, and had been laughed at by the
boy in the next office, because he did
not know that he was one of Uncle
Sans letter-carriers. AS he caught
sight of him now he colored little at
the recollection, and then a bright
thought struck him:
I'm send my letters to the post Office
by him." he exclaimed half aloud "he
is paid for doing it and it will save me
a long walk. OF course | promised Mr..
Osgond that | would take them to the
Office" he replied fiercely to a voice
within; ''but he can take them just as
well, and nobody will ever know the
difference. The old man needn't have
been so PARTICULAR
Hastily giving the postman the six
letters, Ben turned and walked toward
his boarding place, his conscience not
quite easy, but feeling sure that no one
l. tho 1itfaynnnn
The next morning he was early at his
work, as active and willing as usual :;
but when the letters were brought in
Mr.. OsgOOd's face grew blank and then
black, for answers to his most impor
tamt letters had not arrived.
lyon mailed all six of those letters,
boy ?" he inquired sharply.
Yes, sir" replied Ben, thankful that
the question was put in form that he
could answer truthfully.
IN go up to the post Office and see
the superintendent, and inquire at what
time they left the Office" exclaimed Mr..
OSgoOd, Selling his hat. That building
cost enough for a man to have his let
tiers sent straight"
He may be sharp lawyer, but he'll
never find out that ! didn't put them in
the Office" chuckled Ben.
At the SUPERINTENDENT window,
number twenty-five, a dialogue was
soon in progress, eXcltable and unrea-
sonable on the outside, cool and assured
from within. Over and over again the
superintendent told Mr.. Osgood at what
hour and by what route the letters left,
if dropped in the office at the time he
affirmed they were, and over and over
again he told at what time and by what
route the replies should have come.
''But in my opinion, they were not
dropped in this office" he said, in end
ing.
'Impossible 1 know they were,"
said Mr.. OsgOod.
''If you will send for the envelopes, l
can easily tell you whether they were
mailed at a station, given to a carrier,
or dropped in this Office" was the bland
reply.
'T'll telegraph for them and show
them to you this afternoon" said Mr..
OsgoOd, cooling a little. sit makes a
difference of thousands of dollars to
me, and | wish to know where to lay
the blame"
Unconscious little Ben was Just at
! this moment sitting on a high stool and
writing to his mother: Il am almost a
lawyer, and | am learning to write, and
l can make jolly good C; think it is
a splendid letter."
Late the next afternoon, Mr.. Osgood
gave Ben a handful of letters to take to
the office, and followed him unobserv-
ed, overtaking him just as he was en-
tering the office. Come with me-" he
said, laying his hand heavily on the
boys shoulder, and drawing him to-
wards number twenty-five; then, with
that clutch still upon his arm, he drew
a couple of envelopes from his pocket,
and passed them to the superintendent.
One swift glance. and he dropped the
envelopes, saying:
That was given to carrier, and he
could not get here in time for that mail.
That large c. on the stamp means col
! lected.'"
The big room spun around and
around, and everything grew dark to
Ben. The grasp on his arm was relaxed
and terrible voice shouted:
"Go, and never let me see you
again :"
Weary, hungry, almost dead with
fright and shame, Ben arrived at the
little home in the country that evening,
and with his arms around his mothers
] Il 4 L. l. 1