San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-10-26

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"'Out of town. asked.
"'Out of dis town, ! guess, he re-
plied with n grin. The Sheriff's OIL
GERS are in the house.
"When | was delivering the letters
the next day, a hack drove up to the
door, and | fingered n moment out oil
curiosity. The lady came down lean
ing ON her husbands arm, looking SO
miserable and altered hardly recog,,
nized her. She must have noticed
the expression on my face, for she
nodded TO me and smiled; but such a
ghost of a smile. A few days after,
ward the things in the house were sofa
by auction, and new people came to
live there; and soon amid the thoughts
Of life, | forgot all about the young
lady.
at WAS in the summer of 1877,
when | got put on route in German,
town. / was not very well, and
thought the country walking would do
me good, so changed routes with a
comrade who worked, as l said, IN
Germantown. Sorting out my letters
as | served one of the pretty leafy av-
enues, came across one addressed to
the old familiar name, Mrs. -, and
in the husbands handwriting. The
postmark was Colorado; SO he was
away, that was evident. She was sit
ting on the porch of pretty little cot
tage, with child in her arms. 1t
was easy to see she was no longer
rich. The dresses of herself and child,
and the smallness and dirtiness Of the
Irish servant maid who was cleaning
q parlor window, denoted the fact at
glance; but she did not look unhappy,
and she knew me at once.
"'Why, postman,' she exclaimed,
SIS it possible it can be you?
"'Yes, ma'am, says, lit is; thank
ing you kindly for remembering me;
and here is one of his letters for you.
"She took it from me with the old
eagerness, and as she turned to go
into the house I noticed her pressing
it to her lips. He didn't write very
often to her-every two or three
weeks, not more, while sometimes
much longer intervals elapsed. 1t
used to make me quite miserable when
l noticed her pleading face as lpassed
morning after morning without any
thing for her.
"'You are quite sure you have not
got one, postman?' she would ask.
"'Quite sure, ma'am. The western
mail is late to-day-not delivered until
tomorrow was my faltering excuse.
christmas day arrived, and l had
not delivered letter from the husband
since the middle of October. She no
longer came to the door now. The
little servant girl told me her mistress
was nearly always i'll. At last l
brought letter from Colorado-on
the last day Of the year; and then L
delivered one regularly once OF twice
a week until February. The lady be-
gan to come to the door again, looking
something like her former bright self.
1.-THE 18th of February-Valentlnes
day-came around, and I had Col
orado letter for the lady, but it was
not in the husbands handwriting.
"She came to the door.
"sHere's valentine, ma am, says
1 cheerily, 4 hope it will make you as
happy as the one I delivered to you III
Spruce street, about five years ago.
"'Thank you, postman, she replied,
'and I have got hot cup of coffee for
you.
"She took the letter, eyed it curl
ously, and opened it with trembling
fingers. 1 was watching her while
slipping my cotfee-a glance at the
contents and she fell back hfeless.
1.-The little Irish girl came up I'M
mediately, and we carried the lady
into the parlor and laid her Oh the
sofa.
Then l took up my mail bag, for
of course | could not wait, and con-
tinued my delivery. A few doors away
lived a doctor, and l told his servant
there was q sick lady who required
medical attendance.
Il had no letters for the cottage the
next morning, but the little servant
rushed out to tell NE the lady was dy-
ING and the letter from Colorado was
from Il police justice, saying the nus
band had run away with a woman to
Australia. taking with him large sum
of money he had stolen from his en-
ployers.
THE letter also said it was sup
posed, where he was working, that the
woman who was his companion was