The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-01-20

concerning it. '-'''-'
% You.khow me, then ?" said the post
(" ParbIeu Everybody loves and 90
teens you here Pere Martins yalue !,
well known. 1 hope you viii not refnst
TO drink with me. Ho Madame Roster
two glasses of your best brandy. -
A woman waited on them and returned
to her occupation.
"What dogs trade you follow. Pere
Martin said the man. own Il tol,o
you much longer to finish your round ;
You doubtless have vet to go TO the
Landa Gnse, to Plessis. l know some
one who is impatiently waiting for Won
| there. 1 am obliged to pass in the VI
cinity. If you wish 1t | viii relieve Won
of yonr letters. +"
self. . - ''''''- ''iein my
m rTRets y59gsFe e44gfs 8se IT. Is your duty to
deliver them"
While talking with aloquacity 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, please, said
Martin, eoldly. "You have disarranged
all my letters. I shall no longer know
what to do.
The other humbly excused himself for
this awkwardness.
"The evil Is reparable," added. he.
"Seat yourself at this table and YOU viii
| 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 n distance, but found an op-
portunity to cast a furtive glance over
his shoulder.
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
malls fury contrasted with its 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 se5 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 a thick smoke, and, lifting
! the letters spread out upon the table,
! scattered them in every direction.
The postman uttered an exclamation
of anger.
"Bah! it is nothing, said the person
who had caused the accident. g 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 exam
lined them; then he seemed Tag1R1aDss
Z" Are there any missing ?" asa1ee ms
lcompanion.
! at appears to me that there was an
other letter.
"Bahl 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 faithfully,
for he had watched his companions
| movements, and it did not seem admiss-
ible to him that he had stolen letter.
Nevertheless he hastened to depart, re-
GREETING that he had entered the drink
! ing house. The man who had chatted
with him inspired in him a yeritable re-
pulsion, and it was his rule, because of
| the habits of discretion which the post
| office imposes upon all its agents, to
keep at a distance all who did not ap-
| pear 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 remark
| able beauty, had a neat and sympathetie
eountenance.
Monsieur Martin" said she to the
| postman, "have you a letter for me? "
ssNo, Madame Andre, L 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 herself.
The postman assisted her into the
house and handed her a 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 demanded
his attention and he missed the mail
| "No; know him and cannot under
stand his silence. You are aware tina.
he departed two months ago for the
city. Some work was to be attended
to which promised to bring him m g
great deal of money. a-sman inheritance
was also to be received. But all is con.
cluded. He sent me word that he would
| return this evening he has made his
arrangements to that end. Tomorrow
the farm of La Name is to be sold he
has decided to purchase either all ol
mart of it. 1t is an opportunity which
will never again present itself, but
| would prefer Thousand times that ht
| should miss it to have him returning
| without notifying me.
"Why?"
"Because some one has wicked de
signs against him, and at night terri
| HE blow is soon struck. You know tina
| there are two routes by which to return
here: one is longer than the other, bu
safer / am afraid lest he may return
bv way of the Moulin-Brule, the NOR
80 as there is some one to see that di
rection. / tremble at the mere though
of it. If only knew
The postmaan strove to calm hel
fears. but she shook her head.
You can't think, resumed She
| ss-l,,,+l oa-+oir, man are faoahle of when
they have a grudge against anybody.
4 She seemed to hesitate, and ther
added:
eff I tremble it is not simply be.
cause NV husband viii have to pass
l i i IA aN