Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

embarrassment in which Sep's poor love
yealed to her
..There's something / want to get doner-she
began, slowly.
an do it, Angie; I'll do it for you" said Sep,
eagerly.
well, hope you can but don't know about
it. You see. here l am trying to get ahead, and
can't get ahead. don't mind saying to you, Sep,
that I've got $50 made it myself since 1 started
school. Now, want to buy books with it-yes,
books with it all"
Books with it all echoed Sep, in astonish-
ment.
.'Fm going to write to lots of people, too, Sep
she continued, gravely. - was plonning it all out
with father last night. There's his folks. and
mothers folks, and other folks"
sYes, follow you specially other folks
"why do you say that p she asked sharply.
"Just to be following you; tha.'s all. But
don't see the end yet.H
We'll, then, here It's, she said concluding tri-
umphantiy, as with coup d'etat. 81 want Post.
office here l want to have papers and sead for
books If l want 'em, and letters, too"
especially letters, he echoed again
A full hour Angie and Sep sat celebrating her
PLAN and thsn she lefs him hurriedly get supper
for father Jim and the boys. He watched her out
OF sight; then, without warming he threw his hands
over his head with woful gesture
"she wants letters from him., he said, and she
asks me to get her Postoffice. don't see how l
can do it. 1t will be Ike taking his beating again
to find means Tor his letters to reach her,
But when ssp Wright limped away he had
fought the good fight again, ana conquered
himself; but oh it seems fight wasted when no
soul sees the victory
Eyes, Angie, dear" he whispered to himself
humbly, I'd crawl over the stones from here to
/ yonder to bring you lettereven from him-though
I'd rather plzsn him-ii / thought 'twould please
you F
No one knew exactly who had suggested the idea,
but it became generally known that Angie Moore
thought Saints Rest needed Pestofiice. There
was generous enthusiasm about Angie Moore
throughout the neighborhood probably because
she was the only inhabitant in whom spark OF
energy struck fire. and when it was insinuated, by
whom nobody thought to mention, that she telt this
step was necessary, arrangements were bungingly
completed with tardy haste, and Providence and
politics both favoring, the point made.
Nobody guessed Of the final meetings on the step
of the little schoohouss OF the man who gathered
the girl teacher in his arms-the with the stain
on him. Nobody knew of the secret kisses, Of the
sob and the beartbreak that at the agony of a
| good-by; nobody thought Angie Moore could soften
to sweetheart.
! What No one at all? All but Sep Wright
! guessed and knew, aud every kiss stung his own
mouth and cluhg like a curse there fastened close
his breath. AT his post, day after day, he kept
watca and ward over Angie, while his heart gnawed
and fretted his passion like teeth tearing at finger
nail-bleed.ng into the quick.
"To keep her from harm To keep my dear from
harm p he said to himself restlessly day after day.
though he scarce confessed the thought to his own
conscience. And when that last parting came, he
was pa'e and i'll SO nervous and worn that, as he
watched the two people below him, he could have
screamed and shouted, now with laughter and now
with execration, like mailman.
When Jim Moore returned from his successful
journey to Hardings Hill he hung his head in shame
! before his daughter Angie.
ooh, yes father; bu, the books, the books ~ she
| said impatiently, half dozen times.
"we dear" he finally answered, trying to look
under her gaze. 81 scarce know how it's happened,
I myself, We HOb lic OOOhc you NdutSu oouSu1
| over yonder but the money went in the twinkling
of an eye, as may say" He was ashamed as any
man may be before the woman be has wronged, and
that woman his own daughter
'oh, father 2 she said entreatinsy, and growing
/ pale as she realized her loss.
'you see, Angie" he continued, trying to make
the way of 1t plain, q il. was a game so simple and
easy like, that l was sure l saw through the trick
/ The Teller was a stranger to 'em all, and I'd fit
him, Angie, but they all said the thing had beat me
fair and square, and l couldn't stand against em
ALL It's my first and last wrastle with tricks dear
But it's my money that has paid for your expert
ence," she said bitterly, and | can never get SO
much as that together again / earned il, too, with
such hard work, and it took me half year" She
disappeared into her own little room, there to look
her disappointment in the face and stare it down.
When supper time came she still in retirement
and afraid to disturb her, the father who had made
such dire lapse, set what cold victuals he could
find before his five ravenous male younglings, and
having herded them to their repose, sat down, his
conscience yet on the rack.
1t long hour of quiet till Angie came forth,
without look toward her father, and, putting her
candle down on the table, took up her arithmetic,
slate and pencil, in preparation for hsr accustomed
study.
Her father cleared his throat, and to his own ears
the sound was so loud it seemed as though the
mountain must have fallen in half. "well, dear p
| he said, timidly
"Say no more, father, she answered, and each
understood without further words that grace was
asked and given.
! ~ chi
one, and public meeting was called of at least
twenty men to deliberate upon it. Sep Wright was
! there and as he came limping in with his crutch,
/ each man acknowledged, without forming the
/ thought that Sep had had something to do about
/ this matter. There was but one manner in which
to bring the mail from Hard ngs Mill, and that was
by horse. One man and another declined the honor,
for it was to be a weekly trip-up one day, down
the next, and hard riding both ways. By common
consent and quite as a matter of course, the name
OF Angie Moore had received confirmation as Post
mistress by the awful powers that be in high places,
and she had taken the new position as her due,
without thought of thanks; but it seemed, when
near the close of the public meeting, as though no
man could be found to make the trims.
] It was at the last extremity that voice, rather
thin and slight ike the body it owned made itself
heard, and Sep Wright arose, white yet with the
fight that was continually waging within him. 1t
was great struggle, and himself had been forced
on his knees by the thing he strove with. He was
standing with the help OF his erutch, when all eyes
looked toward him.
I'm carry the mail If no one else viii, he said.
One dissuaded him kindly with, :" No, boy; you're
not strong enough" and another and another told
him in other words but ne kept to his offer firm
ly, and there being none other the thankless task
was finally given him
1t is strange how, beaten again and again in fair
conflict, the inward enemy will rise as though like
Anaus, he had gathered new strength from his fall
AS Sep Wright week after week rode at gallop
the hills carrying the mall the bitterness of his
love rode with him. But he took into confidence
the pine forest soping down the mountains the
pure, clear, cold stream shining and gurgling in
symptahy; the clouds that embodied him in mist
upon the mountain top; the swaying grass that
swept aside to let INN pass-and the bond with Ma
ture is one she never fails on her side to keep.
Over and over there was temptation, but every
week the sanctity Of the United States mail still
preserved. Every week, he shook his bag, the
carrier heard lonely letter shake within it ike the
kernel in nut, and foi the sake OF that letter and