The Penn's Grove record., 1883-10-13
Postage Not a

that my hands and feet were very iafs
and the added misery, in the case OF tn
former members, that they Tere always
red. and | Eve knew what to do with
them when in company. l was making
a visit at grandmother's delightful old
fashioned country home, when n
morning the dear old lady called me to
her.
"Here is something for you, jim,
she said, t'an invitation to a chlldTen's
party at Mrs. Edwards"
"Children's party" l repeated, prob
ably with a shade of corr in my voice,
as indicating that l was no longer to
I've placed in that Juvenile category.
mot children exactly corrected
grandma, with a smile at my masculine
dignity. "Young people, should have
said. Mrs. Edwards daughter Flor
ence is IA, and Tom Byrne and all the
boys-young men, | should say" with
a twinkle of amusement, "will be
there"
l had sundry m~isgivings that should
not enjoy the party at all, being a. yet
very much afraid of girls, though Begin
ming to admire them as mysterious and
fascinating beings. However, accept
ed the invitation, as | found that all
the boys l knew were going, and the
party wa to be quite a ''swell'' affair
for the village.
When the evening came it found me
with the rest, seated in a large parlor,
very unhappy because my arms and
hands, which would by no e ar
range themselves in any graceful or
becoming manner, and extremely bash
full, but full of admiration for a lovely
black-eyed girl about a year younger
than myself, whom knew to be Tom
Byrne's sister.
She sat some distance from me, but
she had given me a sweet smile when
first came in, and now from time to
time cast glances at me which increased
at once my bliss and my confusion.
Various games were suggested and
played, but they were of a quiet char
acter. such as Twenty Questions"
proverbs, p" ETC., so that | had no OPP
p%ortunity of approaching any nearer to
Mable, who showed herself very bril-
liant in her questions and dur
ing the progress of these intellectual
amusementS.
Then somebody suggested that we
should play ~postoffice.
"Postofice what is that ? how do
you play it ?" 1 whispered to Tom
Byrne, my next neighbor.
Don't you know how to play post
ofise ?" he asked, with scorn of my
ignorance. "Oh, well, L suppose you
city fellows don't know anything"
Il never head of thIs," l assenced
meekly.
well, I'll tell you how it is a girl
asks for a letter for some boy, and then
you have to ask her how much postage,
and if she says one cent you have to
kiss her once"
''Oh ~ said i.
YES" replied Tom, ''and you kiss
her twice for two cents, and three times
for three cents. It's quite fun if it is a
pretty GIRL he added judieially.
~ suppose So" l replied vaguely.
But | forgot to tell you," he added,
''if she says postage not stated, then
you kiss her as often as you like. Hush
they are going to begin"
To be sure, one of the oldest boys was
appointed postmaster, and N girl after
another went out into the entry, each
presently knocking at the door and
asking for a letter, wherein the boy
called for sheepishly followed her into
the hall and to judge from the sounds
of screaming and scufling which gener-
ally followed, paid his postage under
considerable difficulties.
l watched the game in a state of be-
wildered alarm. What if a girl should
call for me ! But no one did, and /
was half disappointed, half relieved.
that | was exempt, when at last it was
Mable Byrne's turn to go out.
She left the room with a lovely blush
IN her beautiful face. The door was
sOlemnly closed upon her, and then after
a brief pause, there was a faint knock.
The postmaster opened the door a few
inches.
''What do you want ?'' he asked.
''There is a letter here she replied.
For whom ~
"For Mr.. James Hill.u
''EIow much to pay 2"
Postage not stated, y was the faint
reply.
They all laughed loudly and looked at
me, for that was my name. The blood
rushed in crimson floods to my face. 1
got on my feet somehow, and with my
heart torn between a wild desire to go
into that hall and a wish to sink utterly
away from human kind, / stumbled out
of the room.
The door was closed behind me and |
found myself almost in darkness, as the
hall was dimly lighted. 1 paused a
moment and then heard the faint sound
of quick breathing another heart was
beating as violently as my own. For
once in my life l knew what to do with
my arms. l caught hold of her. /
scarcely know how. The darkness gave
me courage and | held her in a close
clasp, and pressed my lips to her
cheek in three or four rapid, half-frigh-
tened kisses before she could free her.
self from my embrace.