The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-10-12
q POSTAGE NOT STATED.

L was tall, overgrown, awkward and
sixteen, with a peryading consciousness
that my hands and feet were very large,
and the added misery, in the case of the
former members, that they were always
red, and | never knew what to o.With
them when in company. | was MAX
ing q visiting at grandmother delight
full, old-fashioned country home, when
one morning the dear old lady called
me to her.
"Here is something for you, Jim, !"
she said, IAN invitation TO children's
party at Mrs. Edwards'.,' FN
''Childrsn's party repeated, prob
ably, with shade of scorn in my voice,
rs indicating that | was no longer
to be placed in that juvenile category
'Not children exactly corrected
grandma, with a smile atmy masculine
dignity. ''Young people, l should have
said. Mrs. Edwards daughter Flor
ence is fourteen, and Tom Byrne and
all the boys young men, / should say, y
with twinkle Of amusement twill be
there"
had sundry misgivings that I should
not enjoy the party at all, being as vet
very much afraid of girls, though be-
ginning to admire them as mysterious
and fascinating beings. However,
accepted the invitation, as / found that
all the boys | knew were going, and
the party was to be quite a ''swell' af-
fair for the village.
When the evening came it found me
with the rest, seated in a large parlor,
very unhappy because of my arms and
hands, which would by no means ar
range themselves in any graceful or
becoming manner, and extremely BASH
full, but full of admiration for a lovely
black-eyed girl about q year younger
than myself, whom | knewto be Tom
Byrne' sister. o]
She sat some distance from me, but
she had given me sweet smile when
first came in, and now from time. to
time cast glances ct me which in
creased at once my bliss and my con-
fusion.
Various games We're suggested and
played, but they were of a quiet char
acter, such as ''Twenty Questions, .
8 Proverbs,' etc., so that had no OBJ
portunity OF approaching any nearer to
Mabel, who showed herself very brill
liant in her questions and answers dur
ing the progress of these intellectual
amusements. H Ht ~
Then somebody suggested that we
should play post-oflice.
"PoSt-otlice! what is thatp how do
you play itP" | whispered to Tom
Byrne, my next neighbor.
"Don'tyou know how to play post
olhceP" he asked, with scorn OF my
ignorance. sob, well suppose YOU
city fellows don't know anything
" | never heard of this, = l assented,
meekly.
" Well, I'll tell you how it is; q 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 must kiss
her once. y ,ra o
"OhF" saidI. r.
"Yes, replied Tom, sand 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, iudiciously.
Il suppose so,' | replied, vaguely. !
But forgot to tell you, y he added.
iii 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 bows
was appointed postmaster, and one Girl
after another went out into the entry.
each presently knocking at the door.
asking for a letter, whereon the bow
called for sheepishly followed her into
the hall, and to Judge from the sounds
OF screaming and scufIing which gen
orally followed, paid his postage under
considerable difficulty.
watched the game in state of be
wildered alarm. What if a Girl should
call on me! But no one did. and was
half disappointed, half relieved, that T
was exempt, when at last it was Mabel
Byrne's turn to 90 out
She left the room with lovely blush
on her beautiful face. The door was
solemnly closed upon her, and then
after brief pause there was faint
knock. The Postmaster opened the
door a few inches.
"What do you want?" he asked.
There is letter here, she replied.
For whomP"
"For Mr.. James Hill.n
How much to pay?"
Postage not stated 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. | got on to my feet somehow,
and with my heart torn between wild
desire to 60 into that hall and a wish to
sink utterly away from human kind, I
stumbled out of the room. fBF
The door was closed behind me and
] found myself almost in darkness, as
the hall was but dimly lighted. I
paused moment and then ! heard the