St. Landry democrat., 1883-10-20

her once. =
"Ohr' said l.
Yes replied Tom, "and you kiss
her twice for two cents, and three times
for three cents. It's quite fun if it is y
pretty girl he added, judiciously.
81 suppose so, replied, vaguely.
But forgot to tell you,' he added,
elf 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 one girl
after another went out into the entry,
each presently knocking at the door,
asking for a letter, wherein the boy
called for sheepishly followed her into
the hall, and to judge from the sounds
of screaming and scuffjing which gen
orally followed, paid his postage under
considerable difficulty.
/ watched the game in state of be
wilderei alarm. What if a girl should
call on me! But no one did. and 1 was
half disappointed, half relieved, that |
was exempt, when at last it was Mabel
Byrne's turn to 60 out.
She left the room with a 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 few inches.
What do you Want?' he asked.
"There is letter here" she replied.
.'For whom2''
sFor Mr.. James Hill.
s. How much to pay?"
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. | got on to my feet somehow,
and with my heart torn between wild
desire to go into that hall and 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 but dimly lighted. [
paused moment and therI 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. | caught hold of
her. I scarcely know how. The dark
ness gave me courage and I held her in
a close clasp. and pressed my lips to
her cheek in three or four rapid, half
frightened kisses, before she could free
herself from my embrace.
There, there! Mr.. Hill,' size said,
with a faint, merry laugh, don't be SO
bashful again. I'm sure you are bold
enough now!''
Have ! paid my postage?" I stam-
mered.
Indeed, yes; enough and to spare.
Come, let us go back to the parlor.''
She led ME in, a willing prisoner, and
the rest of the evening / was her bond
slave; her partner in all games, her
companion in the dance (wherein ex-
celled the country boys, and gloried in
my accomplishment, and, at last,
browning delight Of the evening, her es-
cort home.
This was all. The next day I returned
to my home in the city, aud Mabel
Byrne became only a memory; strong
at first, fainter as time went on, but
sweet always. When saw other girls
/ compared them mentally with the
picture my imagination painted Of
Mabel, and they never seemed half so
fair and sweet as she.
But then [ did not sec many other
girls. My bashfulness, instead of
diminishing, seemed rather to increase
upon me as the years went by. 1
avoided society, and was so much of a
recluse from ladies that my mother was
quite worried lest I should become a
confirmed old bachelor. Perhaps one
reason why I retained my difidence
was that my pursuits were among books,
and not among people. l had made
the science of geology my study, and at
twenty-seven found myself in COM
Portable position as assistant professor
in one of our best colleges, the salary of
which, with my own income added,
making me SO far at ease that [ resolved
to devote my summer vacation to tour
in Europe.
Equipped with bag and hammer,
August found me making pedestrian
tour of Switzerland, with a special view
to the study Of its glacial system and
lithology. / avoided the well-traveled
ways, thus escaping the society of all
other tourists, and l was therefore ut
terly amazed when one evening, as 1
drew near the little house which was
my temporary abiding place, a tall
form strobe toward me out of the dark
ness and a hearty voice cried out.
'sJim! Jim Hillp'
.'What is it?n replied, with a half
nervous start.
..Ah! I thought it was my old friend.
Have you forgotten Tom Byrnep"
+ OF course not, for had met him oc-
casionally since we were boys, and I
was heartily glad to see my former
comrade, always one of the best Of COM
naninns