Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-02

beats me-"
81 hear that she has gone to Eden to
work in amilliner's shop since her father
died, said the deacon. 1--WE must send
the letter over"
"Now, it's queer l didn't know she'd
gone. Folks won't take the trouble to
tell poor lame old woman what's goin'
on, said Mrs. Kittridge, plaintively.
"And they won't send postal cards; there
amt half so many goin' between here and
Eden as there use to be-"
The deacon looked up quickly from
the bowed position in which he had sat
down. He had observed that; he had
also overheard whispers which led him
to think that his wife's curiosity about
the mails was causing dissatisfaction in
the town. Was disgrace in another shape
coming upon him in his old age-upon
him who had led so upright, so blame
less life2
But no; he only imagined that because
trouble had disturbed h nerves nobody
could suspect Laviny of anything really
dishonorable, and surely they could bear
with her harmless curiosity and gossip.
''Laviny, Saul has joined a concert
troupe. They are going to sing in
Haverford tomorrow night; the bills are
posted all over town with Saul Kit
trcdge, basso profondo, on them"
Mrs. Kittredge got down painfully
from the high stooI-a little withered
old lady, but with hair that was still
fiaxen and childish blue eyes. "Oh,
Nehemiah, our SAUL" she said, with a
gasp, stretching her little trembling
hands out toward him. "But maybe it
aims so bad. Don't look so, Nehemiah. "
Deacon Kittredge groaned. 81 don't
see why we should have had such son,
Laviny," he said. shaking his gray head
heavily. "But there! It's the Lords
judgment on us, and we must bear it. :"
And the deacon went to his closet, and
on. his rigid old knees sought to discover
the meaning of the Lords Judgment.
After supper he wended his way to the
weekly prayer meeting. Huldah, the
'help," went too, and Mrs. Kittredge
was left alone.
AS soon as both were gone, and the
doors fastened behind them, she went
into the postot1ice, and took the letter
addressed to Tidy Slycomb again from
its pigeon hole-Tidy Slicomb who had
come of "shiftlcss" stock, who wore pink
bonnets, and went to dances, and flirted
with the stage-driver.
'If it amt from Saul, want to
know it; and if it is, seems as if |
ought to know it. And l never saw a
postmark that l couldn't make out
before. If there was any postal cards to
put my mind on, maybe | could STOP
thinkin' about it; or if | knew just how
it was about Arvilly Wright's beau jiltin'
her, but can't be took up with that
book Miss Skinner brought me, l feel so
wicked readin' it; and it don't pay, for
there amt word of truth in it. should
like to know who has written to Tidy
Slocomb."
She held the letter up between her
eyes and the lamp that stood in bracket
on the wall.
81 don't see why Nehemiah was bent
on havin' everything So high up here
letter boxes and stools and lamps and all.
lll take the letter out into the sittin'-
room. But come to think of it, l should
feel kind of awkward hidin' it away, if
anybody should happen to come in, and
it's warmer and not so lonesome in the
kichen."
So in the kitchen Mrs. Kttredge went,
with the precious letter hidden under
her little worsted cape, although there
was nobody to see but Saul's old gray
cat, lineal descendant of the one that
had brought up her family in old Mr..
Hollis's coffin.
The Kitchen was large one with win
dows on two sides. Mrs. Kittredge care
fully pulled down the curtains of the
two windows whose outside blinds were
not closed; they were not used to coming
down, and made very hard work of it,
which seemed 10 give her guilty feel
ing.
The postmark was so blurred that
scarcely letter was distlnguishable.
She held the letter up before the lamp.
Her conscience gave twinges, but one
could never discover any secrets in that
way-only stray word here and there.
One could not discover anything, alas
in this letter; the envelope was too thick,
or the outside of the paper was not writ.
ten upon.
Was it Saul's writing2 The capital
letters did not look like his. If she
could see only one word of the inside
She turned the letter over. The envel
ope had not stuck together all the way
across; she slid her finger in, not tc
open it-only enough to see, perchance,
a word.
The paper tore-there was a rent al
inch long!
She uttered an exclamation of dismay,
and looked around her as if there were
somebody to see. There was; the blind
had been opened, and pressed against
the pane was face.
With cry of terror she sprang to hel
feet, dropping the letter on the floor. Al
the same instant there came loud knock
at the back door, on the other side. i
was the deacon's double knock; anG
with a feeling of relief Mrs Kittredg q
hurried, as fast as her trembling limb
would carry her, into the little bacl
entry.
She called feebly, and the deacon
voice answered, but still she had to leal
against the wall for moment befor,
she could find strength to unbolt th'
door, the face was so startling and i
was so terrible to think that somebod,
had seen her tampering with the letter
Her fingers trembled so that the boil
resisted her efforts.
"Good land, Laviny, what is the mat
ter7" her husband called, impatiently.
When at length the door was opened
she fell into his arms, gasping, "Oh
Nehemiah, there's q man looking in a
the window 1t was Providence tha
sent you home"
'Deacon Stebbjns was there to lead
and l heard something that l wanted s,
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