Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-03-24
THE MISSING LETTER.
BY MRS. MILES II. MACNAMARA.

Ten-year- old Phebie Conryn pounded
with all the concentrated power of hel
two clenched little fists, but the iron
barred door continued unimpressed
and unmoved. Phebie added few
savage knocks with extra force, &C
companied by an extremely wicked
squeal of fury, which proved ou1
Phebie was not an angelic visitant but
of purely human and sorely tried
flesh.
She reiterated a step at last, and
gazed anxiousiy up ut the windows,
then began on tear-mixed solo wall:
"Mr. Alcot! Oh, Mr.. Alcot! Please
let me in
"Hi, hi! What do you want Phebie;
is any one sick at your house?"
The window above the door had
been raised and a very pillow-frizzled
head GRAINED far over the sill to view
the small parsonage who replied, with
reproachful entreaty: "You sleep
mighty hard, and OH please, Mr..
Alcot, is Willie here!"
Bill? Why, of course not. Just
bide there a bit. I'll be down in g.
whip-stitch."
Phebie now attended to the great
blanket shawl which had slipped from
her head and was trailing on the
ground. She muffled herself closely in
its comforting embrace; for the Their
mometer was toying with very chill
inspiring mercury, and the dawn was
making a last struggle with obstinate
night, which made the air doubly
fpoc&xy 41n-aloilI
nose was uplifted and eyes
squinted to read through the gay
atmosphere the letters on O. sign over
head, which gave information to in
quiring humanity that here was the
''post Office" while a larger sign above
this proclaimed of ''dry goods and
groceries" also to be had within.
After considerable growing and
clustering light cleaned through the
window grating, and a brusque but
not unkindly welcome opened to the
waiting child.
"You don't mean to say that Bills
been out all night ?"
ellis bed amt been tumhled. Ma
woke up and found the lamp burning
at one O'Clock, so she looked in his
room, but he hadn't got in. She is
Almost wild by this time, and sent me
over to see if maybe you had kept
him"
"'Taint likely I'd keep the boy out
ali night without lettin' your mother
know Here, Hattie, Hattie" he
called, going to door leading upstairs
from the rear of the store.
"What is it, fatherw feminine
voice responded.
"Slip on your clouhes and run over
to Mrs. Testers with Phebie. The
poor woman's Almost distracted!"
In marvelously brief time g. star
tied young girl FASTENED down, pale
and apprehensive.
"What did you do with Bill, last
night ?" queried her father, testing to
disguise his uneasiness.
"Why, is not Will at homer"
s'Phebie says his bed isn't mussed."
che amt been home since he changed
his clothes to 60 to Centreville farm
after you," the child explained
"For mercy's sake! Where can he
bel" cried Hattie, in growing anxiety.
eve stood in the kitchen talking
few minutes after he had put the horse
up" she hesitated, and a painful
UluSu SpE6dO OtOr u0T IdC0 duO uOCk,
then hastily added: HE said he was
going home; at least he did not say he
was going anywhere else!'
''It's odd, to say the least of it, !"
Mr.. Alcot rem arked. eff this town was
not pretty Tree from resorts to at
tract young men, I'd think"
Nonsense, father!" testify ex-
claimed Hattie, "Willie is above tenn
tation! Come, Pneble, perhaps he is
at home by this time
The two ran quickly to the little,
one-storied, frame house, situated in
the center of O. small tract Of land that
was cultivated by the Widow Lester
in garden truck" From this slender
traffic the family of four was
maintained until Willie, the eld-
est of the three children, be-
gan to realize a small salary,
assisting in Mr. Alcot's store. His
usefulness developed with his years,
until two years previous, at the age OF
21, he began to realize that his future
was promising beyond his mothers
fondest expectations, when his en-
ployer not only gave him what may,
for a village ambition, be termed
living wage, but limited that as there
was no junior Alcot to rival him,
Willie Lester might hope for succession.
when he, Mr.. Alcot, felt disposed to
retire from active business and live at