The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-03-31
THE MISSING LETTER.
BY MRS. MILES Il. MAcSAMARA.

with all the concentrated power Of her
two clenched little fists, but the iron
barred door continued unimpressed and
unmoved. Phebie added few savage
knocks with extra force, accompanied bv
an extremely wicked squeal of fury,
which proved our Phebie was not an an
gelic visitant but of purely human and
sorely tried flesh.
She retreated a step at last, and gazed
anxiously up at the windows, then began
on tear-mixed solo wall: 'Nr Alcot!
oh, Mr.. Alcot! Please let me in ~
Eli, hi What do you want, Phebie:
is any one sick at your houseln
The window above the door had been
raised and a very pillow-frizzled head
craned 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!''
''Billi Why, of course not. Just
bide there bit. I'll be down in a 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 COM
fortlng embrace; for the thermometer
was toying with a very chill-inspiring
mercury, and the dawn was making a
last struggle with obstinate night. which
made the air doubly frosty to the child
whose tiny nose was uplifted and ewes
squinted to read through the gray atmos-
phere the letters on a sign overhead.
which gave information TO inauiring
humanity that here was the ''postOffice, y
while larger sign above this proclaimed
of ''dry goods and groceries" also to be
had within.
After considerable growing and blus-
teriRg light cleaned through the win
dow grating, and brusque but not un
kindly welcome opened to the waiting
child.
''You don't mean to say that Bills been
out all night r.
ellis bed amt been tumbled. 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 all
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, father r. a feminine
voice responded.
~Slip on your clothes and run over to
Mrs. Testers with Phebie. The poor
woman's Almost distracted ~
In a marvelously brief time a startled
young girl hastened down, pale and APP
prehensive.
''What did you do with Bill. last
nightf' queried her father, jesting to dis
guise his uneasiness.
''Why, is not viii at homer
''Phebie says his bed isn't mussed. -
HE amt been home since he changed
his clothes to go 10 Centreville farm after
you, - the child explained.
''For mercy's sake. Where can he
ber' cried Hattie, in growing anxiety.
''We stood in the kirchen talking few
minutes after he had put the horse up"
she hesitsted, and painful blush spread
over her face and neck, then hastily
added: ''He said he was going home: at
least he did not say he was going any
where else!"
''It's odd, TO say the least Of it," Mr..
Alcot remarked, If this town was not
pretty free from resorts 10 attract young
men. I'd think"
Nonsense, fathert' testify exclaimed
Hattie, "Willie is above temptation
Come Phebie, perhaps he is at home by
this time
The two ran quickly to the little, one
storied, frame house, situated in the cen
ter Of a small tract of land that was cul-
tivated by the Widow Lester in garden
truck" From this slender traffic the
family Of four was maintained until
Willie, the eldest of the three chill
dren, began 70 realize a
small salary assisting in Mr.
Alcot's store His usefulness developed
with his years, until two years previous,
at the age of twenty-One, he began 10 re-
aliZe that his future was promising be-
yond his mothers fondest expectations,
when his employer not only gave him
what may, for a village ambition, be
termed a living wage, but hinted that
as there was no junior Alcot torival him,
Willie Lester might hope for succession,
when he, Mr.. Alcot, felt disposed to re-
tire from active business and live at ease
with his one chick his idol. his
motherless daughter, Hattie.
It was now daylight. The woman
who was employed TO assist with the
homework and clean the store came
down from her attic chamber and began
10 clean up behind the counter Of the
pOst0tice department, as the portion re
served for that purpose was called, while
Mr.. Aleot removed the blinds and pre-
pared for business, gossiping in bis
usual familiar tone with the trusted ''ser-
want, who was not by any means treated
a. such.