Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-02-26
THE MISSING LETTER.
BY MRS. MILES H. MACNAMARA..


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 BY
an extremely wicked squeal of fury,
which proved our Psebie was not an an
gelic vistant but of pSrely human and
Sorely tried flesh.
She retreated step at last, and gazed
anxiously up at the windows then began
on tear mixed solo wall; "Mr. Alcot
Oh, Mr.. Alcotl Please let me inm
eli, hi! What do you want, Phebie
is any one sick at your house2"
The window above the door had been
raised and very pillow frizzled head
craned far over the sill to view the small
parsonage who replied, with leproachful
entreaty. 'You sleep mighty hard, and
oh, please, Mr.. Alcot, is Willie herer"
"Bill? Why, of course not. Just
bide there a bit. I'll be down in whip
stitch"
Phebie now attended to the great
blanket shawl which had slipped from
her head and was trailing on the ground.
She mutfied herself closely in its COM
tortlng embrace; for the thermometer
was toying with 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 inquiring
humanity that here was the ''post0fiice, y
while larger sign above this proclaimed
of ''dry goods and groceries, also to be
had within.
After considerable growing and blus-
tering light cleaned through the VIM
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 y
"His 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 il
maybe you had kept him."
'Taint likely I'd keep the boy out all
night without lettin your mother know
Here, Hattie, HattieN' he called, going
to door leading upstairs from the real
of the store.
"What is it, father ~ feminine
voice responded
"Slip on your clothes and run over tc
Mrs. Testers with Phebie. The poor
woman's Almost distracted ~
In marvelously brief time a startled
young girl hastened down, pale and ap
prehensive.
''What did you do with Bill, last
night2" queried her father, testing to dis
guise his uneasiness.
"Why, is not Will at home"
''Phebie says his bed isn't mussed."
''He amt been home since he changed
his clothes to goto Centrevile farm aftel
you, /" the child explained.
''For mercy's sake! Where can he
be-" cried Hattie, in growing anxiety
"We stood in the kirchen talking a few
minutes after he had put the horse up
she hesitated, and a painful blush spreat
over her face and neck, then hastily
added: ''He said he was going home; a
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 no
pretty free from resorts to attract youns
men. I'd think"
Nonsense, father" testify exclaimed
Hattie, ''Willie is above temptation
Come Phebie, perhaps he is at home b,
this time
The two ran quickly to the little, one
storied, frame house, situated in the cen
ter of n small tract of land that was cul
tivated by the Widow Lester in 'gardel
truck" From this slender traffic tn,
family of four was maintained unit
Willie, the eldest of the three chill
dren, began to realize
small salary assisting in Mr.
Alcot's store His usefulness developed
with his years, until two years previous
at the age of twenty lone, he began to re
alize that his future was promising be
yond his mothers fondest expectations
when his employer not only gave hin
what may, for a village ambition, b
OOihiOt hfihS NdSOj pu0 hllCcl lllt
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 cas-
with his one "chick," his idol, hi
motherless daughter, Hattie.
1t was now daylight. The woman
who was employed to assist with tn
housework and clean the store cam
down from her attic chamber and begal
to clean up behind the counter of tn
postoffice department, as the portion re
served for that purpose was called, Will
, Mr.. Alcot removed the blinds and pre-
pared for business, gossiping in hi
usual familiar tone with the trusted ''ser
want, " who was not by any means treate,
IS such.
In Western country towns such distinc
ions are not tolerated by the employed
"And who's been fussing with tn
nails, l wonder2" suddenly exclaime,
he woman, handing Mr.. Alcot two let
,ers she had found on the floor.
"That's Farmer Slayback's mail, " re
oined the postmaster, as he steppe
quickly to the section of pigeon holes an
examined the Slayback "box" ''Hov
On earth did they get on the foor2 Look
Martha, there ought to be another one
It's mot in the box It's a registere
money letterl'