The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-21

CHAPTER I.
The mail stage had just passed Laurel
Run. So rapidly that the whirling
cloud of dust dragged with it down the
steep grade from the summit hung over
the level long after the stage had
vanished, and then, drifting away,
slowly siftcd red precipitate over the
hot platform of the Laurel Run post
office.
Ont OF this cloud presently emerged
Che neat figure of the postmistress with
The mail bag which had been dexterous-
1y flung at her feet from the top Of the
passing vehicle. A dozen loungcrs
eagerly stretched out their hands to as
sist her, but the warning: cts agin the
rules, boys, for any but her to touch it.
from bystander and coqucttish
shake of the head from the postmistrcss
herself-much moro effective than any
official ntcrdict-withhcld them. The
bag was not heavy-Eaurcl Run was too
recent settlement to have attracted
much corrcspondcnce-and the young
woman, having bounced upon her prey
with n certain feline instinct, dragged
1t, not without difficulty, behind the
partitioned Enclosure in the office and
locked the door. Her pretty face, mo-
mcntarily visible through the window,
was slightly flushed with the cxcrtion,
and the loose ends of her fair hair, wet
with perspiration, curlcd themselves
over her forehead into tantalizing little
rings. But the window shutter was
quickly closed and this momentary but
charming vision withdrawn from the
waiting public.
''Gov'mcnt oughter have more sense
than to make woman pick mail bags
outer the road" said 10 Summons, sym
pathetically. "'Tain't in her days
work, anyhow; gov'ment oughtcr hand
Fem over to her like n lady; it's rich
enough and ugly enough"
"'Tain't governments; it's that stage
company's airs and graces," interrupted
q newcomer. ''They think it mighty
fine to 60 beltin by maxim everybody
take their dust just because stoppin'
amt in their contract. Why, if that
expressman who c',uclxed down the
bag had any feclins for lady''-but he
stopped here ut the amused faces Of his
auditors.
Guess you don't know much O. that
eXprcssman's feelin's, stranger" said
Simmons, grimly. "Why, YOU oughtcr
sec him just pussin' that bag like il
baby as he comes tearin down the
grade and then rise UP and sortcr hcavc
1T to Mrs. Baker CT if it was n five dollar
bokay. His feelin's for her? Why,
he's give himself so dead away to her
that we're looking for him to forget
what he's dom next and just come q
sailin' down hisself at her feet"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
partition, Mrs. Baker had brushed the
red dust from the padloclled bag, ant
removed what seemed to be sup
Elementary package attached to it by q
wire. Opening it she found handsome
Iscent-bottle, evidently n supcraddcd
gift from the devoted cxprcssman. This
she put aside with light smile and
tho murmured word: "Foolishness
But when she had unlocked the bag
even it's sacred interior was profaned by
a covert parcel from the adjacent post
master at Burat Ridge, containing @
gold specimen" brooch and some circus
tickets. 1t was laid aside with the
other. This also was vanity-and pre-
sumably-veXation of spirit.
There were seventeen letters in all
of which five were for herself and yet
the proportion was small that morning
Two of them were marked "Of1icial
business" and were promptly put by
with feminine discernment; but in an.
other compartment than that holding
the presents. Then the shutter was
'opencd and the task of delivery com
.Hnenced.
1t was accompanied with n social
peculiarly that had in time become Il
habit of Laurel Run. AS the young
woman delivered the letters in turn to