River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-02-02
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
Il Taught Miss Isabel Islay
Needed Lesson

a little group of men and women had
gathered there for the same purpose
The women eyed Isabel and wondered
how il was that her dresses always
fitted her SO styIishly; the men looked
admiringly at her big blue eyes and
rosy complexion.
Two or three other mill girls joined
Isabel; they laughed and taiked gayly
as the specialized Old postmaster sorted
the mail
At last the Imprinted pine partition
slid back. the speetacles appeared in
briskly:
'NaOw. then, who wants their mail?''
Isabel stepped forward.
Anything for me, Mr.. Rider?' she
asked
''Islay. Miss !. Isabel Islay. Miss Isa-
bel Islay?" read out the old man.
Three for you Who next
Isabel got all the i-tters.' giggled
the mill girls, as Isabel received her
treasures. ''She might divide with Us.
Here comes Miss Seaman. Now for
some fun"
A pallid. pinched, old young lady here
advanced with a smirk on her cOun-
tenance, wearing a faded shawl, whose
folds scarcely covered the fat basket
she carried
Anything for me, Mr.. Postmaster
she demanded. with i'll assumed indif-
ference
mo. num-" earelessly answered the
postmaster.
Are you sure?"
Eyes, mum"
a blank expression crept over her
face.
20. but it really doesn't signify.
thought I'D just inquire, as | CHANGED
to be passing"
Then she withdrew amid the very
audible laugh of the mill girls
There amt a mail comes in but
Miss Genny Seaman's here a-watchin'
for it, said the postmaster. Oracularly-
And she never gets "a letter-nOt so
much as a postal card. should think
she'd get tired of coming"
Miss Genevieve Seaman" said the
carewOrn woman of the house where
Ike girls boarded 20. that all hap
pened years ago. She had beau or
something and he went away-nobody
Just knew where. Reckon she didn't
know herself And it sort of upset her
brain and she amt fairly been herself
since. She's a very good dressmaker
and she trims a bonnet quite scrump-
tiOusly, and so she earns a decent liv-
ing. hut she's been expecting letter
these twenty odd years and it's never
come
Girls" said Isabel Islay. as they sat
ut the round table that evening. laugh
ing and talking. lets write letter to
that po r old thing from her lover in
the east"
WAS he really her lover, Isabel?''
asked Lucy FELTON,.
well. from the man she imagined to
be her lover. Let's make it fervent as
fire and sweet as sugar Let's lay it
on thick"
I'm short, let's play joke on Miss
Genny Seaman" said Mary Crane. who
was retrimming an old straw hat with
lilac ribbons and bunch of viOlets-
Just that" said Isabel
but you don't know even the fell
lows name, Isabel"
Il can find that out Mrs Webb
knows, and can easily coax it out of
ntE- AZ Will UE EIGM AAM=
IL was morning. blue skyed, breezy
day. with the air full of growing scents
and blue-bird whisfles-anc soon after
the cumbrOus old four-horse stage had
crashed through the village the usual
crowd began to assemble in the little
post Office. Isabel Islay was there. and
Lucy FELTON, and black-eyed Mary
Crane, and presently Miss Genevieve
seaman, tripping in with the peculiar
gate which tine is-everent village chill
dren compared to a cat walking upon
walnut shells
Two for Miss Islay." said the old
man. scrutinizing each letter with pro-
voling slowness. One for Squire
Zurubbable Jenkins; one for Widder
Hopper. and one for Miss Genevieve-
Seaman
Isabel flashed n merry glance at her
corapanions as the poor little dress
maker tiptoed up to the counter, her
color changing from saffron 10 scarlet,
her faded blue eyes full 'Of intent
rapture
lis il true? A letter for meme,
And I've waited for t all these years!
AlI-these-years"'
She hid 4 under her shawl. cast a de-
FAINT look around at the neighbOrs'
faces. and hurried away like a startled
wild animal 20 ats cover. She could
not open that letter with other eyes
upon her. She felt that she must
treasure il to herself. like one who has
discovered a precious jewel.
ON her way home from the mill that
evening Isabel Islay stopped at the
little house where the tin sign: Mil
linery and Dressmaking." swung
cracking in the wind. The window
blinds were fastened back, the parlOr
was opened and busted. Miss Gene
We've was moving to and fro in her
best India silk gown. with a flower
pinned Enthusiastically in her hair.
round red spot glowed on each
check; her bony fingers trembled with
excitement as she Land down her spec
tacles.
Can you press over my leghOrn hat.
Miss Seaman asked the beauty.
''Oh. my dear. I'm afraid not said
the little woman, with a hysterical
laugh. Haven't you heard? I'm
10 be married very soon. Capt. Ed
ward Gleason-you nav perhaps have
heard of him-he used 10 be residen;
of MilltOwn-he has made fortune. il
seems, in New York. and he is coming
back almost directly toto claim an
old promise made him twenty years
ago. NV dear, he has loved me
twenty years" Her eyes shOne. her
voice fAltered with the ecstasy of her
soul. And tomorrow he is coming
back to me. on. Miss Islay, II seems
almost like a dream
She laughed again. but her eyes were
full Of tears. Isabel moved uneasily
she was almost frightened At what she
had done. The joke did not seem half
so jOcOse as IL had at first. since poor
Miss Genevieve accepted it in such dead
earnest
See took advantage of the entrance
q a customer TO slip out of the little
shop.
Girls" said she TO her conspirators.
1--WE must tell her that it is only >