St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-08
A POSTAL EPISODE.


1t was pretty room, this cell 90, as
Katherine Gray called her parior and
alcOve suite in the Norman, Cedar
street, Blank city. Behind gay screen,
slightly ajar. there was tiny gas stove
and singing kettle; half-open door
of a cabinet revealed odd pieces of china
and shining silver.
This is what the sun shOne upon
through the big east bay window New
Years morning. This and Katherine
Gray at her breakfast table. The post
man had made his one round for the
day. Some business house had sent her
a calendar, and there was one letter.
This she was reading. She made
pretty picture as she sat thus. With
all the rest of the world she was having
holiday.
al WISH" she said-she had fashion
of thinking aloud when alOne-''I wish
that this letter could have been delayed
until tomorrow. | don't like being SO
disturbed on New Years day. There is
a saying that as the first day goes so
goes the whole year" Then she
laughing. Il wonder il Pm to have
year, and feel as bad about every one
as do about this ?"
Then she rose and walked to the mir
rOr. The reflection was not unpleasant;
she smiled as she looked at it. But she
said-"Thcre'S no use in being fiattered
by the glass, Katherine; the fact re-
mains that this is your birthday, and
that you ale thirty-tOur years old today.
Here in my hand is an offer of marriage
from an eminently worthy and re-
spectacle man, who would take you
away from Cell No. 20 and its 'kitch-
eny-parlor air. and set you in hand
to hide your head in bureau drawer.
bake aud boil in dish, or eat 'Doughten
pie'-whO would make lady of leisure
of you, and who, best of all, or what
ought to be best of all. would love you
and be good to you. And yet" she con-
tinued, "you hesitate. With little lines
coming around your eyes and mouth,
with work and WEAKNESS stretching out
indefinitely before you-y0u hesitate. L
am surprised. You don't show your
usual good business sense, your keen
appreciation of good bargain"
Truly, she was not insenslbe to the
material advantages that were offered to
her in this letter from Mr.. Browne,
goods.
AS she sat thus, with her hands
casped above her head, she thought:
IF it were not for that letter received
and answered ten years ago today-the
first of the year is fateful day to me,
surely-I know what my reply would
be to this one. If l could only forget
but may as well start my life anew
today as any time"
Then she went to her desk and, took
down the old calendar. You've had
your day, and you may as well go with
the rest. One nail drives out another.
Your successor is here with his ready
made wisdom. BY the way, Ill see
advertising scheme, no doubt, but it
may have a message for me, just the
same"
She read: "'Be more afraid of the
cOmpanionship that enslayes than Of
the solitude that leaves you free Use
the Highfyer bicycle. Best in the
world"
She read the quotation twice, smiling
as she did so, and hung the new calen-
dar i'll its place.
At 8 o'clock she made a careful
street toilet and went for her dinner.
Determined not to dine alone, she in
NIGtu lllIIC JUG, luc HCWSDOyS VIII
brought her morning paper and who did
small errands for her and other occu-
pants of the Norman, to go with her.
To be sure, when she asked him it he
had been to dinner, he admitted that he
had been vivid de gang to the mission.
But dat" he said, don't cut no iigger.
l kin eat jes' as well fer all dat"
II.
katherine sat in the early winter twi-
light at her piano, singing some sweet
old song OF her early youth.
Then there came q vigorous ring at
her door. 1t flashed across her mind
that possibly Mr.. Browne was going to
forestall the pOstman and know his own
fate by. word of mouth. Before going
to the door she lighted the gas and went
to the mirror. Standing there, she said:
Statistics show, Katherine, that women
over thirty
Then the bell rang again. AS if wa
vering little, she glanced at the calen-
dar. BravelY the words shown before
her eyes: "Be more afraid of the COM
partnership that enslaveS than of the
solitude that leaves you free.
"Ahi that helps" she said.
Then she opened wide the door.
1t certainly was not Mr.. Browne who
stood there. Mr.. Browne was short and
rotund; fiorid also. This man was tall,
of fine proportions, with clear cut fea-
lures and a fine mustacie.
Miss q ray"' he said, interrogatively.
YES"
"My name is-but perhaps you re-
member my name," and the tall man
stepped unlimited into the room.
YES" she said, her eyes blazing, II
remember your name. 1t is the name
the only man who ever treated the with
disrespect. Go back to the silence thatJ
has covered you for years"
"Not yet" he SAID. 1.-The morning
mail brought me this letter that you
wrote me ten years ago; you accepted
me then; you said that you loved me.
Fve the proof of 1t in my h ands--,"
and he opened a letter yellow and
stained. You say
"'Dear Everil-P-1"
"Oh, don't!" she cried.
"Listen, dear" he said, "sit down be-
side me while l tell you. The post
office in the city where we both lived
ten years ago has recently undergone
repairs. A package of letters has been
exhumed by the gasfitters or plumbers.
This is one of them. / only hope the
others have been forwarded TO as happy
destination. For the words in the
lett er-they are true now as then, are
they not, KatherineW
"Oh, don't knowp she said.
"Find out, dear, as quickly as you can.
The years have been long and hard, but
these last eight hours have been torture.
/ had no idea where to look for you
-
."What do you think must have en-
dured?" she asked.
II don't dare think Of it." Then he
added, as ninety-nine men out of hun
dred would have done:-"We won't
talk about it or think of it. We will
forget the sadness of the past and plan
for our future"
'How did you find me?" asked Kath-
crime.
Il saw you at the restaurant where
you were entertaining that little hood
lum. l knew you at once. There's no
woman in the world like you. |. too,
had guest with me and could not toll