The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-03
Al PRACTICAL JOKE.
Re Taught Miss IsabeI IsIay q
Needed Lesson.

Needed Lesson.
The yellow narcissus was IN bloom
In the neat little yard that fronted the
village post office, the maple trees had
dropped their red stars long ago and
here and there one found pink clusters
81 honeysweet trailing arbutus in the
woods.
Isabel Islay had bunch in the front
OF her jacket as she sauntered up to
zee II there were any letters for her.
A little group Of men and women had
gathered there for the same purpose.
The women eyed Isabel and wondered
how 1t was that her dresses always
fitted her SO styiishly; the men locked
admiringly ut her big blue eyes and
rosy complexion.
Two or three other min girls joined
Isabel; they laughed and talked gay1y
as the specialized old pnetnsastor sorteui
the mail.
At last the implanted pine partition
slid back, the spectacles appeared in
The aperture. and the postmaster cried
brislly:
"Naow, then, who wants their mail2n
Isabel stepped forward.
Anything for me, Mr.. Ridcr?" she
asked
.,Isiay, Miss !, Isabel Islay, Miss Isa-
bel Islay2' read out the old man.
Three for you. Who nextlp
Isabel got all the lettersr' 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 smirh on her coun-
tenance, wearing faded shawl, whose
folds scarcely covered the nat basket
she carried.
Anything for me, Mr.. Postmaster?''
she demanded, with i'll assumed indif-
ference.
mo, num-" carelcssly answered the
postmaster.
"Are you sure2"
Yes, 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 mail comes in but
Miss Genny Seaman's here a-watchin'
for it, " said the postmaster oracularly.
.And she never gets letter-not so
much as postal card. ] should think
she'd get tired Of coming"
Miss Geneyievc Seaman" said the
cnreworn woman Of the house where
Ike girls boarded 20, that all hap.
pened years agol She had beau OF
something and he went away-nobody
just knew where. Reckon she didn't
know herself And 1t sort of upset hei
brain and she amt fairly been herself
since. She's very good dressmakei
and she trims bonnet quite scrump
tiously, and so she earns decent liv
ing. But she's been expecting letter
these twenty odd years and it's never
come.
Girls" said Isabel Islay, Us they sal
at the round table that evening, laugh
ing and talking lets write letter tx
that poor old thing from her lover II
the east"
WAS he really her lover, Isabel2'
asked Lucy FELTON,.
'.Well, from the man she imagined *
be her lover Let's make it fervent a,
fire and sweet as sugar. Let's lay i
ON thick"
In short let's play joke on Mis-
Genny Seaman, said Mary Crane, whe
was retrimming an old straw hat will
lilac ribbons and a bunch of yiolets.
Just that" said Isabel
"But you don't know even the Nfel
lows name, Isabel"
81 can find that out Mrs. Web
knows, and can easily coax it out 0
her. 1t will be such, funr'
1t was mornings blue skyed, breez,
z day, with the air full of growing scent
and blue-bird whistles-ane soon afte
the cumbrous old four-horse stage hai
crashed through the village the usna
crowd began to assemble in the littl
post Office. Isabel Islay was there, an
Lucy FELTON, and blaek-eyed Mar
Crane. and presently Miss Geneviey
Seaman, tripping Nm with the peculia
gate which the irreverent village chi
dren compared to eat walking upo
walnut shells.
1.-TWO for Miss Islay.'' said the oil
man, scrutinizing each letter with pre-
voking slowness. tone for SOUR
Zurubbable jenkins; one for Wilde
Hopper, and one for Miss Geneyievc-
Seaman
Isabel flashed merry glance at he
companions as the poor little dres
maker tiptoed up to the counter, he
color changing from saffron to scarle
her faded blue eyes full Of inter
rapture.
is II true2 A letter for me-m'
And I've waited for it all these year
Al-these-yearsr'
She hid It under her shawl, cast q u
Giant look around at the neighbor