Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-01-30
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
It Taught Miss Isabel Islay {
Needed Lesson


Needed Lesson
The yellow narcissus was in bloom
in the neat little yard that frouted the
village post office, the maple trees had
dropped their red stars long ago, and
here and there one found pink clusters
of hOneysweet trailing arbutus in the
woods.
Isabel Islay had a bunch in the front
of her jacket as she sauntered up to
see If 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 it was that her dresses always
fitted her SO stylishly; the men looked
admiringly at her big blue eyes and
rosy complexion.
Two or three other mill girls joined
Isabel; they laughed and talked gayly
as the specialized old postmaster sorted
the mail
At last the implanted pine partition
slid back. the spectacles appeared in
the aperture, and the postmaster cried
briskly;
"Naow, then, who wants their mail?"
Isabel stepped forward.
"Anything for me, Mr.. Ridcr?" she
asked.
"Islay, Miss I, Isabel Islay, Miss Isa-
bel Islay?" read out the old man.
'"Three for you. Who next"
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 smirk on her coun-
tenance, wearing faded shawl, whose
folds scarcely covered the fat basket
she carried.
Anything for me, Mr.. PostmasterT'
she demanded, with i'll assumed indif-
ference
mo, num-" carelessly answered the
postmaster.
Are you surc?"
"Yes, mum"
A blank expression crept over her
face.
80, but it really doesn't signify.
to be passing"
Then she withdrew amid the very
audible laugh of the mill girls.
Miss Genny Seaman's here a-watchin
| for it." said the postmaster, oracularly.
| "And she never gets letter-not SC
much rs postal card. should thinl
| she'd get tired of coming"
Miss Genevieve Seaman" said the
| careworn woman of the house where
| ike girls boarded. 80, that all hap
pencd years agoI She had II beau o,
something and he went away-nobodl
just knew where. Reckon she didn'
know herself. And it sort of upset he,
brain and she amt fairly been hersel
since. She's n very good drcssmalle
and she trims n bonnet quite scrump
tiously, and so she earns a decent liv
ing. But she's been expecting u lette
these twenty odd years and it's neve
come"
Girls" said Isabel Islay, as they sa
at the round tabLc that evening, laugh
ing and talking, lets write letter t.
that poor old thing from her lover il
the cast"
"Was he really her lover, Isabel?
asked Lucy FELTON,
"Well, from the man she imagined t.
be her lover. Let's make it fervent u
fire and sweet as sugar. Let's lay
on thick"
I'm short, let's play joke on Mis-
Genny Seaman" said Mary Crane, VIII
was retrimming an old straw hat wit
lilac ribbons and bunch of violets.
Just that" said Isabel
"But you don't know even the fe
lows name, Isabel"
"I can find that out. Mrs. Web
knows, and can easily coax it out {
her 1t will be such funr
1t was morning-a blue skyed, breez
day, with the air full of growing scent
{ and blue-bird whistles-anG soon afte
o the cumbrous old four-horse stage ha
crashed through the village the usu;
crowd began to assemble in the lit
, post Office. Isabel Islay was there, an
Lucy FELTON, and bIack-eyed Maj
= Crane, and presently Miss GenevieN
Seaman, tripping in with the peculi;
gate which the irreverent village chi
, dren compared to a cat walking upC
y walnut shells.
1.-TWO for Miss Islay," said the o
man, scrutinizing each letter with pr
voking slowness. 'One for Soul
2urubbablo Jenkins; one for Widd
Hopper, and one for Miss Genevieve
Seaman
Isabel flashed a merry glance at h
companions as the poor little dres
maker tiptoed up to the counter, h
color changing from saffron to scarle
her faded blue eyes full of int
rapture.
- ''Is it true? A letter for mem
And I've waited for it all these yeal
All-these-years!'
She hid it under her shawl, cast q
FAINT look around at the ncighbol