Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-23
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
1t Taught Miss Isabel Islay n
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 honcysweet trailing arbutus in the
woods.
Isabel Islay had bunch in the front
of her Jacket as she sauntered mp to
see 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 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 mailp"
Isabel stepped forward
Anything for me, Mr.. Rider9" she
asked.
"Islay, Miss ], Isabel Islay, Miss Isa-
bel Islay2" read out the old man.
"Tbree for you. Who nextr'
| Isabel got all the lettersw 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 smirlx ON her coun-
tenance, wearing faded shawl, whose
folds scarcely covered the fiat basket
she carried.
Anything for me, Mr.. Postmaster?'
she demanded, with i'll assumed indif-
ference.
mo, num-" carelessly answered the
postmaster.
"Are you sure?"
Eyes, mum" Is
A blank expression Ssrsept over her
face.
20, but II really doesn't signify.
thought I'd just inquire, as l CHANGED
to be passing"
Then she withdrew amid the very
audible laugh OF the mill girls.
There amt q 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 Genevieve Seaman" said the
careworn woman Of the house where
ike girls boarded. 20, that all hap
pened years agol She had beau OIL
something and he went away-nobody
just knew where. Reckon she didn''
know herself. And II sort OF upset hel
brain and she amt fairly been herselt
since. She's very good dressmakel
and she trims bonnet quite scrump
tiously, and SO she earns decent liv
ing. But she's been expecting a letteI
these twenty odd years and it's neve
come"
Girls" said Isabel Islay, as they sa
at the round table that evening, laugh
ing and talking. "let's write letter Il
that poor old thing from her lover il
the east"
"Was he really her lover, Isabel2
asked Lucy FELTON,.
"Well, from the man she imagined I,
be her lover. Let's make IL fervcnt a
fire and sweet as sugar. Let's lay /
on thick"
, "ln 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 fel
lows name, Isabel"
~ can find that out. Mrs. Web
knows, and ! can easily coax it out q
her IL will be such fun"
II was morning. blue slsyed, bree2
day, with the air full of growing scent
and blue-b bird whistles-anG soon afte
the cumbrous old four-horse stage ha
crashed through the village the usui
crowd began TO assemble in the it'll
post Office. Isabel Islay was there, an
Lucy FELTON, and blaclS-eyed Mar
Crane, and presently Miss Geneviey
Seaman, tripping in with the peculif
: gate which the irreverent village chi
dren compared 10 a cat walking upo
walnut shells.
Two for Miss Islay." said the oI
man, scrutinizing each letter with pr
volSing slowness. zone for Squil
Zurubbable Jenkins; one for Wilde
Hopper, and one for Miss Geneyieve
, Seaman"
E Isabel flashed a merry glance at HI
companions as the poor little dres
maker tiptoed up 10 the counter, HI
color changing from saffron TO scarle
Ter faded blue eyes full of inte'
rapture.
"Is It true2 A letter for mem
- And I've waited for It all these year
All-these-yearsw
She hid it under her shawl, cast d
FAINT look around at the neiRhbol
+, faces, and hurried away like a startl
wild animal to its cover, She cot
d not open that letter with other ey
4 upon her. She felt that she mt
1 treasure II TO herself, like one who
discovered precious jewel.
On her way home from the mill III
evening Isabel Islay stopped at I
~ little house where tine tin sign: IN
To- linery and Dressmalsing, swu
up crealSing in the wind The wind