Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-03-02

1t Taught Miss Isabel Is!ay O
Needed Lesson.

needed Lesson.
The yellow narcissus was in bloom
IN the neat little yard that froutcd the
village post Office, the maple trees had
dropped their red stars long ago, and
mere and there one found pink clusters
OF honeyswcct trailing arbutus in the
woods.
Isabel Islay had bunch in the front
OF her jacket as she sauntered up 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 aud 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 In ked gayly
as the spectaclcd old postmaster sorted
the mail
Atlast the unpaintcd pine partition
slid back. the spcctacles appeared in
the aperture, and the postmaster cried
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?n read out the old man.
Three for you. Who ncxt!'
Isabel got all the letters" gigglcd
the mill girls, as Isabel received her
treasures. "Shc might divide with us.
Here comes Miss Seaman. Now for
some fun
A pallid, pinched, old young lady here
advanced with u smirll on her coun-
tenancc, 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 surc?"
"Yes, num-"
A blank expression crept over her
face.
20. but it really doesn't signify. |
thought I'd just inquire, as / chanced
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 lcttcr-not so
much as postal card. / should think
she'd get tired of coming"
Miss Gcnevievc Seaman" said the
careworn woman of the house where
tke girls boarded. 30, 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 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 lslay, as they sat
at the round table that evening, laugh
ing and talking, "let's write letter to
that poor old thing from her lover in
the east"
"Was he really her lover, Isabcl?''
asked Lucy FELTON,.
"Well, from the man she imagined to
be her lover. Let's make it fcrvent as
fire and sweet MS sugar. Let's lay it
on thick.
I'm short, let's play a 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 fcl-
lows name, Isabel"
81 can fiud that out. Mrs. Webb
knows, and can easily coax it out OF
her. 1t will be such fun"
1t was morning-a blue skyed, breezy
day, with the air full of growing scents
and bluc-bird whistlcs--an6 soon after
the cumbrous old four-horsc 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 blaclS-eyed Mary
Crane, and presently Miss Gcnevieve
Seaman, tripping in with the peculia,
rate which the irreverent village chill.
dren compared to cat walking upon
walnut shells.
1.-TWO for Miss Islay," said the old
man, scrutinizing each letter with pro-
yokinc slowness. Zone for Squire
Zurubbable Jenkins; one for Widdei
Hopper, and one for Miss Genevieve-
Seaman
Isabel flashed merry glance at hei
companions as the poor little dress
maker tiptoed up to the counter, hel
color changing from saffron to scarlet
her faded blue eyes full OF intent
rapture.
as 1t true? A letter for meme
And I've waited for it all these years
All-these--yearsl'
She hid II under her shawl cast . de
cant look around at the ueighbors
-