Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-07-13
STOLEN LOVE
LETTERS.

The postmaster at Chelsea station
had Il conscience, Of course. Every
body has The public servants into
whose hands the governments postal
affairs are intrusted are not generally
/. credited with being the possessors OF
ouch an inconvenicnt article. but the
worthy official of the aforementioned
point was an exception to the rule.
i An explanation of that statement
may be given by telling you that not
only was Silas Gardiner the distributor
Of the mails, but a deacon in the Bap-
fist Church as Well so, although the
same conscience was composed OF
many ingredients that also are consti-
tucnt parts of Indian rubber, and al
though it ofttimes became so elastic
as to allow of his reading postal cards
letters not securely sealed and SO forth,
] we may be sure that never was he
guilty Of such an offense without ex-
! periencing many severe twinges OF
| that troublesome monitor.
| One Thursday there came an unusual
| ly strong temptation. The 4 o'clock
mail came in, bringing a letter that
sent the blood surging in crimson
waves over Postmaster Gardeners face
/ and made his heart beat against its
/ prison like q trip-hammer.
| 1t was not 4 very important looking
| letter; just a small, square white en-
! velope addressed in an even business
hand, but it was the name that pro
! duced the postmastcr's paroXysm of
I curiosity. 1t was no remarkable thing
L f,r r ~, l, A.,
cipient Of letters, but never before had
she received one in the free, dashing
hand that graced the envelope that lay
before him. He well knew that, for
not q miSsive for Miss Darrell had
passed through the office that he had
not examined the writing closely
Through the long hours of the even
ing while the neighbors had congregat-
| cd in the little room there was 4 con-
1lict in the postmasters mind Like
solve the question: ITO be or not to
| be- ITO do or not to do" BY $40
i the little room was deserted Securely
| fastening the outer door and the one
| communicating with the sitting-room
| of his sisters family, the postmaster
| removed the oil lamp from it's acclls-
toned place on the bracket on the wall
| to his desk in the corner and once
| more took up MilIicent's letter
He held it up to the light; he put it
back in box No. Is; he took it up and
looked at it again, and then carefully
broke the seal and removed the closely
written sheets from their covering.
He looked at them q few minutes as
| they lay there exposed to view as if
wondering how he dared to be so bold
But the Rubicon was crossed; there
was no rereating, and he pushed cour-
. ageouSly forward and read Miss Mill
cents letter.
The postmastcr's life had always been
very prosaic Thee was one thing in
his remembrance that had ever shed
4 roscate glow over the commonplace,
monotonouS eNpanSc Of years that he
had lived through. and that was an
unayoWcd affection for Millicent Oar
rell. He had worshiped her from affair
when they had gone to school together
at the little red brick house ut the foot
of tile hill Time mad but served to
strengthen this childish devotion.
Through youth and the first years of
manhood She had been his star of Beth
lehen. as it We're, fully as unlpproach-
able as though she had i'll reality oc-
cupied in a world far beyond the sphere
wherein lie dWelt.
She may have been aware of the hom-
age that was hers. but had given no
encouragement to the admirer, who was
too faint-hearted to give expression to
his regard by word or sign, but who
hopelessly waited for some one else to
win the prize that he 50 much valued.
But for reasons best known to herself
alone, Miss Darrell preferred life of
Eingl. blesSednesS to one of double
Wretc1ednesS, and passed coptentedly
and comfortably into Il state of old
maidenhood, and the postmaster set
tied down into a chronic. lovelorn mel
ancholy, from which comatose condi-
ton he was partially aroused. now and
then, by the thought that she might
yet change her mind and honor some
unfortunate being with her heart and
hand.
SO that was the situation when Miss
Darrell went down to the seashore one
summer to visit her brother Silas
GARDENERS heart was filled with mis-
givingS during her absence, lest what
he had long feared should come to pass.
1t was about Il week after h a. return
in the autumn, that the carrier brought
the letter, the very appearance of which
was sufficient to produce such agitation
In his breast, and a per,sal Of when
confirmed his instructive heliaf in some
cntangling alliance. That night, as he
read and reread the words that We're
Intended for Miss Millicant's eyes alone,
hls heart grew heavy, for every line
breathed forth an unmistakable deyo-
ton, which. Judging by the frequent
illusions to future happiness, was not
unrequited.
1t was near morning when he COM
pleted his deliberations over the letter
and carefully located it in seldom-rsed
compartment of his desk. The next
day Miss Darrell drove over to the Of
flee with her niece and namesake, who
had accompanied her on her return to
Chelsea Station, and inquired for mail
AT the disappointment rs that alp"
with which botlf-ladfes receip I'd the con
tents of Box No. Is, 4 wave Of re-
pentance rolled over the postnaster's
soul and the letter Secreted in his Dri- |
yate desk appeared before him like IN
accusing angel.
During the next few weeks letters |
came for Miss Darrell on an average of |
once Il day-letters whose tone ranged I
through the various phases Of human
passion, from most tender affection to
extreme anger al their failure to elicit |
a reply, and each, as it arrived was
read by Mr. Gardiner with sort of /
grim satisfaction and deposited with |
its predecessors.