The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-25

was standing at his window talking to him
self He had found q letter in the drop
box that had no stamp, ard he was properly
impatient, if not indignant, as all weil-regu-
lated officials should be under such cifcum-
stances.
Goodness knowsr' he exclaimed, address
ing that "other party" who hides III .
shady place in the self-consciousness OF all
Of u.s. goodness knows, | wish folks WoulG
find out that letter cant so through the
mails without a stamp on II. Here's one
to Eustace Maxwell, Boston, Mass. No
stamp on II, and il might well be directed
to the North pole. III stick it in the box
here, and if somebody don't claim it and
put q. stamp on it, I'll send it to the dead
letter Office before the weeks out You
can't beat sense in some folks's heads
subj exclaimed Uncle Cato, who was
standing directly under the window.
The worthy postmaster gave little jump,
the sound was so unexpected. ThAz he
laughed.
Nothing" he said TO the old negro; 81
was just making a speech to myself"
''Yasser!' said Uncle Cato, with JUNCTION.
The postmaster placed the dereliCt letter
in a conspicuous place on TIE board and
went into the back part of his store. Uncle
Cato stood at the window as if rejecting.
His hat WAS still Off. lie held something
between his thumb and forctinger, and he
divided his Siances between that object and
the hole III which letters were dropped
Then ne chucklcd:
Il sot down out yander," he said in an
ar2umont3tiVe way, AN gun fer ter
scratch my head, and bless gracious!
ft und dis yer stamp stickin' de ba' place
[ boun' ef de letter man had seed it
stickin' dar he'd rammed me in de mail
bag an a sent me off some rs ! dunner
how de stamp sliclied off'n dat ar letter an
turnt a somerset an got sucked on my
head Yit dar she WIZ, shot,
He paused a moment, looking sideWise at
I. : III
III ger.
Il wish comebodyd run here an tell me
how use gwine ter git dis yer stamp on
dat ar letter what | drapped in dar. Well,
Suh III jest Grap 'er i'll dc hole Whar l
drapped de letter at an boun dcy'H git TO-
gedder. Dem ar folk what totes de mail
ought ter know marsters han write, an eff
Gey do, de letter don't need no stamp, not
is dish state err Georgy. Deyn des take
an sem it long. anyhow"
Uncle Cato bet0oll himself across the
square to the courthouse yard, whore he
stretched himself at full length on the soft
Bermuda grass, and was soon sound asleep.
The little town seemed to follow his ex-
ample. The Jay birds ceased to quarrel
IN the china trees, and the two or three
Older citizens who made it daily habit
10 gather il the shade of these same trees
sat ilstless and limp. Discussion had ceas-
cu Tor the time being, and the silence would
nave been unbroken but for the occasional
'11Ud Oh d HofSe'S bOOf against the walls of
d stable behind the tavern, and even this
turbing.
Ciily three persons in the village were oc-
cri'ieu' MI OTIS the young man from Bos-
'oi' was writing a letter 10 the gentleman
VINO hau acted as trustee OF his fathers
estate. II he had looked from the window
" MS nome he could have seen Mr. Beas-
icy III ms oibce under the odd Fellows
nan Mil'lils letter to the Eustace Max
nei Coi1p4hy' OF Boston On another side
OF the public square Mr.. Woodruff sat nG1Ir
ing over his memorandum book, prepar-
Ing TO make out the accounts Of General
Bushrod Herndon
a htte later IN the afternoon there was
more movement in the VILLAGE. The ser
wants at the tavern began to sti1, il, a list
less way. A negro from some Of tho store
went to the pubic well and sent tbo hucka+
down with rattle and CHATTER that sound
ed like horse running away with a naron
Then he drew the bucket up SLOWLY and
deliberately, the windlass groanine and
shrieking il its sockets at every turn A
red-speckled calf, that had somehow achiev-
ed it's liberty, went careering down the
street, it's tail lifted sigh. A lver-colored
pointer started to give it chase but thought
better Of it. A mule-it was Burreu Win