The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-06-14
A LITTLE POST GIRL.
The Trouble a Love Letter Made
for Her.

most at the same time, before the post
office at Denville, and out of each
clambered d little girl. The ground
was breaking up" after long. severe
winter. and as a warm rain had been
falling for several days, the roads
were almost impossible, so that the
two children had to wade through the
deep mud before they met at the door.
The Younger entered first, and, run
ming forward, exclaimed:
There's a letter in Miss Dorian's
box
Yes; but you know very well. May
West. that she doesn't want us to get
her mail Saturdays answered the
other.
well, I'm going to take it this Sat
urday: for it's so bad out, teacher will
never come down to-day. and I'll give
it to her the first thing Monday" May
declared.
Her feelings may be better under
stood when it is explained that these
two girls took turns on school days in
going for Miss Dorian's mail. At the
beginning of the fall term there had
been some rivalry in the district school
as to who should gS to the post office
at noon recess for the new teacher.
who seemed eager to get her letters.
The honor had at last. by common con-
sent, been yielded to May and Anna,
and these two girls had fairly earned
the right by their devotion and zeal,
which took them on their errand in
the face of bitter cold or driving rain.
ID
lightful, the other children might be
enjoying in the playground
Had the post office not been quite
out of her way as, tired with the days
teaching, Miss Dorian walked up the
long hill to her boarding place, she
would doubtless have called for her
own mail. for she felt that neither of
her young messengers could know how
precious to her were many of the let
tiers they brought. What all the chill
dren did know was that their teacher
was going to marry Mr.. Allen. the
young man who came out from New
York to see her and who sometimes
came to the school, and Anna at least
was old enough to guess that the hand
writing she saw so frequently on Miss
Dorian's envelope was his. Seven-year-
old May only knew that she would
rather suffer almost any misfortune
than lose one of the teachers letters,
and was more proud of her trust than
anyone could imagine. Yet Anna,
who was several years older. often said
that Miss Dorian would be sorry some
day she had permitted such baby to
fetch her mail.
Until the morning that Anna and
May met in the post office, however, all
went we'll Then it did not occur to
either of the girls that Miss Dorian
might be expecting the very letter
they were discussing, and they did not
know that in a letter May had handed
her teacher a few days before Mr..
Allen had written:
If you don't hear from me- Friday. go to the
post office Saturday morning ready to take the
1910 train. You will find note there telling
you where to meet me-
That is why, half an hour after May
had put the letter in her pocket and
started home, Miss Dorian entered the
post office. and then came out, looking
puzzled and disappointed.
Il suppose he isn't going, Alice, she
said to the friend who had driven her
down; IF he We're he surely would have
written me-" but as she took her seat
in the buggy, and the horse splashed
away throwing little mud balls over
both ladies, Miss Dorians face was
troubled. That day and Sunday passed
slowly for the teacher. The man she
asked to stop for her mail Saturday
evening brought word there was moth
ing in her box. and the more she
thought of it the less she could under
stand it.
Mr.. Allen had expected to leave New
York Saturday to be gone several
weeks on business which had called
him to Chicago, and Miss Dorian had
arranged to 90 to the city to see him
off AS you know, the letter May in
sisted upon taking told when and
where to meet hinA If the little girl
could only have known this! But how
could she?
Monday morning May came very
near being late to school. On the way
one OF her overshoes came off in the
mud, and it was hard to get on again.
So it was only by running until she
was out of breath that she managed to
slip into her seat just before Miss Do
rian tapped her bell and began to call
the roll. May felt of the letter in her
pocket and longed to give it to her
teacher, but thought she would wait
until the names were finished.
just then Miss Dorian said: Anna
Dent" and Anna. holding up her hand,
answered: Present, and please, May
West has a letter of yours
Mays name was last. and after a low
present was spoken. there was
pause. The little girl sat still, her eyes
bent on her desk. She could not make
up her mind to go forward with the let
ter. What would the teacher and all
the scholars think?" she asked herself.
at was too mean of Anna-too mean!
just as though she had forgotten
She felt one moment as though she had
done something wrong, deceitful, and
the next she told herself she had not.
Miss Dorian looked at her inquiringly.
Come here, May She said. May came
slowly forward, and held out the let
ter. Not one word could she utter.
Frightened and angry, her love for
L Il IL