The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-01-16
THE P0STMiSTRESS.


Great White canyon. Mary Werner
pulIed down the little window of the
po.toffice of which she was mistress,
sven; the contents of the narrow coun-
ter into a drawer, which she locked;
then pinning broad leaved hat above
the brown curls that clustered about
her brow she passed out Of her log cab
in into the fresh, sweet, evening air.
As she reached the low fence which
ran before her house a hurried foot
step sounded through the gathering
gloom. ami mans voice said:
is that you, Mary, my girl? You
look little more than a ghost under the
shadow of those bushes
The cirl-young and slender and
graceful a. a fawn-ran out into the
lonely road.
You've kept your promise, dearest,
and come 10 see me," /" she cried rs she
threw herself into the arms of her low
or.
Reuben Halse kissed the red lips so
frankly offered him before he spoke
"Yes, Mary, I've kept my promise,
bnt I've come TO say goodbye. J"
"Goodbye-goodbye? You're going
away? You're going to leave me-your
sweetheart-your wife that Is TO be-
She clasped her arms closely about
him and trembled like leaf
NY dear little girl, don't cry
don't grieve. You've been my sweet
heart. faithful and true, but We can
never marry"
The strong mans voice broke and
died into silence.
$50 On. Tel me the worst," sob
bed the girl in his arms.
Listen, dear. You know that late
ly things have gone wrong with me.
The bit of money I've saved for our
wedding in the fall was stolen, and
then the cabin I'd built for you down
bv the Blue Pools was bIrnt. Still
there was the farm stock and your lit
lie purse of savings, and-oi, Mary,
how can / tell your
Mary drew apart from her lover and
steadied her trembling form against the
garden fence.
"Some one has robbed you Of the
money gave You. Oh, my poor boy.'
She stretched forth her pittying hands
toward the msa before her, who only
bowed his head and shufIied his feet in
the thick white dust.
"Tell me, Reuben; tell me how it
happened. Ah, surely you are not
thinking | shall blame you for such i
misfortuner' and once again she crept
To his side.
But Reuben thrust her from him.
Twas no misfortune. Twas a
crime. Your little savings, those few
coins you have starved and scraped to
keep, lie there
He pointed with his lean, brown
hand down the canyon to where, amid
a dense mass of foliage, few lights
twinkled.
Mary staggered.
Down there? At Ffo'iott's?n
AYE, lass-at Ffolliott's, / lost il all
at faro last night"
For moment no sound but the
evening breeze whispering among the
creepers and bushes and the harsh note
OF a night bird broke the silence. Then
a woman's voice tender and low and
full of tears, murmured, ''Rube, dear
Rube, forgive YOU
Reuben Halse flung his arms above
his head and gave bitter cry.
Don't, Mary, don't. I'd rather you
would strike me-"
The stars twinklej their diamond
ewes on the man and the girl as they
SAID farewell, for Reuben had settled to
leave the canyon that night.
''BilI Reifern, One-Eyed Sammy
and Joe the PortUgese are going too.
We are all broke and may as well
starve out there and he waved his
hand toward the wide forest land of
Arizona, a. in this canyon here. Don!
sob 80, my girl. You'll break my
heart. | am not worth q tear from
your pretty eyes or a choke in your
white throat. But, Mary, you might
pray for me some time, and when
you're married 70 a good chap is don't
70 20 Ffoliiott's and neglect his farm
for the tables and the bar think of me,
who loved you, bat was not worthy to
have you.n
one kiss ON her brow, then clatter-
ing Of gailoping hoofs, and Mary Yer
ner was free to go back into her log
cabin and sob out her heart until the
dawn.
Reuben Halse and his companions
had been gone from the Great White
canyon for a week. Mary's checks,
never very full of color, had grown
pale and heavy, and blue lines beneath
her large eyes told of sleepless nights
and many tears.
let Paul Harding, Beauty Paul, as
he was called in the canyon, thought
he had never seen Mary look 80 lovely
as he clattered up 10 the door of the
postOfiice one morning and asked the
young postmistrlss If there was any
thing for him.
He watched with his handsome dark
eyes, her small, white fingers 90
through the letters on the counter be-
fore her
But she finally shook her head.
Nothing to-day"
Yet PAU seemed loath To 20. He
pulled his long, tawny mustache, jim
gied his spurred boots upon the floor
and continued to stare through the
pigeonhole window at the girl as she
fitted about nor usual business.
Anything can do for you?' she
asked presently.
NO" Paul said slowly, taking III
every detail Of the girls pretty figure,
clad in a cotton frock Of gcntian blue
''But might l speak to you one minute
privately"
you can say what you have got to
say where you are"
lie stared silently, first at his boots,
and as his eyes wandered up the lity
on the snowy shelves Of bright and