The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-12-31
THE P0STYISTRESS.
Strange Romance Of the English
Countryside.

The postofice was little bit OF an iron
house, police hut dating. perhaps, from
troubled times. There was piece OF deal
across it for counter, and behind that
shelves and pigeon-holes for the stamps and
modest supply of stationery and post cards
which the village of Gurtnalacken required.
The postmistress was a brown-eyed, clear
skinned woman. She was very shorf-sghted,
and that gave her eyes look OF question,
look of wonder, which made her face youth
full and innocent, although she was no longer
a young woman. Her eyes seemed to ask
constantly "When? when ?" aud any one
coming toward her at little distance made
her pale with expectation. She would peer
at you with parted lips rs you came up her
way, and then when she recognized you rs
Tom or Larry of her daily life. her air Of ex-
citement would settle to a dull languor. as If
it were but one of many disappointments
She lived in cottage in the village, which,
after all. was not so far, once you rounded
the turn. but from the postofiioe, looking
down from its rough hill path over acres of
stones and powders to little rust-colored
rivulet in the rvine, there was no sign OF
human habitation.
The postmisiress had stayed late at the
Office. She liked the loneliness of her glen,
and was sorry that she could not make her
home there, but the iron hut was only pro-
vided for sentry on duty. and there was no
sleeping accommodation within Its four gray
walls. She picked her scanty bit OF dinner
there, taking scarcely more than would keep
a bird alive, but her breakfast she had at her
lodgings in the village, and her supper when
she returned at night. She would not have
been afraid to walk back to the village alone
NOT she. There was nothing more terrible
to be met with than the black-faced mountain
sheep. The dark shadows cast by the
powders did not trouble her. She was inno-
cent and unafraid. Tonight Larry, the boy
who used to run with the bay over seven
miles of brown bog twice day to intercept
her maiesty's mails at Muiia Cross, had come
to escort her home, but she had not needed
him.
She looked tired as she set the place in
order, took the key from an upper shelf, and
turned out the light 1t was no wonder she
was tired. So many years she had been
waiting for letter that never came. Every
day when the bag came in, her heart would
begin 10 beat with dull, heavy throhs, fore
seeing its own disappointment. Every night
ere she slept she woald whisper courage to
herself. since no one knew what the ncx day
little biithe because of the same expectation.
Many years of disappointment had not taught
her hopelessness
She turned the key in the door and locked
it, and stepped into the dark night. Larry
was trotting along companionably on his
bare feet There was light up in the castle
yonder over the wood and the sea- Old
Lady Conyers was dying there-a proud, IN
solent old woman, who had held that the
world was for her castle and her creed, and
who now, perhaps with anazement, found
herself called upon to die like any clown Of
them all
A man was stepping up the mountain road
toward them. 1t was too dark to see his face,
but his step stirred in Mary's. heart wild,
irrational hope. A moment more, and his
shoulders loomed darkly. shoulders wider
than most men IS; and the man stopped.
Mary stopped too, with 4 sudden qlictness
now that the thing she had been expecting
all these years had happened.
"Mary." he said, in a low voice.
g 1t is you, Godfrey, at last"
ut is at last, Mary"
Go on little way, Larry, and wait for
me while speak to my friend"
The urchin trotted away into the darkness,
and the man and woman were left facing
each other. He did net offer to take her
hand, and she scarcely felt that she expected
it. She looked up at him in a puzzled way.
g knew your step, and your voice l
should never have known your face"
You were never good at seeing Mary.
1t is 25 years since we said good-by,
Mary Many things change in that time"
g / have not changed.
"No You have thought Of me morning
and night You have lived in the hope Of
hearing of me again. You became postmis-
tress when old Mrs. Barry died. SO that if a
letter came you would be the first to handle
it.n
"How did you know"
No matter; I knew. You might have
been a happy woman, with home and love,
with a man to work for you, and children on
your bosom. And you gave it all up for me.
And after we had parted at Cratloe Bridge |
made no sign nor token for 25 years You
were not wise, Mary"
IF it were to do over again, should do
it.''
You have no regrets, then?"
She lifted her eyes to him, and they were
full of light. She held out her hands, but
the darkness perhaps hid them from him. for
he made no movement to take them.
81 would rather have had you for an hour,
and afterward the years Of loneliness and
longing, than have married man of my own
people and been happy with him."
You kept our secret well, Mary"
"Vcry we'll. None ever suspected it.
Our one Summer in the caves and the islands
was our own. Scandal has never touched
me- None ever knew that had gentleman
for my lover, and he the widest of the wild
Conyers."
81 have come a long way to look on your
face. Mary-a long, long way. / thought
had forgotten you, that had drowned your
eyes in tn ;e years when / lived and snned.
But never forgot you; you were the one
woman for me; l was an unhappy and
doomed wretch the hour shut you out of my
life"
'.At your mothers bidding"
The man started
"My mother! I was forgetting. She is
dying now, and l should be with her. You
know she is dying?"
''They said this morning she would not
last the night Good-by, Godfrey"
"Good-by, Mary. We shall meet again. :"
He went off quickly in the direction of the
| light among the trees, and Mary went
| soberly on toward the village. Little Larry
| stole ont from the shadows Of the hedge and
shvered.
"'Tis late, miss. My mother'n think
| we're lost"
"Wc shall soon be home now. You saw
| the gentleman. Larry?"
81 saw some one, miss The night il
powerful dark Half the time I could ha