Evening star., 1896-08-15
THE YELLOW ENVELOPE,
Z W
Fred. L. Cowles, in "Sb9rt Stories"

It was in what the picturesque srav.
haired clerks now too often term 1.-The good
old spoils days." in, the departmental SER
vice at Washington. He was not much
more than a boy when he came to US, and
was assigned to desk next to mine. He
| had come from some impossible place away
out west, "just to knock off the corners
little" he said to me in burst of conf
! dence, truly westerns Warranted by our one
hour acquaintance. Got tired of being
hemmed in by the old mountains, you
| know. not seeing the sun more than four
| hours day, when it's directly overhead
| always lived out west, never east of the
| Missouri river before; just wanted to see
| what it's like to live In the east awhile:
| going back next spring to develop the Gen.
| Grant mine that I've an interest in;
| wouldn't live here longer than SIX months
| for the White H0ase.'
He was frank, winning boy-a little
wild at times, but we liked him none the
| less for that, for he was always so repent
ant in the abasement of the next days
headache. He did chatter a good deal, it's
| tue; told slangy stories, and 1 am afraid
| our efficiency record suffered, both in
"amount of work done"' and Correctness"
from listening to them-but, then, his
that is more than could 81 for the army
| stories of Col. Mixsell, whose desk was on
my right; he, the colonel. was apt to be a
little prosy at times from mixing humor
| with pessimistic philosophy.
| The two rows of desks in which ours
were located had been dubbed intellectual
| row. by envious clerks on the other side
| of the room, because IN our leisure mo-
| rents we had chiefly discussed and specu-
| lated upon impersonal subjects. but with
| the advent of our young friend, John Brad
| ford, or as he preferred to be called, Jack
| Bradford, intellectual row soon degenerated
| into fresh alley"
| "They are always going back next spring
| or next fall,' the colonel remarked musing-
| ly, as he saw Jack rushing out at luncheon
| time to find that place where you can get
| a bully plate of raws fer 10 cents. better
than we get cut home for six bits!' "They
| all say that, but they don't go; it's to-
morrow that never comes they're like the
lotus eaters, gradually they lose the incli-
| nation, finally the strength. They stay
here. on and On, until they die-or get the
yellow envelope that contains their dis
missal. He went go back IN the spring the
rext spring or the spring after that; his in
| f1uence is too good; he'll stay here as long
| as he can; see II he don.t!' L made no re-
Ely. He not talking to me- besides
| the boy.
There is no doubt that for some time af
| ter Jack came among US the grind didn't
seem so hard: his optimism seemed infec-
| tious; he worked as fast as he talked. and
| seemed to regard 1t as pastime; never gos
| tired or blue.
| 1 soon leal ned from him a great many
| things that I lad Only thought of in a
vague way before; how mines were located.
| the working of silver mills, that Noble
| Red Men, would lie, steal and eheg., and
| were very very dirty. l became deeply in
| terested in the Rough and Ready hook and
| ladder team of Goldburg. of which Jack
| had been foreman when they won the sill
| yer champion belt at the territorial tourna-
ment In the unparalleled time of twenty-six
| and half seconds. Think of 1t! they ran
| 800 yards 500 feet-I am not sure which
| he said. but 1t was long way-with a
heavy truck. from which they snatched a
of the road, started a man from the ground
| and his hand touched the top ruHg In twen
| ty-six and a half seconds! Magnificent.
! wasn't it? Yes, Jack would go back and
| tell the boys just how far behind the
times the effete east was. Col. Mixsell
doubted 1t, bat 1 was sure of it, and l was
| glad that he had come; itaWould prove an
| interesting experience to him; besides. yes
| he was little rough in places, as he had
| said, and little rounding and polishing
might do him good in Mamie's eyes. Ma
| mie-I had come to know her, too. from
| him. She was a. good little girl. with big
the PRESBYTERIAN Church r. rs Goldburs; hoss she
looking SO handsome e., IN ne me noneg g,'s sun OF
| most fashionable tailor. Jack was to keep
! straight for two years: he promised her
| that year ago; land. by George he had
q,
| lapses thai like Rip Van Wrinkles, didn't
count.
I In a short time he had to "do" society,
"1ust to write her about it, you know.
She's read. good deal about. receptions
and the like. but my letters make them
seem different. somehow. Not so wicked
as she imagined. Wicked! well I should
say they amt. They are nothing but
church sociables at masquerade. 1
wouldn't go to the blamed things II 1t
wasn't for the pretty gir1s-and the punch.
They generally have whole raft OF nice
looking girls; but I haven't seen any as
pretty as Msmfe, excepting, maybe. Misss
Rignold.' Then, there was an exception.
! sorry to hear that But she helped
gay and happy: that was something. IT
would please Mamie when Jack told her
about it next spring: at least thought 1t
would, and said as much to Jack. He re-
sive shrug Of the shoulders. do not
know what he meant exactly" as never
studied foreign languages, and we turn
foreign letters over to the translators
desk; but l suppose he agreed with that
view of it.
1t was in June when Strengthened up
my desk-by locking up penholders. pencils.
paper-weights and other portable articles,
p1 eparatory to going away on my annual
leave-that I mentioned to Jack how sorry
would be to find another man at his desk
when I came back. and how much I would
miss him. He laughed. little constrain-
edly, I thought. and said. well, old man,
I guess 1 won't say goodbye just yet: the
fact Is, have concluded to stay and take
a course at law school"
I am afraid that was the moment when
my confidence in him was first shaken
yes. 1t was distinct shock, and l could
not help murmuring, But, Jack-Mamie-
what does she think Of that? does she
consent to have you stay away SO long?"
Perhaps I should not have said 80 much,
but I could not help thinking OF her dis
appointment and feeling sorry for her.
He evaded the question, and gave me less
of his confidence after that.
Well, he went through law school, but 1t
was drag upon him.. any one could see
that: he did not take an honor, and must
own that did not expect him to.
was at the commencement exercises
the night he graduated. and for moment
l was again proud of him when he stepped
forth to receive his diploma: surely he will
go back to Mamie and his old home now,
thought. But he did not
He was at his desk the next morning,
looking little seedy, which he explained
was from celebrating his freedom
Fresh alley had now lost Its title. for
there was nothing distinctive about It, as
Jack had become much the same as the
rest of us. At times he weuld be depressed.
then we knew he was in debt and again
he was facetious and happy, and then we
knew no was in love. M
Six times had the sweet magnolia in La