The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-01-21

0ON thing to be proud of.
w. Not that she was
sixty-four, but that at sixty-four she
looked not a day over forty.eight, and
a blooming forty.eight at that.
True, her hair was silver, but what
n waving wealth of silveri And it was
not sent to soften wrinkles either.
She wore as many Of those ornaments
as it is legitimate to wear at forty
eight, and no more. On, she vas GER.
tainly a wonderful woman for her age,
was Mrs. Joseph Allestree!
Quaint, indeed, she appeared, par
ticularly on q certain evening. stand
ing in the old square portico, with
the sun shining straight under the
trees into her face.
The house at her back was low and
long. 1t stood endwise to the hazy
little river that flowed at the foot of
the abruptly sloping lawn. On the
side, at the end OF q long, shady ave.
nue., was n gate with an old fashioned
wooden arch over it, concealed by
vines.
1t was toward this gate that Mrs.
.Allestree looked, leaning forward
eagerly, like q girl, one hand shield.
ing her eyes from the level sunbeams.
She wore white-think of her daring
to wear white! She was watching for
Joseph. He had gone down to Stone
ton-only a mile distant-for the post
at 5 o'clock. That was two hours ago.
Joseph did love dearly to gossip with
the old farmers and shopkeepers. but
he really ought to remember dinner
time.
But Joseph had not forgotten his
dinner. At this very minute the gate
opened and his little gig rolled in,
followed by three enthusiastic dogs
o st. Bernard and two red settlers.
Mr.. Allestree, after embracing his
wife as if he had just returned from n
years journey, went in with her to
dinner, and Mr., Allestree was -but I
will not descriJa-him; simply he was
everything that the husband of Mrs.
Allestree should have been. Forty.
two years had gone by since their
marriage and in all that time they had
never been separated a single day.
"Dearest," sald Mr.. Allestree as
they sat down, II owe you an apology
for my hardness, but it couldn't be
helped. l got a letter calling me
away on an important matter, and I
had to stop to attend to some things in
the village. must 60 Immediately
tomorrow"
ooh, that Perley affair" she said,
glancing over the page. "But, Joseph,
can't you put it off? Remember, the
Kennedys are coming in the morning
to stay over Sunday"
81 cannot, Henrietta. It's got to
be attended to at once"
"But, Joseph, you can't 90 without
me. You know you never did such q
thing"
~ a.1:n afraid ] must do it this time"
he replied, m%ournfully.
They sat in silence for some minutes.
Twice Mrs. Allestree wiped away a sly
tear with her napkin. At length,
bravely assuming q cheerful aspect,
she asked: GLOW long will you be
gomez"
81 can't possibly reach London, ac-
complish all / want to and get home
again IN less than ten days"
"Joseph, it will kill us both"
"Ah, no, my DEAR" he laughed !;
"it won't quite do thai. At least, l
hope not. 1t will be very, very hard.
But think, my love, We were apart five
long years once on a time"
"Ah, Joseph" with q sob in her
voice, ''that was before we had ever
lived together. We only knew each
other by letter, you know"
"And a mighty comfort did we take
out Of those same letters. Isn't it
strange that in two and forty years we
should never have had occasion to
write to one another? Not since you
were Henrietta Shower"
"It is a singular circumstance" she
replied. "Yes, we can write. Do
you know, Joseph, the thought of it
already consoles me q little. 1t will
be such a delightful novelty"
1t was q good thing for Mrs. Allies
tree that she expected visitors. But
after the guests had departed her con-
dition was pitiable. Especially as no
letter had come.
Mr.. Allestree had gone away early
on Saturday. Now it vas Tuesday.
She had managed to be patient over
the Sabbath, but on Monday morning,
when Jimmy came up from Stoneton
empty handed, she had refused to be.
lieve that he had not dropped the let
ter or that the postmaster had not
overlooked it.
There were only two deliveries in
the twenty four hours, and at the
evening the same performance was re-
peated.
On Tuesday Mrs. Allestree went her
self to Stoneton and delivered a severe
lecture to the postmaster upon gen.
eral Indifference of Government of.
t%icials, thereby greatly annoying the
uonr man