The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-23
THE MAIL CARRIER.

Colorado. Nothing could tempt Miss Van
Laer out until the mail came, and she had
been looking from her window for some
time before the sound of a shrill whistle,
followed by an intermittent beat of hoofs,
announced the carriers approach. Dave,
stillman clattered i'm on the board walk
and drew rein. The girl came down the
path with rustic of skirt and airy grace OF
motion, and, though she smiled and called
out gay igood morning, :" the carrier,
without as much as touching the sornbrero
which darkened his face, merely held out
some letters and answered the greeting
briefly.
The mail was glanced over quickly, and
the girl showed no iIRpatience to break
single seal. When she looked up under
the sombrsro again, the sun danced 30
sparkingly in her eyes that she raised
hand to shade them and thus caught more
distinctly the expression on Dawes face.
1t was peculiarly Unconditional, much as
though contempiative image sat upon
the face of a man who has lived long on
the prairie.
/ tWhat an air Of leisurep she cried.
"Have you no more mail to deliyerP"
Eyes. mistress, yes--three bags full"
Dave spoke in tone of singsong recita-
tive, and the girl laughed merrily. "You
are a black sheep, them" she inquired.
II shan'b tell you. You danced with
me last night, you know Dawes con-
templative eyes had lighted up, and he
pushed his sombrero back on his head.
He even smiled, and the effect was almost
transforming.
.lfswell, perhaps you'd better not tell me,
for enjoyed that dance" There was
omen. hight hearted challenge in the girls
look, ana quick, daring light in the
mans eyes responded. He started to
speak, but closed his lips suddenly and
only remarked, "It was pretty good
party, wasn't it?" Yet through every
drop of blood in his body Dave remember
ed that dance. It's brief duration marked
for him al, experience almost painfully
exquisite. That sweet, bewildering, tan
talizing mystery Of womanhood which
stood laughing there before him, as free
and elusive now as the wind which pulled
at her skirts and rufaed her hair, had been
last night thing caught and held; the
sweetness of her within touch, the mys-
tery ard the bewilderment, felt with a
piercing nearness almost unbearable. The
broncho, as the reins jerked suddenly,
started forward, but was promptly refined
in. "I'll be around for you tomorrow
afternoon, Dave said, and then the dust
of his making rose rudely about the girl.
She looked after him with quizzical brows
uplifted She was thinking: "Well, he's
a typical character, at all events. He'll
do capitally" Some changing mood drift
ed over her face but she seemed to drive
it away with a disdainful "Pshaw" and
walked smilingly toward the town.
Las Arras was place of interest to
Miss Van Laer because of what she termed
it's "local coloring," for the girl, though
she had done little as yet, had literary as
pirations and was determined to find, be-
sides health, material for her pen in Las
Arras. The editor Of New York paper
had already accepted an article describing
the place itself and had suggested that she
send him a sketch of some typical charao-
ter. Now, as she walked, the mind Of
Miss Van Laer was so full Of the subject
of, this sketch that when she returned
home she sat down and wrote it.
In beginning her work she frowned, and
even blushed, though there was none to
see. She said to herself: Nonsense, there
is no question of loyalty. I will describe
him as he seemed to me at first. Besides
no one who reads it will ever see him."
Although something Of a caricature, the
sketch when finished was unmistakable.
1t described the mail carrier of Las Arras,
and to make him stand out the more clear
" as a type some of Dawes characteristics
were exaggerated trife--small inacou-
racies of speech and certain crudeness OF
manner He really danced well, but it
was far more typical Of the place to repre-
sent him as awkward, since almost every
one else at the ball had been. To help her
work she lived over again the dance with
him, and her cheeks were crimson as she
drove the pen ahead But the mail carrier
stood out at last, with picturesque per-
sonality beyond any other, and the sketch
was posted before nightfall.
The next day was Sunday, and Dave
came as he had promised, with a rough
aoAd wagon to take Miss Van Laer driving
ufsr the prairie s'Just as If we were
ranch people, the girl had suggested, and
she even wore q sunbonnet exactly like
those she had seen the ranch people wear
when they drove to town in their great
white covered wagons. She had borrowed
1t of her landlady and it in nowise de-
tracted from her charm. Dave looked into
it's depth without comment, but he was
very happy
Dave Stillman was not talkative man,
but something in those happy eyes which
shone from the depths Of the old sunbon-
net drew him out of himself. He told the
girl some of his mining and ranching ex-
periences, and of the long illness which
had led to his present work. "That fever
leftlme fit for nothing but carrying mail, !"
ne said, but I'm all right now and am
going to strike out again for myself. And
when 1 make my pile I'm going back
east. 3"
Miss Van Laer started. "Going back
cast Why, where is your homer"
"In Boston. Never would guess it,
would you?'' He laughed heartily. "Well,
the life I've led does roughen a man up
some, suppose. Don't know that any of
my old classmates would know me even"
Ibid you go to Harvard" the girl
asked hesitaringly.
Yes, I graduated ten years ago and
came out hers as a mining engineer The
mining seensstl sure thing then, and l
,z,oe ,nol,ipr5 s,1onav CO saved mn and