The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1899-06-17

not known, but It was not until it was
rumorcd that, in consequence Of the
excessive Cow Of business the depart
ment had concluded that postmaster
would be better fitted for the place that
Il abated, and n compromise was eff
footed with the general Office by per
manent salary TO the postmistress.
Such was the history Of Mrs. Baker.
who had Just finished her afternoon
lcvee, nodded smiling "good-by" tc
her last customer and closed her shutter
again. Then she took up her own let
tiers, but before reading them glanced
with pretty impatience at the two Of
fieiHi envelopes addressed 10 herself
which she had shelved They were gem
orally lot Of new rules KY or notid-
cations, or absurd questions which
had nothing to do with Laurel Run, and
only bothered her and ''made her head
ache" and she had usually referred
them to her ndmiring neighbor at lick
ory Hill for explanation, who had gem
orally returned them to her with the
brief Endorsement: 'Purp stuff; don't
bother or Hog wash; let itslide. She
remembered now that he had not re-
turned the two last With knitted
brows and a slight pout she put aside
her private correspondence and tore
open the first one. 1t referred with Of
fetal curtness to an unanswered com.
munication Of the previous week, and
was compelled to remind her Of rule
d." Again those horrid rulesl She
opened the others; the frown deepened
on her brow, and became fixed.
It was summary of certain valuable
money letters that Ind miscarried on
the route, and Of which they had given
her previous information. For q mo-
Incnt her checks blazed How dare
they; what did they mean? Her way
bills and register were always right;
she know the names Of every man,
woman and child in her district; no
such names as those borne by the miss
ing letters had ever existed at Laurel
lsun; no such addresses had ever been
sent from Laurel post Office. II was
mean insinuatioui She would send In
her resignation at oncel She would get
the boys" TO write an insulting letter
TO Senator Slocumb-Mrs. Baker had
the feminine idea Of government as a
purely personal institution-and she
would find out who 1t was that had put
them up to this prying, crawling impu.
dencel Il was probably that wall-eyed
old wife OF the postmaster of Heavy
Tree Crossing, who was jealous Of her
Remind her of their previous unan-
swerod communication, /" indeedl Where
was that communication, anyway She
remembered she had sent IL to her adj
mirer at Hickory Hill Odd that he
hadn't answered it. Of course, he knew
all about this meanness--could he too
have dared TO suspect herl The thought
turned her crimson again lie, Stanton
Green, was an old Laurel Runner"
friend of Johns. little 'trifin'" md
"presoomin'," but still an old loyal pio-
neer Of the campl "Why hadn't he
spoke up2"
There was the soft muhled fall of a
horses hoof in the thick dust of the
highway, the jingle of dismounting
spurs, and firm tread on the platform.
No doubt, one Of the boys returning for
a few supplemental remarks under the
feeble pretense of forgotten stamps II
had been done before, and she had re-
scented Il as ''cayotin' 'round;" but now
she was eager to pour out her wrongs to !
the first conner. She had her hand inn |
pulsively on the door of the partition
when she stopped with new sense Of |
her impaired dignity. Could abe con-