The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-13

~ EM thought Of pretty
III gowns to be worn
.MyS as a bride. Then
she sobered up.
David would think her silly; she was
so practical. She was sorry for David.
About a month after the engagement
John Alroy was made postmaster oil
Carrot. He was young, quick, clever
and handsome.
Joyce was busy at the store, SO
Mary often went to social gatherings
without him, he calling for her later
on in the evening. He did not dance;
Alroy did. It gradually dawned upon
him that Mary danced a good deal
with the postmaster.
In April he made his usual spring
trip to buy goods. He had been away
a week, when he received q letter
from Mary. She asked to be absolved
from her engagement with him. He
was stunned and fastened home. The
calmness with which Mary met him
told him his doom.
"1t is Alroy, Of course?" he said.
'It may seem to you that 1 treat
you badly" she returned, "but I
never knew what love was until I met
HIM." and Joyce went away.
Throughout the summer he saw
little of the happy pair, invented bus
mess excuses taking him often away
from home. Winter came, and the
store claimed him. April doomed up
tho anniversary of his shattered
hopes-and he heard that Mary would
be married in June. In June the
marriage was put off until autumn.
This was the reason: The postoffce
at Carrot was third-class. Out of his
salary the postmaster was expected to
defray all Office expenses. In a Sec
ond-class Office clerk hire and other
liabilities were met by the Govern
ment, while the salary of the master
vas considerably increased. Alroy
proposed to raise his Office to the sec
ond class. SO as to be able to marry.
70 do this he must prove that the
business Of his Office had increased for
o year to such an extent that it equalled
existing second-class Offices. Late in
the summer he said that this was so.
In September an expert discovered
that, while the sale of stamps for q
year equalled that of an office of the
higher grade, it did not represent q
corresponding increase in mailed mat
ter: Alroy vas accused of fraud.
In January Joyce was summoned to
act as grand juror on the twentieth of
February in the city more than one
hundred miles away.
The afternoon of the eighteenth
brought Garret a binding snowstorm.
The streets were deserted. Business
was at a standstill. About four o'clock
and nearly dark lady entered Joyce's
private room at the store. It was
Mary Hammond.
II have heard" she said at once,
that you are a grand juror in the
February term. The postmaster's
comes up before you"
Joyce's heart gave q bound. He had
not thought of that.
"The grand jury, I am informed,"
she went on, ''decide if there is sui
iclent ground to make out a case to
go before the court. You will have a
voice in deciding whether or not there
is a case against the postmaster"
"Joyce's eyes were like Goals of
Ere.
eff it were in your power, you would
the postmaster?" she said.
"Joyce found his voice.
IF knew him to be guilty, yes"
be said.
"He is guilty, she went on. "The
were bought by me with the
thousand dollars of my fathers insur-
ance. I proposed the fraud. Love
.or him made me do as I have done.
Love for me made him do the rest"
Without another word she went from
The room out into the snowstorm.
Joyce trembled in every limb. The
drove him wild. She knew that
he still loved her, and she called upon
hat love to save Alroy even at the ex-
oense of honor. The outrage Of it!
was guilty, and there was but
'ne thing to do. Love and honor con-
;ended-hopeless love, inalienable
honor. There could be no question as
70 which would win.
The following day. the outrage-the
.nsult-gnawing at him, he went on
he one hundred mile journey. On the
morning of the twentieth he took oath |
hat he would do his duty as a good
md loyal man in the matters to be
placed before the grand jury. In a
minutes more he was sitting, with
;wenty-three other men, around long
liable, listeningt to detectives and others
;estifying against unseen people.
Row many cases were disposed Of he
knew, when he heard the name
le had waited for. Joyce raised his
head. Now would come his revenge
or all the pain he had silently suf-
cred, and yet his revenge would be
'nly his honest duty. His face grew
lard and dim.
A p~ostofice expert testified among
,ther things that Alroy had openly
ooasted that he would raise his office
second grade so that the increase of
'alary would warrant his marriage.
Two other witnesses testified as to the
acts already known.
"Well, gentlemen" said the foreman
# the jury.
II 0 that q true bill be found,n
.ried a juror.
II second the notion" said an
"All in favor of a true bill signify
heir assent by saying aye" |