The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-03-22

Y VIsTsF failed ,i.. to establish
Even the postofiice stood alone, at
at least a hundred yards from the
nearest house, with corner of Squire
Pomeroy's wood-lot coming up almost
to its back door, as if refusing to rec
ognize such struggling place as q
town at all.
Mr.. Blodgett was the postmaster,
but he ran the village grist-mill-
which was far from everything else, OF
course and seldom visited the Office
for a stay OF any great length. So it
happened that practically the entire
work of the office fell upon his assis-
tant. She was Mabel Loomis, who
lived with her mother a quarter of q
mile up the road on the uncertain
edge of the village.
The work of the Office, although
not perhaps hard in one sense, was
certainly wearing and exacting, and
the hours were long-from six in the
morning to seven in the evening, usu-
ally. Vacations and "days off, we're
few, and the salary was meagre
enough; but Mabel never complained,
andshe did the work to the lest of her
ability.
1t was beautiful September morn
ing; she had just finished putting up
the six twenty-four mail, and the boy
who carried it to the station had de-
parted. Only two or three persons
had as yet been in, so Mabel was sur
prised to see Mrs. Allison appear at
the general delivery.
"Why, good morning, Mabel" she
said. ''You weren't looking for me
so early, were vou, now. Well, I'm
going to take the train for Proctor's-
going up to see Libbie-and thought
I'd drop in. Didn't know but I might
have a postal or something from her,
telling me to wait till next week"
''No, there isn't anything for you,"
returned Mabel.
''Well, don't know, you know.
You can't tell. But 1 suppose this
doesn't seem early for you.
mo. I've been up an hour and q
half"
'fYou don't tell mel Well, think
yon have to get up too early, that's
what 1 think. Seems as if Blodgett
might stir out and open the place him
self, specially as you have to stay so
late at night"
HE comes in at noon, you know,
and stays quite a while. Then, the
work isn't hard"
"Well, it may not be hard, but I
should say that its wearing, if Pm
Judge. Sorting over letters and
pounding them with that thing, and
filling out money-orders and tearing
them off bias and just so, and fixing
the registered letters and selling
stamps, and jumping up to this win
dow for this body and that body and
the other body that want their letters,
and forty other things-I declare
'twould just poster the life out of me
in no time at all"
"Oh, / don't mind it," returned
Mabel, cheerfully.
"Well, must be getting along"
continued Mrs. Allison. "Are you
going on the excursion next weekP"
"Im afraid I can't get away"
answered the girl.
Mrs. Allison was rummaging in her
handbag, and her attention seemed
distracted.
H. "Seems as i'll Blodgett ought to pay
you more," she said. "Blodgett is no
poor man, and his mill pays him right
along. What I'd like, is to see you
appointed postmaster yourself. You're
twenty-one now"
"Oh, thank you," answered Mabel,
with rather sad smile, as Mrs. Alli-
son went out. Then she sat down in
her chair by the desk, but the smile
was all gone.
''I'm afraid there aren't many ex-
,ursions for me this summer. she
mused, somewhat ruefully. 81 pre-
sumo Mr.. Blodgett would stay here
that day il I asked him. but 1 know 1
couldn't afford to go. Besides, 1
haven't any dress to wear that's suita-
BILE. I wish I could earn more"
But there was no time for gloomy
thoughts, for the boy was back with
mailbag, and people were beginning
to drop in more and more frequently.
She plunged earnestly into the
work before her, which, as work will
always do-drove away the gloomy
thoughts.
But she was not to be allowed to
forget the excursion, as several of her
girl friends who came to the office
asked her if she was going. She an
swered them as she had answered Mrs.
Allison, and it made her little angry
to feel that her face flushed each time;
for although none of them said what
her first caller had said, she felt sure
that they all thought it. She was
ashamed of the feeling, but she could
not help being disturbed.
Other reasons made her feel her
lack of money much more than this
excursion. Mabel's father had died
five years before, leaving his family