, 1900-01-05
AT PATSY MULL'S.

duties as postmaster by his daughter
Patsy, and when he died it seemed
only right and proper, considering his
historic services to his country, that
his daughter should be made the in
cumbent of the Office from which
death had taken him
Patsy was not popular but she was
an institution. 1t seemed almost as
much a part of ones patriotic duty
to believe in Patsy as to believe in the
constitution of the United States. She
was a taciturn woman, who kept to
herself and her cats, of which there
were SO many that it would lay one
open to the suspicion of ~inaccuracy to
mention the number. They were Wild
eyed cats who regarded humanity in
general with the same suspicion which
their mistress showed. But that may
have been largely because they were
kept forever in twilight. The build
ing used as a p~ostoffice at Heldar was
owned by Patsy, and only the front
part of it was, literally speaking, fed
eral property. The rear of the struc-
ture a long been used by the Mulls
for a family residence-in fact, it had
been their home before a postoffice
was mentioned for Heldar. The upper
story had fallen into desuetude, but
in three rooms on the ground floor
Miss Patsy had her being. These
rooms never were visited by the sun
shine, for not only had they a dismal
northern exposure, but the gloom in
creased by drawn blinds. Miss Patsy
kept her house mum. 1t confided
nothing to the curious. Her front door
was the door of the postofice, and be-
hind the glass pigeon holes 40 one was
ever permitted to set foot. Her rear
door was almost equally inhospitable,
n its mistress seldom emerged from
1t save to empty the ash pan, and then
she locked the door behind her while
she went on that errand.
They were easy-going folks at Hell
dar. What was, was right, had long
been a sort Of unconscious proverb
with them. Perhaps they had got into
this philosophic way of looking at
things because, as a community, they
had suffered a good many disappoint-
ments.
1t sometimes seemed as If the town
was accursed, and as II everyone who
left 1t was false to it. There was. Dick
Simmons, for example, who left his
mother praying for his prosperity, and
who had seemed the tenderest of sons,
but who had not sent a word home in
years.. The distant city had swallowed
him up. There was Enoch Brand, who
went away to make a home for his
sweetheart, Vivian Oxford, and who
sent no wore and returned no more.
There was John Harrison, who prom
Used to send. his father the money to
raise the mortgage on the old place,
but who forgot to keep his word. But
1t Is foolish to cite the cases. 1t
seemed as II there never had been a
community with so much reason for
bitterness of spirit as that of Heldar.
The worst Of 1t, for sensitive souls,
sometimes seemed to be the fixed de-
light which Patsy Null took in these
disappointments. The sardonic smirk
upon her face would be emphasized
when the anxious watcher for the ex-
pected letter would be turned from
the window empty handed day after
day. She almost never spoke. She
merely shook her head or nodded it.
She asked no questions, but everyone
was ware that she kept abreast with
the doings in the town. Little went
| m fhot uac nnf falkoi nuar in fhn
postofice, and II Patsy was economical
with her voice she was prodigal with
her curiosity.
There were certain fanciful women
who said that it seemed as if Patsy
was a sort Of evil spirit who brooded
over the town. 1t seemed as If she
had a hunger for disappointment, and
enjoyed seeing her neighbors suffer.
Her little eyes, which were too close
together, shone with vicious bright
ness when she heard that another low
er had forgotten his troth or another
son his duty to his parents.
This went on for some time, and
Heldar became pathetic. A sort of
apathy rested upon the people. They
sang melancholy hymns at church,
they talked of the sorrows of life, and
above all they resigned themselves to
the inevitable.
But it happened that Jeanette Vail
came to town. She was the niece of
the Hansons. who had lived there al
ways. The town felt a furry of some
thing akin to excitement at the advent
of this glowing young beauty, the heir
ess, as 1t was learned, to a goodly
fortune. The sight of her on her
wheel, glancing along the streets, was
i~nvigorating, and Heldar temporarily
forgot its depression. A dance was got
up in her honor, and her gaiety and
charm seemed to bring fresh life to
the girls whose lovers never cam
back and to the young men whom for
tune had stranded in the quiet spot.
The first time Jeanette had occa-
sion to 60 to the postoff1ce there was
a sensation. AS usual, one OF the wild
dow.
Dear me, postmistress," cried jean
nette, with good-natured condescen-
sion, "is that your cat?"
The cat blinked gloomily, and the
postmistress did not answer, but as
she appeared at the window another
cat was visible on her shoulder.
You must be fond of cats" said the
girl pleasantly. The group in the
p~ostofire held their breath. 1t was
unheard OF for the dour Patsy to be