Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-11-29
Z ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
: THE VILLAGE P0SulIETRESS.
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When you come 10 think Of II Down
ingvlls wss . Village OF magnificent
dkstauces with almost half mIlc frt1n
he eanusry 20 the saw maIl, and with
only scattering houses between. The
schodihouse and che two churches had
each failed to establish center.
Even the posuoffice stood alone. al
lealE hunnrt.1 yards frum The near.
est house, with a corner OF Squire
Pomenoy's wpodDot coming up almost
TO tits back door, as If refusing to re-
cognize such "a struggling prace as a
town at all.
Mr.. Blodgett was the postmaster,
but he ran the grist mill, which was
tar from everything else, of course
end seldom visited the Office for q stay
OF any great length. So it happened
that practically the entire work Of the
office tell upon his assistant. She was
Mabel Lpomis, who lived with her
mother quarter Of mile up the
road on the uncertain edge of the viii
lage.
The work of the office, although not
perhaps hand in one sense, was cer-
tadnly wearing and exa,tiug and the
hours were long-from IN the NOR
ming ITO in the evening, usually. Va
cation and days uit'' were few, and
the salary was meager enough; but
Mabel never complained, and she did
the work to the besl of her ability.
1t was "a beautiful September morn
ing; she had just finished putting up
the 6:24 mail, land the boy who carried
1t to the station had departed. Only
one or two persons had as yet been in,
so Mabel was surprised to see Mrs.
AIislon appear ait the general delivery.
''Why, good morning, Mabel" she
said. You weren't looking for me so
early, were you, now? Well, I'm going
ITO take the train, for Proctor is going
up Ito see Lbbie-4and | thought Id
drop in. Didn't know but l might have
aposuau or something from her telling
me to wait till next week.
mo, there isn't anything for you,"
returned Mabel.
"Well, l didn't know, you know, You
can't tell. But suppose this doesn't
seem early for your"
mo. I've been up an hour and
half"
"You don't tell me! Well l think you
have ito get up too early, that's what
think. Seems las if Blodgett might stdr
out alnd open the place himself, espe-
dally as you have to stay SO latte at
night"
He comes in at noon, you know,
end Stays quite a while. Then, the
work isn't hard"
well, ut may not be hard, but l
should say that it's wearing, If I'm
judge Sorting over letters and
pounding them with that thing, and
filming out money orders and tearing
them off bias and just SO, and the re-
giskered atters and selling stamps and
Jumping up TO this window for this
body and that body and the other
body THAT want their letter, and forty
other things-I declare 'twould just
poster the life out Of me in NO time at
Ill"
"Oh, don't mind it," returned
Mabel cheerfully.
well, l must be getting along"
continued Mrs. Allison. Are you
going Ito the excursion next week?'
"I'm afraid | can't get away" an.
swered the ghrQ.
Mrs. Allison was rummaging in her
hand bag and her attention seemed
distracted.
Seems as If Blodgett ought Ito pay
ybu more" she said. "Blodgett is no
poor man, and his mill pays him right
along. What Id like is Ito see you ap-
pointed postmaster yourself. You're
81 now"
"Oh, thank you," answered Mabel,
with "a, rather sad smile, as Mrs. Anil
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 any excur-
stems for me this SUMNER" she unused
somewhat ruefuily. Il presume Mr..
Blodgett would Stay here that day If l
asked him, but | know / couldn't
afford to go. Besides l haven't any
dress to wear that's suitable. l wish /
could earn more"
But there was MO time for gloomy
OR the boy was back with Q
mailbag and people were beginning to
drop in 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 ans
wered them ais she had answered Mrs.
Allison and it made her little angry
b feel that her face flushed every
time; for although none Of them said
what her first caller had said, she felt
sure that they all thought 1t. She was
ashamed of the feeling, but she could
MOT help being disturbed.
Other reasons made her feel her
hack Of money much more than this
Mabel's father had died
five years before, leaving his family In
pocr circumstances. Her mothers
health was not good, and there were
two younger sisters and o little
brother who were at school.
1t was a little after 3 o'clock on the
aftem'uon ofthesame day that a stran.
ger entered the Downingville Postof-
Noe. Mabel was alone. She noticed,
ais the man stepped up TO the general
jnrrverv that he was well dressed and