Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-05-18
CHAPTER XXXyI.
n poRBERY OF HER MAJESTY'S
IL MAILS

+ nosition. it can, like the American
,,clitjcian's sentiments, be changed. The
Iudden alteration Of the intentions and
craftsmanship of Mr.. Sawny Bean was no
'toubt exceedingly puzZling to every one
eaneerned-except. it may be suspected,
T., Miss Nance Chrystie. The simple in
clients narrated ip this chapter may
throw some light upon the mystery.
They took place several days before the
rescue from the cave narrated in the last
nages. hut some days after the imprison-
ment of Walter Anderson in the cave.
Her maiesty's mails were transported
h4fyeen Cairn Edward and WhinnyIie-
rate by way of the village of Baimacla-
chan. Richard Sproat, the lame post,
commonly answering to the name of H ir-
ulp Dick" carried them. They were
contained III a leather bag till Dick got
outside the jurisdiction of the town
most" who was supposed to be Jealous of
The Balmaclachan partitioner on account
Of his having shilling week more pay
Thereafter Dick carried them in his hand
The town post" was tailor, and keen
" felt the deprivation of the freedom of
citizenship which two deliveries in the
day implied,
cent drap amang his crOnies till efter
aught O'Clock on Setterday NIGHT"
But it is to be said of him that he made
up for his abstinence between that hour
and the time that the Red Lion closed its
doors at eleven. Now, the Balmachla-
chan post could take drop either on his
out or return journeys, and, by re-
Ginning in the bield of some contiguous
hedge, sleep it off. turning up in the
evening again as fresh as daisy. These
were the days when there were no vexa-
tous restrictions as to the time in which
her majesty's servants might complete
their rounds. At least, when any in
Structions came to the Cairn Edward
pOStotfice, or to any of the gentlemen at
tached to the rural delivery, such inStruc-
tOnS were used for purposes widely differ
ent from the intentions of the poStmas-
ler-general a st. Martins-le-(;rand. An
drew Leith, the Auchenrerrick post. kept
shop on the main street of Cairn Ed
ward and supplied groceries to the public
on the way. He invariably Kept stock
Of instructions to Rural PoStmen" in
the bottom of his cart. The paper of the
department is sound and good, and adj
mirably adapted for wrapping butter in.
1t gave great satisfaction. 1t was gem
orally observed that the letters of those
who patronized the van of the rival deal
or were never delivered at all. Andrew
was understood to have made this ar
rangement with the authorities.
But "Hirple Dick" had no gig. neither
had he a shop He had got the job be
cause, if he had not got it, he would have
been chargeable on the rates of the par
ISL; so all the inhabitants petitioned for
him, and he was appointed. He showed
all the letters to each man, woman and
child along the road, and told who they
were for, who they came from. and what
they were about. This may have had
something to 90 with his late arrival at
Balmaclachan and WhinnyliggaJe. Had
nd pI 10 l1
neveE have arrived at all. The Cairn
Edward town post had often limited to
the postmaster that he ought to report
"Hirple Dick but as Dick" was care
fnl 10 take all his groceries from the
rostmaster's first cousin, that official did
not see his way to interfere.
When "Hirple Dick" went to Whinny-
Iggate, he passed on his way back the
end of the road which led to the farm
Of Neither Neuk. Nance Chrystie
often came to see him. She had
large correspondence; that is
to say, her ingoing mail was often heavy,
though her outgoing was unusually small
Especially after singing school or other
rural festival, the young men of two
parishes We'd in sending her gloves and
verses of the Il love thee. Oh. | love
thee" type. 1t was also about this time
that the editor of the Cairn Edward
newspaper had to close his columns to
great deal to "Hirple Dick" and the
"lamiter" was by no means insensibe
To the glamour of her eyes He thought
there was mo- the like o her in the
parish He told her as long as she
would listen of the letters that he was
carrying. Among other things he told
her of the many curious letters of the
foreign-ike gentleman that had been in
the neighborhood for some time. Dick
thought he was surveyor or "StOne-
snapper" as the members of the geOlogi-
cal survey were called. Dick had his
own opinion about such gentry. and ii
may be embodied in an incident.
One Of them, since become Il distin-
pushed professor, had undertaken to eX-
plain 10 Dick, with whom he fore
gathered on the road, the whole wonder
tul history of the world. Dick listened
apparently Fascinated and attentive
some time after a landowner in the
Htlg1borhood met the geologist in Edin-
hurgh.
,"Iou, were down in our quarter the
ether day" he said; why did you not
call upon me?"
oh, | only came one day and went
mack the next. But how did Won know
vi Il :! asked the geologist. astonished.
Gu spoke to our post. a lame man
\ most intelligent man" said the man
OF science.
Would You like to know what he said
about yc? Well. he said that We telled
Him all about the way the world was
Made. and all about the hills"
IS. he seemed much interested, so
ga talk to him more than one usually
'9eS to a rustic
No doubt of that, fer he said that
5t were a very decent fellow, but, eh-
Nhat a.leear,''
therefore. this foregn-looking man,
@W"aNng from nowhere in particular.
receive his curiously-shaped foreign
prNeicpes addressed to the care Of Mr..
n,ao' near Neither Neuk. did not eX-
te any great suspicion. But Nance
h@d the curiosity of her sex. and when
4 f friend, the post. passed over the
lily correspondence to her to select her
eNh q favor he did not grant to every
;l'. She found one day a letter with
~ l1ln foreign envelope form. and some
"gFaS showing through which interested
vastly. Next afternoon she came
tNh To the loaning foot with some of
own correspondence. She seldom
limited a word of her own TO paper,
She had a pleasant habit of return
me letters and unsolicited testimOn-
tN ~ her admirers having pTpyiOUS1V