The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-20
: THE ADVERTISERS : DAILY SHORT STORY

, Arthur Jackson Duncan represented the mountain district of his State In Con kress He had been in Washington al- most two terms and he wanted to go back again. He liked the life at the capital Washington is more than city it is fascinaticn-and Duncan had
 The very thing that aided in making his life there pleasant had another CT feet among the people he representeds Tor looking one at that, but to the statement that 1t might be better for the district to send a married man to Congress Dun can. replied gaily that at the verY bEHprSst EHprSft bachelorhood was only sin of ofnfssfon and that every bachelor. ought to have time for atonemeht Then. too, there were so many married men in the House of Representatives-not to mention wid- owers-that a few single men were valu- able for variety.
 This was not the fact that bothered him about his renomination so much as a little postoffice in one of the villages far up in the hills. More than one states man has been wrecked by .postoffice fight, and while Duncan had ability ana represented his people honestly and well he did not pretend to be great states, man-just a good party man who did all he could for his constituents, especially for those who did what they could TOT him. And just there was the d1ftlculty:
 For three terms Miss Mary Harley had been postmistress at Stoneville and for two ofS these tel ms the politicians or Stoneville had tried to get her out She she could not vote, and still further she controlled no votes. They might have added that she laughed at them for mak- ing such a big fight over such a httle matter but of course that would not have been digniied.
 If Miss Harley had been the yielding out of a place where she was not wanted that is, by the politicians-but she was an Independent young woman Wno lkeo to get the better of her enemies and the good people of the neighborhood backed her up in her determination.
 Of course 1t all came upon Duncan and he was warned several times that if he did not have the change made he would be beaten. For the first time or two he frankly said he would not be a party to the busting of a woman who had done at the Fostoffice Department and there was none better in the archives. She was prompt and efficient and her reports were models of neatness. So he declined eo interfere.
 Then the little politicians began to spread around the report that Duncan was not true to his friends. that If the puts wanted to get into office they wotfld have to get another representative. This was serious. A politician may be many thinEs with more or less safety, but in politics irgratitlde is the unforgivable sin.
 So Duncan made it his business to go 10 StoneviHe and look into matters. First he visited the postoffice and found the little building as neat as pin, and the postmistress-well. as charming as the office was attractive. The huInor of the thing broke upon him and he introduced himself. She was very glad to see him and brought out a chair for him.
 "I must tell you, Miss Harley" he said Solemnly. that there are very serious charges against you.''
 Against ,IneI What have I done?
 That's the trouble. You haven't done 1t and you don't do 1t"