Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-08-08

phere as he involuntarily quickened
his pace. 1t win probably never be
known what turned his thoughts to
other days when shot and shell rained
about him and he advanced rapidly
from the ranks to the position Of cap
tain, then major and colonel, coming
home wearing the straps of general,
all his advancements being achieved by
bravery. 1t may have been those men,
cries were refreshed in his mind by
the murmuring breezes that came gen
thy down from far-famed Alexandria
and the undulating domains of the Ia
mented Lady Fairfax. It any rate he
paused in his walk and remarked half
aloud: 81 have half mind to give
it to a soldier" A passerby hearing
that remark would not have been able
tointerpret its meaning, but the read
er of this story viii know that he
| still had his mind on the Pamunkey
| post office. But there is the rub"
he went on. (Which one2 There is
McMurry-he is a veteran of the civil
war, and no better soldier ever Shout
dered a musket Then there is Ran
dali, soldier of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war, and he must not be sighted,
and last comes Murphy who now has
SON at the front. Well, have no
choice in the three, now which shall
it be?-
The troubled man walked on in deep
thought for a few moments, then pull
ing out his watch TO ascertain the time
he exclaimed Il have It'll win leave
il TO chance, and may the disappointed
candidates and their friends have
mercy on me. can make no mistake
in the three. Either Of them would fill !
the bill. Tonight l will not wind my
watch. 1t will stop in the morning at
about the time I awake. II il stops on |
an even number of minutes, MeMurry |
gets the post office; if it stops on an odd |
number Randall is the winner, and If it
stops five seconds either way from the |
minute mark Murphy will be open for
congratulations"
With that the old warrior and states
man thrust the watch into his pocket
and went back to his work of framing
a caustic speech against a measure pre-
pared by the other side Of the house.
The matter of the post office vacancy
at Pamunkey was out of his head so
far as he was concerned. He had left
it to a mechanical agency which would
soon settle the fate of the multitude Of
aspirants.
In the meantime great anxiety pre-
vailed at Pamunkey. The newspapers
had caught the spirit Of the contest
and published all sorts of predictions
as to the result One started a guess
ing contest and sold coupons on the
result. The acting postmaster squan-
dered the proceeds of the sale of a fine
Jersey COW in purchasing coupons for
his friends to vote for him. A large
installment of his votes came into the
office Of publication on the very night
the congressman's bejeweled watch
was counting off the minutes to decide
whether it would stop at odd or even,
or for the man with the son at the
front.
When the general awoke the next
he lay still for several mo-
ments and looked at his watch. which
reposed on his dresser. He wondered
or not it had stopped, and if
it had who had won Finally he arose,
placed the watch to his ear and lis
tened. 1t was as dead as the chances Of
a host of candidates at Pamunkey. He
hesitated to look at the face of the
watch, and finally dropped it into his
pocket with the thought that he could
just as well look at it after break
fast.
On coming out of the breakfast-room
the general was about 10 draw his E
watch from his pocket and decide the q
question, when he noticed C
\ young second lieutenant coming up 3
the steps. A moment later the gem $
aral advanced toward the young volun- Il
-eer infantryman, extending his hand j
md exclaiming: Hello, Ferguson, t
where did you drop from?" D
Just in from the Philippines" re-
ponded the soldier, grasping the hand b
# the congressman. The two went
nto the hotel and had a long talk over y
he situation in the orient. Felix Fer d
A1oAA Naa q sun VI an O4A NOuIdQE OF |
he generals. and his home was in Pa u
nunkey. When the two reappeared a
rom the steps the congressman was a
isking the question: "Well. now that q
'ou have received your discharge. what q
10 you expect to do?" N
To be frank with you, general. l am q
roing back to old Pamunkey and mar %
Y pretty Elsie ST. Clair and settle a.
own" responded Lieut.. Ferguson. col a.
ring slightly. =
At that the general took out his
watch and appeared to wind ii in a me- -
hanical sort Of way. This act set the ="
wheels going and ruined the chances
{ some post Office aspirant 1t viii =
ever be known who won on the stop y
ing Of the wheels. but it is known that Z.
ne Of them lost on their starting. p
you are just the man I an looking
or said the congressman. "Tbev
ICED a man in the post office down at =