Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-12-05
A POSTMASTER'S WIFE.

ural selection of the Inhabitants for
postmaster was Jacob Berybud. Berry
bud had served with distinction in the
Second Minnesota at Gettysburg, was
staunch Republican and a public
spirited citizen. If it was his nature
never to talk of himself nor his fam
lily, nor their affairs past or present,
the gossip-loving country community
regarded with pride the ability of one
of it's members to hold his tongue.
No one in Sloan knew whether he
was happily married or not, what his
income was, what his religious atti-
tude was, how he was with his family
in private, or how he regarded his
neighbors. His wife was always hand
somely dressed his children looked as
well as any in the community. Berry
bud never contracted debt and the
externals of his home were bright and
orderly. If, until he became postmas-
ter, he ever had confidant, no one
knew it, and that he had one, after he
became government official, only two
or three in time learned. He accepted
the postoffice, gave his bonds, and
Postoffice inspectors who came and
disappeared found his accounts in eX-
cellent shape, and perhaps We're not as
vigilant in his Office as they were in
others.
1t should be said that at least one
of the inspectors did not relax his Wig
ilance-not because he suspected Berry
bud, but because long experience as
a government detective had worked
into his nature the one idea that rigid
inspection was necessity everywhere.
This inspector was a short, fat man.
jokemaker, and in that often de-
ceiving to unwary pOstmasters whose
accounts were not just what they
should be when he appeared. He would
laugh and quip with them until the
last minute, and then in the twink
ling of an eye become the personif-
cation of the government, an iron
willed master demanding a strict ac-
counting.
Jacob Berybud took a fancy to this
inspector the first time they met, and
it was not long before the two were
on good terms. They did not meet
often enough to grow tired of each
other, and the inspector came always
SO Unexpectedly that his appearance
was a surprise, and the accounts being
straight, a pleasant one. The years
passed and the friendship continued
between the postmaster and the in
spector. Sloan inwardly congratulate
ed BerybuG on having IAN intimate" 1t
thought, too, that the postoffice was a
very good thing for Jacob, since it
gave employment not only to him, but
of his children and his wife frequent
iy came and assisted. Prosperity ap-
peared to be with the family.
The inspector was making one of his
unexpected calls one day and checking
up, when he suddenly called to Berry
bud to come to him. The postmaster
walked over to hear him say:
Your cash is 5000 short
"My," said Berybud, never f1inching.
81 forgot about that. Our safe here is
poor one, and have taken to carry
ing any large sum'on hand in the safe
of my real estate Office. You can go
over there any time and check it."
The inspector said nothing, but went
on with his work. At noon he took
his lunch at the hotel, and later walked
over to Berybud's private Office, saw
the big safe there and found the 5000
Intact. He left that night for another
point, but long after he was gone Jacob
Berybud stood at the back door of his
home looking up to the sky. He did
not answer when his wife called him,
but when she angrily came to the door
and said: Are you going to moon
there all night?" he sighed and came
in. When she told him that she was
going to st. Paul the next day with
one of the children for shopping trip
he made no comment. He had always
accepted her actions and assertions as
right. If he thought some of them
wrong he never said so. His views of
matrimony had been summed up one
day to the inspector in this sentence:
"If you get bit when you marry stay
bit It's better for the children and
everybody else"
Think so if you want to-" retorted
the inspector with a laugh. 81 prefer
antidotes for bites"
Mrs. Berybud departed the next
morning to return in two days laden
win bundles of finery and many trim
kets, which perhaps the income of her
husband justified her in buying and
perhaps it did not. His real estate
business was not paying, although no
one knew this but himself, and his
family was expensive. He held a num-
Der of mortgages on worthless land,
and in truth, was financially pinched.
Still he held his peace. When in due
time the inspector returned and again
checked the Office Berybud was as quiet
and courteous as ever. Again the in
spector found an Office shortage in
cash and again was referred to the big
safe in the real estate Office. AS be-
fore he visited it after lunch, with
Berybud, and there was found s25OO
the amount short. AS soon as it was
counted the inSDectOr left the Office and