The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-12-12
The ROYlIIe Scandal.
BY FLORENCR J. BoYCE.

BY FLORENCE J.. BOYCE.
Copyright. 1902. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Mrs. Tibbs, the postmistress, I'M
lshed stamping the letters and gath
cred them up In a package on the
table. The door opened. and a young
lady came into the office.
Good morning, Mrs. Tibbs. Is
there any mail IN box 46?"
Yes; here's a postal card for you,
Miss Gears. / guess your beau didn't
write to you. Leastwlse / shouldn't
think he would on a postal card"
Miss Gears took the card. glanced
at Il, and biushed. but said nothing.
She had lived in Roxville only a few
months. and did not take kindly 70
Che villagers familiar way Of prying
into her a1airs.
Mrs. Tibbs nodded knowingly as
the door closed.
Il declare for'tl I wish Mary
Berry could "a seen her flush up.
Tell me the amt no secret therel
II / had a right to divulge, / could
tell EN- a thing or two"
A thin, wrinkled little woman came
into the outer Office, and Mrs. Tibbs
hustled out to meet her.
"Set right down, Miss Martin.
Brought your mendin', didn't you?
Well. I'm glad. / get dreadful Uneasy
here In the office all day. Amt no
one in scarcely after the creamery
teams get away mornin's.'
Il see Miss Gears jest made ye a
call?'
yes, she did. 1 guess she wanted
to see what he wrote. Tuesdays her
day for a letter"
do tell"
ooh, yes; Tuesdays and Fridays
she allus hears from him. Sometimes
it's a postal card. too"
I'D like to knowl Cant be he
writes anything very private on a
postal?"
Mrs. Tibbs tossed her head disdain-
fully.
II amt privileged to talk much
about the U. S. mail, but l can't help
a-seein' things when they're held
right up before my face an eyes, an
I tell you, Marietta Martin, there's
some things | could tell about that
pink an white faced Gears girl that
wouldn't sound very well, she bein
single"
I've thought Il right along. l told
George, SEE I, they're a queer family.
Mis- Gears claims she's a widow,
hut no one hain't never seer her hus-
bands g%rayestone, as I've heerd Of"
Mrs. TiBbs looked out Of tho win
dow.
There's Mis- Berry an Mis- John
son comm. You needn't say any
thing Of what / said about the postal
card. l don't want to make It out
any worser'n It's, for it's black
enough, goodness knowsl
Il declare, how be ye both? Walk
right in an have some chairs. We
hain't had a real family visit sence
I don know when"
Il suppose the Gears's come reg1ar
for the mail now? / guess you're
the only one that gets within speakin'
distance OF EN-. Sech folks! Why,
/ went over"
ooh. did ye?"
ANNf a MAAH W. ~ "a a11AkA
day. but couldn't knock loud enough
to raise anybody"
There was silence a few minutes.
during which Mrs. Tibbs' knitting
needles clicked ominously. Finally,
she said:
well, / say It's scandalous. Two
women comm into cur midst. an
actin so upscrupulous they shet the
door on all Of US. an they a-gettin'
mall"
Anything new. Mis- Tibbs?"
We'll, as / was tellin' Mis- Martin.
there's very suspicious postal cards
been a-passin' through my hands. an
though / don't have no privilege to
say anything about the u. s. mail.
postal cards n public property, an
couldn't help but see some things
that give me a hint into how things
stood"
"Therel whatd l tell ye. Laura