Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-05-14

oranges OF nothing, So you come and
bring lots Of money and We will have
big time. l will wear small blue
ribbon SO you will know I am Curtis
Eastland, and you wear big ribbon
most 10 feet long, so I will know you
are Colonel Curtis. I will be at the
depot every train.
From your loving
Grandson.
That's pretty good Nike, said,
showing it into the box for illegible
letters that we turned into the dead
letter section at the end Of every trip.
Hand that to me, said Mark, 81
am going to send that letter to its
owner.
How can you?" I asked. 1T has
neither address nor stamp. Besides,
the regulations say that all matter OF
this class shall be mixed. We must
follow the regulations, no matter what
the consequences. There are men
The old man grew inpatient and
stopped me with, "Is it possible YOU
never heard of Silas Curtis, banker,
Canal street, New Orleans? Hes the
biggest one there, and-about the reg
ulations, why, sometimes you must
use common sense-if you We got any.
This is queer talk from you. I
appeal from Winston, the whimsical,
to Winston, the stickler for rules and
regulations"
The old man never noticed my re-
marks. Presently he said to himself
more than to me
81 can get the letter to him all right,
but I'm not 20 sure Of my man. He
had the name in the army of being a
crusty, hard-headed old man. His
men liked him none too well, but he
was brave as lion, and not often are
brave men bad. Anyway, l believe
the bov's letter will bring him.
In the return mail given to No. 4
at the meeting point was letter sd-
dressed to Silas Curtis, New Orleans,
La, marked personal, and bearing
a special delivery stamp. 1t contained
the Mike letter with the following
note pinned to it
Ny Dear Sir-The enclosed letter
was handed me at Dallas this date by
boy of about s years. l have sup
piled the address and forward to yon.
Should you be unable to come, wire
me at Fort Worth. Respectfully.
MARK WINSTON,
Railway Postal Clerk.
Going east that night, it was very
dark when the train pulled into the
Union depot, and rain was falling.
Through the mist and fog the lights
shone murky and dismal. Few peo-
pie were around the station, and few
passengers entered or left the train.
Mark and l stood in the side door
and looked out at the few comers and
goers. Just as the train was nearly
ready to start, we saw the boy who
had given Mark the letter that morn
ing coming away from the coaches
carefully folding bit Of blue ribbon.
His face showed great disappointment.
In an instant Mark was out Of the
car and at the boys eide. He put his
arm around him, and then the bell
sounded. I helped the old man back
into the cars almost out Of breath.
Children are 50 unreasonable - he
said. Now that little chap expected
his grandfather here within ten hours
after he had written him, and on an
eastbound train, at that I thought l
would tell him he was too early, that
was all. D"
During the night I saw Mark max
ing some figures and talking to him
self:
yes, he can get to Dallas on our
return trip, and should be on our
train. I told the boy SO, and if he
doesn't come-but, pshaw, he will
come"
Mark was restless the next day at
Te1arkana, slept little, and looked
tagged out that night when We started
west again. When we reached Mar
shall at about midnight, where We con-
nected with No. So from New Orleans.
Mark got out and went back where
the passengers were boarding the
train.
When be returned aud it came to
his turn to take sleep Of an hour or
go, be was nervous and restless. a
littIa latsr heard him cav nnt loud