The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-22
Our Daily Short Story

deavor to liberate his cap from tho
sort meshes of brown hair. Theil
hands came in contact and the touch
, sent thrill through Miss Mollie that
was both new and strange to her.
When finally the cap was restored
70 It's rightful head, Miss Mollie's face
was crimson, ana she FASTENED into
ner room to smooth her disheveled
PRESSES and to quiet the rioting of her
heart. She had quite forgotten the
letter. When she did remember to
open 1t she found it was from a dis
tant relative whom she had not seen
IN years, and who had written merely
friendly inquiry as to her health.
EVERY time Miss MolIie thought of
the episode of the entangled button,
which was quite often. she blushed at
the remembrance of the thrill which
she had experienced, and wondered IL
ne had felt the same.
MISS Mollie continued to appear on
tne veranda each morning, and occa-
sionaliy now the postman would stop
Tor a moment. on other days besides
thursdays. and remark about the
weather, the beauty of the flowers or,
when birdie was in an uncommonly
hilarious mood. listen in silence and
watch the soft Pushes come and go on
MISS Moiiie's face, while a smile
tremendously played about her lips.
GRADUALLY subtle understanding
grew between them. Both felt the
bond, though no hint of 1t was ever
voiced new interest had come In
to the life of each. Miss Mollie would
hum little snatches of songs she had
learned in her girlhood's days, while
her fingers deftly wrought the dainty
designs she was fond of embroider-
Ing. And often the weekly" news
paper would lie on her lap unread
while underlined but happy dreams
brought tender light into the soft
brown eyes.
As for him--his route no longer
seemed monotonous. There was al
ways now the anticipation or remem-
branee of the gentle presence as he
passed the vine-clad cottage, and he
also had dreams which were, perhaps
more definite than hers. He meant
soon to ask permission to "call' some
evening. So the days glided along
full of sunshine and contentment.
One particularly brilliant Thursday
morning Miss Mollie had given unusu-
al care to the arrangement of her
hair, and of the little knot of ribbon
at her throat, and she was conscious
OF looking uncommonly well, so there
was dA cApECLdHt 1tILle IN Her
breast while she busted herself with
the vines and listened for the familiar
step. But she was startled at hear
ing an unfamiliar step and seeing a
stranger come upon the veranda and
hand out to her the paper. An unde-
fined fear clutched her heart, and her
throat choked so that she could
scarcely articulate the words: rs
he-the other--sick-has something
"Yes'm,'' answered the new postman,
without stopping, as he went down
the steps. There was an accident.
He was trying to stop a runaway
horse, and was run over and killed; at
least he died in a little while, and
they've sent him to his folks. They
didn't live here"
Miss Moliie caught and held to the
railing of the veranda while every
thing seemed cireling around her,
then settled into the blackness of
night. Finally she tottered into the
house and fell across the bed. Alone
she fought her battle with a great an
guish; and in the days that followed.
the shadows of a deep sorrow settled
In the gentle eyes
For weeks she could not bear to
hear the step OF the new postman, and
every day about the time for him to
pass the little cottage she would go
INTO a back room and shut herself in.
And on Thursdays now Susan receives
The paper.