Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-05-22
HOW Me POSTAL BILL
 WAS CARRIED

Ol EI!- and ihp pDStUtiIrC WdS T very diff buleau from what 1t i> today. Tie mail WAs all carried on coaches, and the charges on letters were in pro- portion to the distance they were trans mittgd, ranging from l6 to l0 cents for q letter weighing an ounce and were collected when the letter was de liNered. Since the value of q shilling was proportionatcly much greater then than now the cost of postage. especially on q letter sent from one extremity of the kingdom to another, was, to the poor prohibitive.
 Sir Roderiek stepped up 10 the de livery window and. finding Il young woman, q naidscrNant, there. waited. The clerk had handed her d letter and she was looking at the superseription. Presently she sighed and turned to leave. The clerk called her back
 "4his is the third time this week you've been here to ask for letters. and. though I've had one for you every time you've called
 Whats the matter, lassie4' asked Sir Rodefick. Can't you pay for your letter?'
 Il haven't the money, sir
 "}Ehom is it from
 "My young man. sir.
 "Nhat is the postage:' asked the baronet Of the clerk
 "A shilling fourpence, replied the clerk.
 Sir Roderick took the amount from his wallet and laid it before the clerk. Glancng at the grl to see how pleased she would be to read the letter from her lover he noticed a peculiar expression on her faee while she shook her head, as much as to say, Don't do it'' But it was too late. The clerk had taken the money, and the letter was in the baronet's hand. He gave it to the girl, and the two walked out of the postoffice together. When they reached the street Sir Roderick took out an eyeglass and read the super scrIption on the letter.
 The name was Beth T, E. k. Perk." Sir Roderick was puzzled. He had never seen so many initials ill the name Ol OlIC III uCA SAaoS. oa AAS A''seA Perk, I suppose" he said.
 'Yes sir; on thdt letter. Sometimes I'm Bess, Elizabeth, Betsy or one O the other names as belongs to Eliza beth"
 The good man looked at her wonder ingly. And you seem to have good many other names, jndging from the initials"
 "The letters, sir. Them differs. Sometimes there's three, like this one, sometimes two, and once there was five, but that was only once and was necessary
 Sir Roderick took the glass out of his eye and surveyed the girl from head to foot. What could she meani He was too we'll bred to ask even one so far be- meath him to explain matter in which he could not possibly be expected to have an interest. so he simply looked at her.
 "Wcll. here's your letter. he said. handing it to her.
 "Please, sir. I don't want it.'
 Don't want it.
 "No, sir There's nothing in it. sir"
 Nothing in it? Then why He paused.
 ''I tried to stop you payin' for 1t, sir. It's this way, sir. My young mans valet to a laird in the north O Scot land, sir. The postage on letter from him is one and four. sir, so we has a way O writin' on the back O the letter as we both knows what it means. In- side there's nothin' but a sheet O pa- per, with nothin' on it. l goes to the postoffice and calls for the letter and knows what it says by the writin' on the outside. Then hands it back to the clerk and pays nothin'. won't mind tellin' you what this one says if you won't look at me. Beth means sweetheart T. means time. E. R. means one month--that is, it's one month before we're to be married"
 Sir Roderick. who was statesman, stood looking down upon the girl think ing. The postal laws enabled him as one of the nations rich men and legis- iators to send q piano through the mails free, if be chose, but the poor must pay for an ounce of paper.
 The next day Rowland Hills bill for uniform inland penny postage was to come up in the house of commons and Sir Eoderick had proposed 10 Kill it. It now occurred to him that the gov erunent was carrying this girls love letters free, whereas the charge of q penny might be paid not only by her but by thousands of others who could not pay the high rates,
 Beth" he said, tearing open the let ter and glancinG at piece of blank paper within, when you want to send another letter to your lover come to me, he handed her card, and it shall cost you nothing; Til frank it for you And here's 6 wedding present for you, or rather pay for an idea you have given me-" He handed her two f10