The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-08-20
A Postman's Story.
GOriginal.]

letters from the time she was just old
enough to read them. 1t may seem
strange to you, but whenever I had q
letter for her 1t was the pleasure Of
the day for me. There's no happiness
equal to giving happiness to another
and whenever my little girl received
letter the joy that lit up her childish
face was reflected in mine.
when she was about seventeen
there came new interest for her in
her letters. One morning when l was
sorting the mail for my route I saw a
letter the superscription Of which in
dictated that 1t was not from girl
friend. 1t was written in clerical
hand. evidently by young man whose
chirography had not become set My
little girl was waiting for me at the
gate, and l knew that her eyes were
upon me while l was yet far down the
street Before l reached her they We're
big with expectancy. While had still |
her l held UP her letter. but l was too
far for her to see the superscription,
and she was only partly treasured.
When she saw the youthful writing
ornamented with pen tlourlshes a glad
ness spread itself over her features
that made my heart CORRESPONDENCE
joyful.
Every day for weeks l gave her
letter addressed in the same hand
Then l noticed by the postmark that
the writer was going from place to
place and the letters We're less fire.
quent. This made the girl more anx-
ious to get them and, as soon as I
turned certain corner far down the
street and saw her watching at the
gate, when l had no letter for her l
would raise an empty hand, but when
had one l would wave it aloft.
The letters were coming again daily
when suddenly they stopped Every
day that l passed my little girl with
out one for her she grew more anX-
ious and when week had gone by
and l was obliged to pass the worried
pale face at the gate without bringing
comfort l felt as a doctor must feel
who can give a favorite patient no
relief
One day l had letter for her adj
dressed in the usual hand. was
nightly pleased and watched her face
eagerly when / delivered it, She tore
it open and ran it over eagerly. had
no right to delay, but did, wishing to
know if the news was good or bad. 1
saw her turn red, and, crumpling the
letter systematically, she ran into the
house.
That was the last of her waiting at
the gate for letters. Whenever passed
| the house and did not see her would
think what pleasure it would give me
to burn her correspondent over a slow
fire. was sure he had Tilted her.
Several years passed, during which
| delivered my little girl no love letters.
| OF this / was sure, for Of all she re-
ceived few were in masculine hand,
and such came only at intervals Then
one day while sorting my mail for de-
livery l came across one on which the
handwriting seemed familiar. Then l
recognized it as that of the youthful
correspondent, only now 1t had become
a mans fixed hand. I handed it in at
the house to maid with other mail, so
didn't see the recipient when she
opened it. At the next delivery my lit
tie girl appeared at the door and hand
ed me the letter had delivered I'M
opened and readdressed, evidently to
the sender.
DO you know 1 just couldn't send
that letter back? l should have been
fired 1 know, but I would have rather
lost my position than let that little girl
blight her life. If she had been doing
it for any reason except mad she
would either not have replied at all or
by letter. Mad it was, was sure,
and I believed that if the fellow got
his letter back in that way the matter
would be ended forever. At the post
Office 1 showed the letter into box
marked 'Missent' put bit of paper in
an envelope on which I wrote, Never
, give up the ship, and sent it instead
Disgusting my hand and not signing
: what had written.
In about week another letter came
for the girl from the lover. 1 handed ii
In, not seeing the recipient. After that
delivered several letters at intervals
f Of five or six days, and knew the cor.
> respondence was on again. In a few
t weeks more when l whistled at the
house of my little girl she opened the
door herself and snatched her letter
.. with some Of her old eagerness.
st was about three months after
this that 1 was tipped to carry a big
: bundle Of wedding cards to the post
, Office. They were given me by the CIR
J. herself. I braced up and made bold tt
< say to her:
l 1--we delivered letters to you fol
years, and you know how much inter
ested I've been in you. Won't you tel
me what came between you and YOU
loverT
you've been very lovely to me eve
Q since was child, SO I'm going to tel
|. you. 1t was all his fault In one O.
his letters he spoke Of my beautiful
: gray eyes. My eyes are blue. Tha
y started II and It went on till he wrot,