Arizona republican., 1908-07-12

4 Hi you Ne no OOleCuOn,I oeSScu OH
 of his guardian, Judge Gifcpd
 The judge looked down \at him witl
 Do you hear that doctor?" he said walking tc the other end of the piazza where the old doctor sal with his feet on the railing and ,New1 York news paper in his hand.
 Tom, who was always in dead earnesttabout every thing he undertook had been studyingi too hard or too much, and had grown thin and nePvous; so, by the doctors advice and greatly against fns wil he had been compelled to leave \schOol]
 The doctor looked up absently.
 He s been out of school three Gays," explained the judge, stepping aside and exposing the bashful boy, who had followed close at his heels, and now he $ ready to run stage
 "Only three trips a day" edtTom, with the air of a culprit Tt starts from Mr.tWrights store at Van Burcn Center and goes down toNhc railway station t connects with the S.3o A. M- and the ? and P AI. trains for New York. r. t,carries the mail"
 "Um-ru!" remarked the doctor, thoughtEuly, look ing istcnt.y ont toward the orchard.
 Tt $ better than lounging anyway ventured Tom, and instantly retreatcd again behind tZle judge.
 "Jrl-.-u-. So it i judge so il is, said 1thc doc tor, lowering his feet, one at time. andlhodlns them in place with hand either knee. Tt Il keep the y0ungster out of doors too; and that s what he needs. He s small for his age. Go'ahead, young man; here $ my hand on it.
 And Tom, emerging from his retirement. shook the chubby old hand with glad Thank you, sir,' and glance at his guardian that was three parts merry and one par triNnDhsnt,
 That evening io>~s- ':n stretched upon the boards of the western porcn Nth an open book before him, straiuing his eyes in the fading light.
 The judge commented gravely.
 'Ir s only a book of postal laws and regulations" apo.ogized Tom "I got it of Wright. Of course he a--1a- btr+ ] ought know what the rights and duties o1 the otHce are" CIom was taking some ideas from the Constitution Ci the United States)
 That s right, my boy, that s right exclaimed the judge with heartincss that brought a glad light into Toms eyes. for he loved sis guardian most devotcdiy "Nhether you are private citizen or public officer, always keep yourself informed as 10 the duties the laws Of your country require Of you and the privileges they accord to you. But want you to let books alone as far as may be-
 The stage was clumsy, with low. heavy running gear and a tUnnel-lke top of canvas. Upon the wagon-Dox hardly decipherabe through dishgure- 1ent of weather and soil appeared the name of the nimbicst race-hOrse of the day-"Eclipse for every time the vehicle received a coat of paint 1t was, with idea of any joke, renamed for the race-horse once SO famous. At the back, just above pair ot steps by-wi.icil passengers climbed in or out, ap- peared the letters "U $. M-"
 The drivers seat was high, and Tom felt lifted up in more senses than when on the morning Of hls entry into the mall service Mir. Wright stOrekeepcr, postmaster sage-drver, and maI-oarrier all m one
 though giving others the duties of the last two ofIccs-tossed up to him the mailbag with its i'm posing combination Of Iron staples and lock and leathern pouch that the story runs, made an old SailOrs jacl-knife laugh
 As it fell rattling before him, he put foot upon it, gathered up his Tens and started off, feeling him self public official
 His route lay past Riggs Corners. tavern stand, thence to the station, drive two miles by the regular old road, much longer drive If, was often the case, he had to go by the hill road.
 On each of his trips he obliged to connect with a train for his passengers convenience well In7- 1,..r 1fa must wait half-hour for return trains from which he received the mail and generally few passengers. Our hero had been stage-drver about month when, upon his morning trip he was slgnaIcd from the home of Farmer Cushman-a fine old house Standing sixty feet from the road. The farmer had been kind to Tom The lad had a grateful heart, and saw with pleasure that the passenger coming out from the greenery of trees and shrubs that al most hid the house was his old friend.
 Room up there for me, Iom:' he asked indicat-
 'Certainy. sir. certainly" Tom blinked with sat isfaction as he slipped to one side, making room.
 4 few rods before them Riggs's Corners. Early it was the iders of the place lounging upon the long, narrow piazza. MT. Cushman scanned the group nearrowly. E
 "I suppose 1t 's too early for Bates to be around yet" he said "He s a fellow that g been buying pp horses about here. Have you him, Tom? He drives bay and iashy little buggy with yellow gear He puts up 9t Riggss. McMahon" (the consta- ble) "hobnobs with him a good deal-s treated by him, l suppose, and of course thinks Bates is just right I offered him my old gray yesterday for seventy-ive dollars but I regretted it afterward, and I really hope he won't take up The old fellow g been too good a servant to be sold to strangers who may not treat him kindly"
 Tom agreed with hm,-somehow he and MT. Cushman agreed most subjects they talked about, and the trip to the station was pleasure to both In the afternoon Tom left Wriehts, usual, 10 connect with the two-o'cock train. As he ap- preached the Cushman place his face lighted up with very lively curiosity for something answering the description of Bates's rig stood at the gate with Cushman's little black mare "Dinah," tied behind
 On coming nearer he saw little Harmony Cush- man at Dinah's head and just within the gate Har rnonvs grandmother. meek-faced old lady, mildly arguing with some one whom Tom took to be Bates i@--. .elf