The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-19
The EVENING STORY
The Assistant Postmaster.
(By Cora A. Thompson.)

The Assistant Postmaster.
(By Cora A. Thompson.)
The Misses Chilton's school for
girls was situated half a mile outside
the village of Rockwell, and the num-
Der of pupils averaged forty. 1t was
in part what is called a school of
honor; the young ladies were permitted
to take walks in the country and visit
the postofice and candy stores in the
village with out being accompanied by
guard. 1t was understood that each
pupil was on her honor not to f1irt or
elope.
The eldest Miss Chiffon was forty
four years DID, and her sister four
years younger, and neither of them
had ever been in love or expected to
be. They were cut out for old maids
and were very well satisfied.
For eight long years not a single
one of the many good-looking girls
of the Chiffon school had firted or
eloped- 1t had given the Chiffon
sisters a sense of security such as a
police force could not have established.
L is only fair to explain that the farm
ers sons within two miles of the school
were always too busy chopping wood
or hoeing potatoes to f1irt, and that
the village was a staid old place never
visited by drummers-
honor the Misses Chiffon had care
fully looked the field over. There
were half a dozen young men, but
they were lame and halt and homely.
There was Deacon Bradshaw, a wild
over, who dyed his hair and acted
colty now and then, but the sisters
figured that he would not dare go be-
yond certain bounds. No; the place
was safe. and that was why the shock
came with such force when it did
come. There was a shock one summer
morning. One of Mr.. Dupont'S powder
magazines didn't blow up and level the
l. fO lac h1If
the shock shook Chiffon school from
cellar to garnet.
Fanny the elder sister. returned
from the village one forenoone and fell
in other sisters arms in hySterical
mood When she had been soothed
and petted for five minutes she con-
trolled her emotions sufficiently to ex-
claim:
"FIora, it is our ruin!"
9TH ere's-there's a young man in the
village!''
"N-o-o-o"'
81 have seen him with my own eyes!'
Impossible. sister,!
"And have found out all about him.
"And he is an escaped convict?'
mot exactly that, but almost as bad.
Oh. sister, we shall have to close our
school within a MONTH"
But tell me-
The postmastership at the village of
Rockwell had been held by an old war
veteran for many years. He was fail
ing all the time, and had finally sent
out West and brought on a nephew of
his and made him assistant post
master. This nephew was a young man
named Clarence Sprague. and for
smartness and good looks his like had
never been seen in the village. He ar
rived one evening and took up his
duties next morning. When half
dozen girls from the Chiffon school
rushed in at IL o'clock, giggling, laugh
ing and cutting up. there was a new
face a the general delivery Window
new face and a good-looking one. The
owner of that face smiled at them and
f1irted with them, and the bevy ran out
with a great clatter and slapped each
other on the back Their day had come
a last.
1t is not to be ina gined that those
girls returned to the school to give the
news to the old maid sisters and plead
for protection. They returned to tell
other girls, but to swear them to sec
recy. The discovery was to be kept
inviolate as long as possible It was
two weeks before the blow fell. During
that fortnight there was more flirting
in Rockwell than since the first log
house was built by the first pioneer
Then the elder Miss Chiffon dropped
into the postoffice and saw with her
own eyes and almost fell over in
faint. There were those who told her
reached home she was in a hysterical
condition.
The first thing was an edict to pre-
vent the pupils from visiting the village
without permission, and there was dis
satisfaction at once. There were even
threats to leave the school. After three
or four days of troubled minds the old
maids solved the problem. They called
on the postmaster and Informed him
that he must at once remove his
nephew.
But why?" asked the old vet. who
had heard nothing of the gossip.
Because he-he f1irts with our pu-
pils,''
Don't blame him darned bit, If I
was a young feller I'd do the same"
But he mustn't You hear-he
mustn't! 1t will break UP our school,"
Nonsense, If you'd done a little
flirting yourselves in days gone by you'd
have been all the better for it. l want
Clarence here, and here he will stay
sir. shall appeal to the post
master general was the awful threat.
as the old maids retired.
And appeal they did, and right on the
ground too. that the assistant post
master at Rockwell was q f1irt and
bringing discredit on re department
1t isn't likely that the official read the
letter or reply, but some clerk who
sympa thized with the assistant an
SWereC:
''F'lirtations are not forbidden by the
rules of this department unless they
seriously interfere with the work of the
official and we do not think that is
the case in this instance
The Misses Chiffon had been sure
they could GUST the young man and |
drive him back toward sunset, and the
failure was a great disappointment.