The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-12-28
THE MISSING LETTER
BY LOIS PIKE.

eSSSSSS$SSsSs$s$sSsSSsSSSsSS$S $s$$$$S$S$$$Sssss3
Things happened very rapidly in the
slow old village OF Columbus. The
first thing that happened to rouse the
people was the fact that Miss Ruth
Whites aunt died in her far-Otf state
and left her u legacy OF 5000. Miss
Ruth was the belle of the village, not
withstanding that her father was u
carpenter.
Then it became widely known that
Dave johnson, son Of Squire johnson,
had made new proposals of marriage
to Miss Ruth-making three in all in
one year.
Then Abner Taylor's widow, who
had been p0stmistress for several
years, went suddenly blind. She had
the legal right to name an assistant
and she named Miss Ruth White. The
two had been good friends for long
time and the girl took the place of as.
sistant that the widow might hold her
place and not come to poverty.
These incidents were gossip for q
week or two, and then sleepy old Col.
umbus went to sleep again. The fact
that Miss Ruth was ut the general de.
livery window gave Dave johnson Op.
portunities to see lser and speak with
her which he had not had before, and
there was scarcely day in the week
that he was not caller ut the post
office. His father, justice of the
peace, received more mail than any
five other persons in the village put
together, and his sons excuse every
time he came in was to get his fathers
mail or mail letters for him.
AS for Ruth, the girl had little ia
say to him, for she had refused him
absolutely, but as q public official she
had to treat him with courtesy. Ota
day when there was no one in the Of
fee but the two he said to her:
"A1iss Ruth, love you and am 60
ing to have You for wife. If you
keep on refusing me shall play you
some trick to make you wish you had
accepted me.'
His speech angered the girl, and
she gave him back such hot words
that he skunk away while she was still
talking. He went direct to his ia.
theirs office and told his parent that
the assistant pOstmistress had vilified
the whole family. He told lie after Id
to get the old man excited and re.
vengeful, and the squire was ready ia
enter into any plan.
1.-THE idea that you are not good
enough for her and her family! he
shouted. "Dave, you have not the best
of regulations; but we must go te
work to take some of the conceit out
Of that slip of girl. She seems ia
think she runs this whole town, but
she won't even run the post Office when
we get through with her."
There was scheming and plannina
for the next month. The first Trims
t" be done. as father and son looked
at 1T. was to cause the girl to lose hel
positiOn-and under cloud of sus
pfcfOn Mt that. But no opening pre
scented itself for month or two. Dave
kept away from the post office and
the squire got his mail himself.
One day he entered the office in hii
pompous way and said to Ruth:
II wish to enter complaint to the
postal authorities, and 1t may turn out
to be very serious for you"
"Very WELL" was the reply. II will
take your complaint and forward It
Has there been anything wrong about
your mail?"
Yes. ma'am, there has. A letter
containing money addressed to me, and
which believe reached this post of.
flee all right, has not come to Inc, and
l want to know where the trouble
lies"
In about week the inspector on
that route arrived. He was young
and gOOd-lOOking man, and his impress
sion OF the assistant pOstlnistress was
very favorable. She had probably
naue some mistake in boxing the mail.
The squire was sent for, and the story
told was that u man named Hardness,
over ut the village Of Milford, had
bought horse of him and had paid
all but $40 of the price. He was ia
pay that ON u certain date. He said
he would send u $40 bill over in Il let.
ter, and lie was Il man whose word
was as good as his bond. lie surrly
had mailed the letter and it ought ia
have reached the squire next day, but
weeks had elapsed and the letter had
not yet arrived. lie was asked by the
inspector If he had tcl-phoncd Hank,
ness, and he replied that he had not
Ruth quietly and calmly protested
and she could do no more. The in,
spector was about to go across tho
street and telephone to Hardness him.
self when old Uncle DOremus came id
with a letter in his hand and ex.
claimed:
Il am getting to be q darned old
fool. got letter in my box somd
days ago and put it in my pocket ia
take home. Dog my cats If 1 didn't
forget all about that letter till Just
this morning! It wasn't for me any,
how. 1t was for Squire johnson here.
and 1t was 1lt in the wrong box"
The squire received and opened the
letter. There WOs m en- h,,, e.. a.