The Press., 1919-05-01

l
 they were settled!
 Late that afternoon when Miss
 Elisabeth rested in the quiet home
 like rooms on Frenley street, Phyl
 lis went to the post office. Coming
 back in the car Mail Carrier Dorrel
 Lee moved his pack to make room foI
 her. She smiled her thanks, and
 lips took the old man to his youth. He
 noted she got off at the street on which
 lay part of his route. l That evening he sat for long time
 time thinking of Dimple-he often
 thought of her now, since Sophie was l gone. For the old, old reason that her I family thought his family not as good
 as hers they hadn't let him marry l the good girl he loved, so he came ! away, and here, out West, Sophie mar 1 ried him. It had been because he was sorry for her struggle with poverty but Sophie had developed into an ex- travagant shrew who never allowed him to save penny in the 40 years she handled his mail-carrier's pay. Only their youngest child grew up, and she had married and gone to live in Maine. And Sophie had died, and he had been transferred to another city. If he didn't always have to be sending Mona money he often thought he might be able to save a little for the days when he could no longer com fOrtably carry postman's pack, but the Bradys were thriftless, and he hadn't the heart to deny Mona's in- sistent demands.
 An. well, it couldn't be helped-the child might have been less selfish if Dimple had been her mother, but they hadn't let him marry Dimple! If he had married her and she had died, like Sophie, even his loneliness would be honorable, he thought, and he would have had happy memories of her.
 One day when Phyllis received letter addressed Miss Phyllis Oar rell Firth" old Lee, with whom she had become quite friendly, smiled as he handed it to her. (All Sophie's nag ging had not quenched his ready smile.)
 My first name is Darrell, my moth CTS family name. Perhaps we are relatives"
 she told him; but it was just name she fancied, 1 think"
 As he went out she noticed he limp ed d little.
 "RheumatiSm !' He smiled as cheerfully as though rheumatism were fine thing for mail car rier.
 "I wish you could stop work a while!' she spoke wistfully.
 'I can't, my dear. If I could, I'd stop today and have jolly rest-I be- lieve I'd get kind of young. But I've got to keep going as long as the gov ernment lets me, and glad to get to go. You see, I've never saved up. But don't you worry, my dear" he patted her arm. don't you worry, my dear"
 Every day of the seven days they had been on Fremley street Miss Ellis abeth had walked out and sat for while each evening on the bench by the castor bean tree, but usually she sat in her room reading or sitting knitting, the lace work in her lap for gotten.
 'She looks like she's in some happy dream,' the girl saiti -to herself, "I'n, so glad she doesn't have to work any more-that she's got time to dream but I wish my dear old postman had half she's got. That would keep them both in luxury. Oh, things are so un- evenly divided!'
 The next morning Phyllis went quite early for an all-day auto picnic In the mountains with her friends, and at nine o'clock Miss Elisabeth went down, for the first time to meet the post. man. Standing on the little porch she watched him come across the street. He was at least seventy, but he bore himself valiantly; he did not stOop, and he held up his head gallantly and smiled when he saw her waiting, and with his smile the ghost of youth came in his worn cheeks. Something clutch ed Miss Eisabeth's heart
 He held out a sheaf of letters. Miss Phyllis Firth, Miss E. Brown"
 Then she knew his voice.
 "Oh, Darrell Darrell" she was say ing. "Where have you been all these years?"
 He stared at her; the letters fell to the floor. He was trembling and hold ing out his hands.
 'Dimple, Dimple! I never thought of Miss E. Brown as you! Oh, my girl. is it you?'
 That evening when Phyllis, a radi- ant thing, came up the stairs, Volney Bronner Ooh, Volney Bronner didn't care one bit if she did stay on com- mon streetD heard voices in her aunt's sitting room. Lee opened the door.
 q might never have seen him." whis- pered Miss Elisabeth when he was called downstairs to the telephone a little later, Eff I hadn't seen that cas- tor bean tree and come to stay on this little street It was Darrell that used to talk to me on the bench by mothers clump of castor bean plants at home, Phyllis"
 Phyllis kissed her.
 He's going to quit carrying letters | tomorrow" Miss Elisabeth went on. "He says he'd keep on at 1t until he dropped if it was needful to keep me in bread, but I've got all the money | of Reuel's and Darrell is tired and l needs to rest, and so-and so-"
 And so what?" asked Lee. coming l in.
 Phyllis turned and kissed her joy GUS face.
 And so they were married and |