The Connecticut labor press., 1919-07-12
THE NEW, POSTMAN
By EDITH w. GOODWIN.

| sliding, and l can't gO!"
 David Burbank rOamed 1istlessly about the house in search of something to pass away time. A slight cold was the reason he wasn't allowed to go sliding with his chums.
 He failed to find anything among his playthings that appealed to him, so he struck a|few notes on the piano, but was promptly told by sister Adele 'to l stop that noisei''
 The little fellow wondered what made Adele so cross. She was usually good pal with her young brother, but today she had only cross words for | him.
 Whats this?" he 'queried aloud. I Sister must have forgot to mail her | letters: I'll go mail 'em, then maybe I she won't be so cross at me" @, I He had caught sight of pile of let ters, but failed to notice that each one had been opened, and that they were I all but one addressed to his sister. ,. He counted them; there were twenty-four in all. ae-s,-s-G ,' ,,,,,.s~-. +..4. ,... r. He quickly put on his coat, cap, rub bers and mittens and, taking the let l ters under his arm, proceeded down the street. Davie walked on little further, then | quite suddenly he retraced his steps. He had an idea. Why not play he was the postman, and leave the letters at different houses? With him, to think was to act, so he didn't stop to consider the fact that he might not leave them at their intended l designations, but quickly ascended the | steps of the nearest house and dropped the letter at the top, of the pile into the 1 mail box. Then he rang the bell and hurried on. e~, sA ....:., 1 .- He repeated this at four or five houses, then decided to try different l streets. Ere long he came to the, home of Wilbur Downes. Wilbur was par ticular friend of Adele's. In fact, al- though the little brother didn't quite understand the situation, he had been Adele's promised husband, but only a few days previous they, had parted with bitter words. -e'- <.5- - -.. l Guess I'll leave two letters for Wu- bur-" was the lads next inspiration He carefully selected two fat letters l from the bunch and dropped them in 1 the box one at time. >s:-.t-. l At last he had finished his self-im- posed task and turned his steps home l ward. The family were at supper. Mothers headache was better; Adele looked pale and was very quiet. Se. l aSWhen questioned as to where he had been, Davie replied that he had. gone to l walk, as he eouldn't think of anything l else to do. His mother reared he might ] have taken more cold and put him to bed soon after the meal was over. Z F 1 He suddenly awoke after what seemed to him hours and hours. The doDrbeH was peallng loud dly Pretty soon he heard Adele exclaim rather curtly: 47- 4f -a - ,.ssss s5 79sss
 Whbur DoRnest I thought you YOU were done coming to see mei''
 as.I thought so, too, Adele; but must aask you to explain something; then I'll knew just what course to take" 5e 1 You'd better come in, then, it's too cold to stand here. 2" .z. 1 Davie was very anxious to hear the remainder of the conversation. so Le hastily got out Of bed and went into the spare chamber on tiptoe. There was a register in the floor right over the parlor stove. and he had on several occasions listened here when Wilbur was calling on Adele. He heard the following
 sI found these two letters in the mail box at home. and can't imagine how they got there. Perhaps you can tell 1 me-" -~
 "Let me see them!' and Adele snatched them away from him. One was addressed to her in Wilbur's hand l writing; the other was addressed to him in her own penmanship.
 l Her cheeks famed and she got up and walked the floor. After few mo- 1 ments she faced Wilbur and asked per- emptorily: . .s. -...
 'Did you read the one addressed to your"
 "Of course did, Adele; what else could do?"
 "Well, I surely didn't want you to see it-not yet, anyway. Davie must 1 have put them there. but what his ob- 1 ject was can't imagine"
 '' ''Well, Adele. if you really meant what you wrote, shall bless Davie to 1 my dying day. Tell me, dear, did you?' l The listener upstairs was getting ex- l cited. First he believed Adele would nearly take his head off the next morn ing; then it appeared that Wilbur was glad he had got the letters.
 All was quiet for moment or two then Davie was sure he heard his sis ter sobbing. Wilbur was speaking in very low tones and the lad couldn't hear what he said. =.
 When morning came Davie could hardly speak aloud, and his mother kept him in bed all day. He rather dreaded to have Adele come in; but when she did, instead of the scolding he expected she called him dear little brother" and even kissed him, and 1 didn't seem a bit cross, either.
 The first time he saw Wilbur he was tossed to his shoulder and told that he was the best postman in the world, and that he was proud to think that some day he was to be his own little brother, for Sister Adele had promised to marry l him