CHAPTER I

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXI, Issue 1, 6 January 1905, Page 2

CHAPTER I

The mail stage had just passed Laurel Run. So rapidly* that the whirling cloud of dust drag-ged with it down the steep grade from the summit hung- over the level' long after the stage had vanished, and then, drifting away, I slowly sifted a -red precipitate over the hot platform of the Laurel Run post office. Out of this cloud' presently emerged the neat figure of the postmistress with the; mail bag which had been dexterously flung, at her feet from the top of the passing vehicle. A dozen loungers eagerly stretched out their hands to assist her, but the warning: "It's agin the rules, boys, for any but her to touch it" from a bystander and a coquettish ( 'shake of the head from the postmistress herself — much more effective : than anj* official interdict— withheld them. The bag was not heavy — Laurel Run was too recent a settlement to have attracted much correspondence— and the young woman, having pounced upon her prey with a certain feline instinct, dragged -it,- not -without difficulty,, behind- the i partitioned inclosure in the office and locked the door Her pretty face, mo mentarily visible through the window, was slightly flushed with the exertion. and the loose ends of her c fair hair, wet with perspiration, curled themselvc.*over hor, forehead into tantalizing little rings. .But the window shutter wa** quickly closed and- this momentary but charming vision withdrawn from tho waiting public. "Gov'merit- oughter hare -more sense than to make a woman pick mail bag.** uter the roak£ n ' 'said Jo : Simraons,*«ym -.ithetically. " Taint in her dayV *.-.-ork, anyhow; jgov'inent oughter hand ■-•in* over to her like a lady; it's ricli -•nough acd ugly enough." " 'Taint government, it's that stag*- / company's airs andgraces," interrupted a newcomer. .'They think it might ■ •ine- to. go beltin" by makin' everybody take their dust- Just .because stoppin lint in' their 'ooritract. '• Why»-if tbal axpressman-'who - cbucked-^clown {tht ba'g'h'ad any'feelin's for a lady"— but'hc* stopped' here at ' the axnusckl fates 'etf hie i auditors. , "Guess you don't know much o' that expressman's ,feelin's,. stranger,",, saic. Simmons,, fgrimly. V Why,- yon oughts -see him -just .-mlssin' -that bag like • - -iaby "as.- he - comes tearin'-dowmth-grade and then rise up and sorter heavit to Mrs; Baker ez if it \yas a five-doll ai bokay. His feelin's for her? Why ' he's give himself -so .cleaclaway to he* -that we're; looking for him to forge, iwhat he's doin' next, and .just eoirie « sailin* dowu hisself at her feet." Meanwhile, on the other 'side of I 'the "partition, ' Mrs. Baker had brushed tht red dust from the padlocked bag, ant * removed, what 1 seemed to be ~a- sup 1 plementary package attached to it by n - wire. Opening it she found a handsom. scent-bottle, evidently' J a "'superadded gift f ronrthe devoted expressman. Thi.*- --' she put aside 'with" "a light ~ smile and the murmured word: But when she had unlocked the bag"even'its sa'ctedin terior' vfis profaned by . a covert parcel.f rom the adjacent postmaster at Burat Ridge, containing fa, gold "specimen'VbrOoch and some circut tickets. It was. laid aside with the other. This also . was vanity-— and pr-e 'sumably— --vexation 'of-'spirit. There were seventeen letters in all. ■of which five were for herself —and .yfe* the proportion*" was'small 'that morning Two of them were marked "Offieia* business," and were promptly put b\ with feminine discernment; but in another compartment than that holding the presents. Then the shutter wat opened and the task of delivery com "menced. s It Was afceompaniiwi with a social peculiarity "that htfd in time befcdthe a habit of Laurel -Run.- As the young woman delivered the ktiio— in turntc

the men who were patiehtly drawn up in Indian file, she made that simple ad a medium of privileged* but limited con vers-ition on special~or general topicsgay or -serious as- the case-mhjht bear the temperament of the man suggested. That it was almost always of a' complimentary character on their part, may be readily imagined; but it was invariably characterized by an .ele-, ment of refined restraint, and, whether from some implied understanding or individual sense of honor — it never passed the bounds of conventionality or a certain delicacy of respect. The delivery was, consequently, more or leßs protracted, but' when- each man had ex changed histhree or four minutes' conversation withthe fair postmistress — a conversation at times impeded by bash fulness or timidity, on his part solely." or restricted often to vague smiling— h* . resignedly made way for" the next, i was a formal letree, mitigated by the ir formality of rustic «*.aet, yroj-i pc* hu*»ar and wvSnite jpatience. aiui «-c ,

have been n*nv>Avg had it not always been terribly in earnest and at times * touching. For it waa peculiar to the place and the epoch.^and, indeed, implied the whole history of Mrs. Baiter "She was- the- wile of John- Baker, foreman of "The Last Chance," nosy for a year lying dead under hall a mile of crushed and beaten-in -[tunnel . atBurnt Ridge. There Had been a sudden outcry from the depthß at high, hot noontide one day, and John had rushed from his 'cabin; liis young, foolish, i flirting wifeL&inging to him," to answer that despairing cry. But she rose suddenly with a pala^ face antf said: "Go, John; I* will- wait for y«i .' here." ■ He went; the men were freed—* but shejliad waited' for Him ever" since. Yetinthe shock of-the calamity and In the after struggles qi that poverty which had come to, the ruined camp she had scarcely changed. But the men had- Although > she was to all appearances the same giddy, pretty Betsy Baker who had been so disturbing to the younger members, they seemed no longer to be disturbed by her. A certain subdued awe and respect, as if the martyred spirit of John Baker still held his arm around her, seemed to have come upon them all. They held their breath as this pretty wbmanv- whose: brief -.mourning had not seemed to affect her cheerfulness or even playfulness of spirit, passed before them. , But she-stood by her cabin and the camp— the only woman in a settlement of forty men — during the darkest hours of their fortune, helping' them to wash and cook and ministering to their domestic 'needs. The sanctity of her cabin was, however, always kept aa inviolable as if it had -been his tomb. No one exactly knew why, for it was only a tacit instinct; but even one or two who had not scrupled to pay court to Betsy Baker during John Baker's life shrank from even a suggestion of familiarity toward the woman who had baid that she would "wait for him there."

When brighter days came and the settlement had increased by one or two

families and laggard capital had been hurried up to relieve the still beleaguered and -locked-up wealth of JBurnt Ridge, the needs of the community and the claims of the widow of John Baker were so well told in politijcar quarters that the post office ofJ Laurel (Run was created expressly tor •her. Every man participated in the building of the' pretty,. yet substantial

edifice — the only *" ptiblic" building in j Laurel Run— that stood in the dust of-, the great highway, half a mile from the '■settlement. There 'she was installed for certain hours of the day, for she could not be 'prevailed upon to abandon John's cabin, 'and here, with ] all the added respect due to a public ;

functionary, she was as aeoure in her

privacy. 'But the blind 'devotion of Laurel Run to John Baker's relict did not stop here. In its zeal t to assure the government authorities of the necessity 'of a postoffice, and to secure a permanent com-

petency to the postmistress, there was

much embarrassing extravagance. Durthg'the first week" the 'sale'of stfomps a* ■ Laurel Run po^t Office was unpreeeijented in the annals of the department. Fancy prices were given for the first issue; then, they ,w£to bought wildly, recklessly, unprofitably and on all occasions. Complimentary congratulations at^the little wmdow -invariably ended with: "And a dollar's worth of

stamps, Mrs.^Baker." It was felt to be supremely" delicate tb' buy only the highest priced stamps, without reference to their adequacy': 'Hhen- mere quantity was sought;,- then outgoing letters were all overpaid, and stamped in outrageous proportion to their weign't and 'even size. T-he imbecility of tliis, and its probable"effect on the reputation of Laurel Run at the general post office "Wing pointed' out by Mrs Baker, stamps were adopted as local currency, and even for- decorative purposes on mirrors and the walls of cabins Everybody wrote letters, with the re- - suit, 'however, that -those sent were ludicrously and suspiciously in excess o those received. To 'obviate this, selec! parties made .forced journeys to Hick ory Hill, the next post office, with letters -and 'circulars addressed to, themselves at Laurel Run. HOw long the extravagance would have continued is not known, but.it was not until it wa.*rumored that, in consequence of the 'excesaive flow of -business the' department had concluded that a postmaster would be better fitted for the place that It abated, and a compromise was effected with the general office by a permanent salary to the postmistress^ Such was the history of Mrs. Baker, who had just finished her afternoon levee, nodded a smiling "good-by" to her last customer and closed her shutter again. Then she took up her own let Iters, but before reading them glanced with a pretty impatience at the two of- ■ ficial envelopes addressed to herseU which she had shelved. They were generally a lot of new -rules (?) or notifications, or "absurd" questions which had nothing to "do with' Laurel Run, anc 1 only bothered her and "made her head

ache," and "she had usually referrcc them to her admiring neighbor at Hick ory" Hill for 'explanation, who had gen erally returned them to her with the brief indorsement: -"Purp stufE; don't bother," or "Hog wash; let it slide." Sh* remembered 'now "that he had not rt*turned the -two- last. With knitted brows and a 'slight pout she put a&klc her private correspondence and to*v open the first one. It referred with official curtness to- an unanswered communication 'of the previous week, and was "compelled to remind her of ruir, 47." Again those horrid rulesl Sheopened the others; the frown deepened on her. brow, and became fixed.

It was a summary of certain valuable money letters that had miscarried on the route, and of which they had given , her previous information. For a mo <U ment her cheeks blazed, 'liow daro they; whatdid they 'mean? Her way liiils and register were aJI-wah/s -right; she knew the names of- ; evei-y J m;in, woman and' child 'in* hJer/. district; no such names as those borne by'the'missing letters had ever existed at Laurel .Run; ao such addresses had .ever been

sent from Laurel post offlce. It was a mean insinuation! She would send in her resignation at oncel* She would get the "boys" to write an insulting letter '.to Senator Slocumb— Mrs. Baker had the"ferainine'idea-of -government as a purely personal institution— and she would find out who it was that had put *them_ulpTto this prying, crawling' impudencel It was probably that wall-eyed old wife of the postmaster of Heavy Tree" Crossing, ,who was jealous of her. "Remind her of their ptevious unanswered communication," indeed! Where was that communication, anyway? She i remembered she had sent it to her- admirer at Hickory HilL Odd that he hadn't answered it. Of course, he knew all about this meanness-r-oould_he toe have dared to suspect her! The thought turned her crimson again. He, Stanton Green, was an old "Laurel Runner," a friend of John's, , a little . triflin' " and "presoomin'," but still'an old loyal pioneer of-the camp! "Why* hadn't he spoke up?" '

There was the soft muffled fall of a horse's hoof in - the thick dust of the highway, the . jingle ,of dismounting spurs, and a firm tread on the platform. No doubt, one of the boys returning for a few supplemental remarks under the feeble pretense of forgotten stamps. It had been done befbre, and- she-"hadr.re-sented it as "cayotin' 'round;" but now she was eager to pour out her wrongs te , the first comer. She had her hand im- ** pulsively on the door,, of the partition when she stopped Witli &• -new "sense oi her impaired dignity. Could she con-

fessthis to her worshipers? But here the door opened iri- her very faoe arid a ' : stranger entered.

He was a man of fifty, compactlyand strongly -built. A "squarely cut goatee, slightly streaked with gray", fell-straight' from his ; thin-lipped but handsome mouth; his eyes were dark, hu morous. yet searching. jßut the' distinct/ive quality that struck Mrs. Baker was the blending of urban ease :-with 'frontier frankness. He was evidently "a man who had seen cities and knew countries well. And while "he was dressed with the comfortable simplicity of-*-a Californian mounted traveler, her inexperienced but .-feminine eye detected. the keynote of his respectability in the carefully tied bow of his. cravat. The Sierran- throat was apt tb be open, free and unfettered. . ' "Good morning, Mrs. Baker," he said,. pleasantly, with his hat already in his hand. "I'm Harry Home, of San Francisco." As he spoke his eyes swept approvingly over the neat inclosure, the primly-tied papers, and well-kept pigeon holes; the pot of flowers on her desk; her china silk mantle, and killing little chip hat,, and ribbons hanging against the wall; thence to her own pink, flushed; face, bright blue eyes, tendrilled clinging hair, and then — fell upon the leathern mailbag still lying across the table. Here it became fixed on the unfortunate wire of the amorous expressman that yet remained hanging from the brass wards of the lock, and he reached his hand toward it.

-But. little. .Mrs. .Baker. was before him, and seized it in her arms. She had been too preoccupied and bewildered to resent his first intrusion behind the partition, but this last familiarity with her sacred official property— albeit empty — capped the climax of her -wrongs.

"How dare you touch Jit?" she said, Indignantly. "Hc»w dare you come in here? Who are'yOu, anyway? Go outside at once I"

The stranger fell back with an amused deprecatory gesture, and a long, silent laugh. "I'm afraid you don't know me, after alll" he said, pleasantly. "I'm Earry Home, the department agent from the San Francisco office. My note Df advice, No. 201, with my name on .he envelope, seems to have been mis-, carried, too."

Even in her fright and astonishment !t .flashed upon Mrs. Baker that she had sent that notice, too, to Hickory Hill. But with it all the feminine secretive injtinct within her was now thoroughly troused, and she kept silent.

"I ought to have explained," he went >n, smilingly; "but you are quite right, Mrs. Baker," he added, nodding toward ;he bag. "As far as you know, I had io business tp go near it. Glad to see rou know how to defend Uncle Sam's

jroperty so well I was only a bit puttied to know"] (pointing to the wire), 'if that thing was on the bag when it vas delivered to you?" JMrs. Baker saw no reason to conceal ihe truth. After, all, this official was a nan like the others, and it was just as veil that he - should understand her jower. "It's only tbe expressman's loolishness," she said, with a slightly soquettish toss of her head. "He ftiinks it smart to tie some nonsense on ■ihat bag with the' wire when he flings tdown." - Mr. Home, with his eyesonherpretty !ace, seemed to think it a not inhuman jr unpardonable folly. "As long as he loesn't meddle with the inside of the bag, [ suppose you must put up with it," he said, laughingly. A dreadful recollection that the Hickory Hill postmaster had used the inside of the bag to convey his foolishness, came acrosß her. It would never do to confess it now. Her, face must have shown somc agitation, for the official resumed, with a ' halfpaternal, half -reassuring air: "But enough of this. Mrs. Baker, to come to my business here! Briefly,

then, it doesn't concern you in the least. ' ■xcept sO far as it may relieve you and -.ome others that the department knowsequally well from a certain responsibility, and, perhaps, anxiety #We are pretty well posted down there in all j that conccrnr. Laurel Run? and I 'think"" | (with a slight bow) "we've; known v. II i about you and John Baker. My only I 'business here is to.-take your place to t j night in receiving tne 'omnibus way | bag,' that you know arrives here at ' 9:So;doesn'tit?" I "Yes, sir," said Mrs. Baker, hurried- ■ tj ly; -"but it never has anything for us, \ except— "(she caught herself jup quicki.y with a statnmer. as she remembered the sighing Green's occasional offerings) - "except a notification from HickOry •Hill, post office. It leaves there," she went on, with an affectation; of pr'eci sion,"- "at- h'alf?ps£st "eight exactly, and it's about an hour's run — seven miles by rbadi" "Exactly," said Mr. Home. "Well, 1 will receive the bag, open it and dispatch it agai_\. You can, if you choose, take a holiday." * ''But," said Mrs. Baker, as she remembered that. Laurels Run always made a.point of- attending • her evening levee oh account of the superior leisure it Offered, "there are the people who come for letters, you know." "rethought you said there were : no letters at that time," said Mr. Home, quickly. / "No—bntr— but— "(with a slight hysterical stammer)— "the boys come all the same." , "Oh!" Said Mr. Home, dryly. "And — O Lord!" But here the spectacle of the possible discomfiture 'of Laurel. Run at meeting the bearded face of: Mr. Home, instead of her own smooth cheeks, at .the ..window.; combined with her nervous excitement, overcame her , so that, throwing her little frilled apron over her head, she gave way to a parox ysm of hysterical laughter -Mr Home waited with amused toleration for it: to stop, and when she had recovered re sumed: "Now, I should' like to refer an instant to my first communication to you. Haveyou got it handy?" Mrs. Baker's face fei L "No-; I sent it over to(|||r. Green, of Hickory Hill, f or 4nf ornrotion. " "Whatl". "Terrified at .-the sudden seriousness of the man's voice, she managed to gasp out, 'however, -that, after her qsyal hab it, she had not opened the official fei ters, but had sent them to her more ex per.ienced colleague for advice and in formation; that, she never could under stand them herself. They made, hefhead ache and interfered with her other duties; but he understood them and sent her word what to do. Remem be ring, also, his usual style of indorsement, she grew red again. "And what "did he say?" • 'Noth ing; he didn't return them. •** "Jyiiturally," said Mr Home, with apeculiar expression. After a few mo- r ments* silent 'stroking of- his beard he suddenly faced the frightened woman

"You oblige me; Mrs. Ra,ker, to speak

more frankly to you than 1 had -in..tended. You have— -unwittingly, 1 bell} lieve— - given information to a man " whom the government suspects of peculation. You have, without knowing it, . -lyarned tbe postmaster at 1 1 ickory Hill that he is suspected, and, as you might have frustrated our plans for tracing a' " series of embezzlements to their proper -*- 1 source, you will see that you might have also done great wrong tqyourseli as • his- only neighbor and tlie next'responsible person' In plain words, -we have; traced the disappearance of moneys letters to a point when it lies between^ ' these two offices. Now, I have not the least hesitation in telling : you that we v'donot suspect Laurel Run, and never have -suspected it. Even the result oi yonr thoughtless, act, although it warned."' him, confirms our suspicion of his guilt As to the Warning, . it lias failed, or he ;.,-. has -grown reckless, ?f or another letter } hasJbeen missed since. ' 'To-night; how; ever, will settle all doubt in the matter. ■ Whenl open -that bag in this office tonight and .: do hot find a. certain decoy letter in it which was last checked at Heavy Tree Crossing. I shall know that it remains in Green's -possession at -Hickory Hill." She was sitting back in her J chair, white vand breathless. He glanced at her kindly,' and then took up his hat. "Come, Mrs. Baker, don't let this worry

you. As -I told you at first, you have • nothing to "fear. Rven your thoughtlessness an tl ignorance of rules has con tributed to .sjiow your own innocence Nobody will ever be the wiser for thisr ,* We do not advertise our .affairs in the "department. . Not a soul .but yourself . knows the/. real cause of ray visit, here I will leave you here alone for awhil-a, ". -■ so as to divert any suspicion You will > come, as usual. ..this evening, and .be seen by your friends I wiU only be here when the- bag arrives, to open it f Good-by, Mrs llaker: it's a nasty bit of liusiness. but it's all in the clay's work. I've seen worse, and. thank God, you're out of it." ". V i . She heard his footsteps retreat into \ the outei office and die 'put of "Ihe platform, the iin^le of his \spurs, and the "hollow .*l>'eut ■ o y f his -hbrsehoofs that seemed to find a dull ekho in her 'own heart, and she was atone*

The . room Was very hot --\d rcry juiet; she could hear the- 1 * varpin; and creaking of the shingles under the relaxing Of the nearly level sunbeams. The office clock struck seven. In the. breathless silence that followed, a woodpecker took -Up his interrupted work on the roof, and seemed to bcy.t Dut monotonously in her ear the last words of the- stranger: Stanton Green— ' a thief! Stanton Green, one of the "boys" John had helped out of the. full-. , ing tunnel Stanton Green, whose old mother ih the states stilly rote letters to him at Laurel Run,, in a few hours to be a disgraced and ruined man forever! She remembered hbw,J as a thoughtless woman remembers, tales of his extravagance and fast living, of which she. had taken no heed, and, with a sense. of shame, [of presents, sent .her ... 'I ttiali ii she now Jb jearlyy saw J\ must h ave been far beyond his means. What would the boys say? What would John have said? Ah! what would John have done! ",<..-- She started suddenly to her feet, white . and cold as on -that day j that she had parted from John Baker before the tunnel. She put on her hat and' man-'. | tie, and gouig to that little iron safe b that- stood, in the corner, unlocked it, and took out its entire contents of gold J and silver. She had reached the door when another , idea seized her, and opening her- desk she, collected her stamps to the last sheet, and hurriedly roUed'theim up under her cape. Then, j J-With a glance at the clock, and a rapid ! survfey of the ,road. from the platform she islipped from it, and seemed to be; swallowed up in the waiting woods beyond.^^^.-;. J* 1 "" "**".'.'■ -Am Karniewt Snlutattion. - ."'Ah!" said Biggs* as a prosperouslooking man who had cordially saluted VDigga passed on. "That's the way J like tb ihear a men speak. He seemed sincerely glad to find you alive and well." #.-'.•-'■ "Y-eo," replied JDiggs. "He probably was---he'i» Jtl^ Jisresideint of the com • .piany my life** insured in." — Brooklyn