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Show j Ke Was Just the Janitor I j By SIDNEY M. WILDHOLT ' U n ' ,cj. 1925, Western Newgpa per Union.) I THE post office, international re-pository re-pository of joys and sorrows, fail-tires fail-tires and successes, news and gossip, fact and fancy- guardian of trifles find of treasures remained open constantly con-stantly for the deposit of that eternal Hood of flotsam and jetsam crudely '. classed under the one head mail. The church clock opposite had tolled the long strokes of midnight. A ; later wanderer, through the slot labeled la-beled letters, gently slid a long thin ; envelope. Deep In personal musings, or else a little sleepy from a long and hmdy session in a bleak and empty office he hud not observed one who ; was watching him with wide-eyed In- 1 . tensity. ! She was huddled in a corner, as i though cold. A woman, just a woman young, probably under thirty. 'You you do that very very care- ! lessly." I The absorbed young man wheeled j curiously, "Do what?" ; "She smiled palely, not answprine nt j once. "Suppose." she asked another question, "suppose what'd you do If ! ymi wanted it baik?" I He stared at her, not comprehending. comprehend-ing. "Eh?" "The letter. A mistake. If you wanted it hack?'' "oh," he shrugged. "But 1 don't, i Though I suppose, if I did lotta red tape" he mumbled incoherently, turning away. "Isn't Isn't there someone someone, some-one, some clerk or other I can isn't there anyone in the post office now ?" she pleaded in low, hurried tones. He twisted his mouth toward her In brief accommodation : "Just the janitor, jani-tor, madam." The Janitor, came out of bis seclusion seclu-sion to mop. He said nothing, but he had noted that twke'she had paused before the letter-slot. Going hack through the murky gloom of mallbngs, he had passed, last, the huge canvas basket that caught and held the offerings. He was trussing truss-ing just in time to see a letter projected pro-jected partly through and draftn hastily hasti-ly out again; and then, with a sudden abandon, was pushed violently in. And then, through the narrow slot came the slender fingers of a woman's hand and as quickly ns they had wriggled in, the fingers withdrew. Kut, these episodes over, the janitor jani-tor did not hear the plaintive accosting accost-ing of the stranger in the post office, nor did he hear his own unobtrusive position in life so summarily -described : "Just the Janitor." Yet the woman waited, and waited. The janitor came back, lighting lights and making sure nil was ready for the night shift. As he came by a window in the wall of lock-boxes, he saw the woman still standing out there. On a vague pretext, to soothe his dutiful duti-ful conscience, lie went out. It was as he dimly suspected she spoke. "Wfieu what time how soon'll these letters be picked out and sent?" So that was It! "In less'n half 'n hour, ma'am. Them letters '11 be sent hy then, sure you needn't worry none," he added. "But," she said, "Isn't there some way can't you get me a letter?" Of course, he misunderstood. "Sorry, ni'tii. I'm the Janitor we never handles no mail. It'll be In the morn-iug's morn-iug's delivery, sure." j "But,' I just mailed a letter bore 1 by mistake. I I want to get it back." "Yon'il best send another letter j ma'am, explainin' " I "I can't!" she objected, almost t angrily. "This it's a blue envelope small addressed to to Mr. Mr. 1 laiiglnnd. Can't you get It back for 1 me? It's mine." The Janitor voiced a cruel truth "Not now. It's his." Then an aftor-J aftor-J thought. "1s t to your husband?" "No. but I wish It was. Oh. I i wish It was!" The old man was troubled. "I'm Just j the janitor," he mumbled. Swiftly she sought his confidence. "My husband was neglectful this ; man. this other man, was studiously 1 attentive. I came here tonight, with a letter, telling him to come, but but ," she choked, overcome with mingled repentance and fear.. As Ion, as I had my hands on It. this .letter. I felt brave, determined. l' waited, walled thinking. Then. I I pushed it in and you must believe me- the moment it left my hand It seemed as If I was letting go of Jim, go.Hl. steady Jim, whose strong hand ." .be broke down into convulsive sobs. "Then I knew. I I want It back." 'Hie janitor shook his craving head. Wiihont a word, dimly pondering, lie plodded hack through the inner office, and stooped beside the canvas b.-i-ket. and hastily, reached in and drew it out. Behind him a door opened ami . losed. A voice, that of Teuton a p'-tty fault-finder on the night hift. snapped ,,t the janitor's hack "What doing th.-re. old bird?" "A- a letter, sir -" Kenton tnsier his head in superior ontetnnt. "Hereafter mall your letters Vein the outside, through the slot. I 'oi-.'t he dahblin' yonr tnedd'in finger In that basket." In the lobby the wotntin MM w;ted. She seized the crumpled env.Cone in '.enz'.ed htifce She reached generously gener-ously Into her purs. drew net r hiP "1 Van nver tl.jnk you. Yo'i'v ben k!nd. very kind " The old man shook a d ibioii. I,., ad. "I'm Just the Janitor. nin'am," nd w. tiked away, gome here, into Ms unknown un-known Janitorial sanctum. |