CHAPTERII
Thepost—officewasatEldredge’sstore，andEldredge’sstore，situatedatthecorners，wheretheMainRoadandtheDepotRoad——
whichisalsothedirectroadtoSouthDenboro——join，wasthemercantileandsocialcenterofDenboro。SimeonEldredgekeptthestore，andSimeonwasalsopostmaster，aswellasthetownconstable，undertaker，andauctioneer。Ifyouwantedaspoolofthread，acoffin，orthelatestbitofgossip，youappliedatEldredge’s。Thegossipyoucouldbemorallycertainofgettingatonce；thethreadorthecoffinyoumighthavetowaitfor。
IscarcelyknowwhyIwenttoEldredge’sthatmorning。Ididnotexpectmail，andIdidnotrequireSimeon’sservicesinanyoneofhisprofessionalcapacities。PossiblyLute’ssuggestionhadsomesortofpsychiceffectandIstoppedatthepost—officeinvoluntarily。Atanyrate，Iwokefromthetranceinwhichtheencounterwiththeautomobilehadleftmetofindmyselfwalkinginatthedoor。
Themailwasnotyetdue，tosaynothingofhavingarrivedorbeensorted，buttherewasafair—sizedcrowdonthesetteesandperchedontheedgeofthecounter。EzraMulletwasthere，andAlonzoBlackandAlvinBakerandThophNewcomb。BeriahDoaneandSamCahoon，wholivedinSouthDenboro，werethere，too，havingdrivenoverbehindBeriah’shorse，onanerrand；thatis，BeriahhadanerrandandSamcamealongtohelphimrememberit。Intherearofthestore，bytheframeofletterboxes，CaptainJedediahDeanwastalkingwithSimeon。