| Show A DECOY LETTER the veteran inspector robua it in pretty marylea aris stocking philadelphia Phila dephia A act mr C B barrett formbly chief inspector of the united states see ret service had a queer experience some time ago in a beautiful little way down in maryland mr barretts long experience with this of work had taught him just to dig a pai for lis game an d the train neared the village he albed through the smoker into mall car asked for the mail showed his commission and he bad something which he done what is it asked the cherl epting the where is the mail pouch you off at the next stop it was produced opan it it was opened for an inspector absolute not only over mail clerk bit over the ter of cities I 1 here in letter sail hl r ba r ret addi to jamas Lanc siv a idame tile letter emi mined a ten d fler hi 1 I 1 wair ou to it take the nut it if that lituch and ick i with yo u 4 ki I 1 t h its was d ol 01 mr bar relt baek it no at in ove of the da y convie ft o bifi lent flat ih next nive in bawo an ewer his ex lit stations tito secret arvice agent elond u tile plat forni of the mail car n the train stopped awl the pouch w as thrown t fr when he al once stepped m A boy whose butin tsa ic was to carry alit noail took the pouch orr his kb and started up the vil legi never that the chief inspector of abe postal service true following him on the other side of the treet and was watching him it ike a hawk while seeming t 0 watch nothing it was a beautiful june day the birds were singing and altogether it was high noon the leafy lofty trees lining the qui e t street cast such deep cool shadows that mr barrett did not find walking mu for about a quarter of a mile the buy kept on followed by the e actor and then turned into a small frame building with a white and black sl n over abd tbd door la belled post office now said mr barrett inward ly my letter has reached its destination there was a crowd of visitors in side of the little post office and outside who swarmed toward the desk to get their mail and mr barrett waited some fifteen minutes until they bad all gone before he entered the place and saw a hand smirne girl about 17 years old dress ed in an old fashioned bodice and light colored skirt sitting behind the wire grating in a rocking chair sewing ja there a letter lere for james lancaster said the inspector and every one who knows his fac e and figure will not wonder that the girl took him for well to do country milti 11 no she said after sorting a ome case marked L I 1 wont you look again and be did look but with no better result lam sure the letter must have come said mr barrett find I 1 who knoer him well can imagine h ow gently be said it its not here are ou the postmaster am the assistant bly father is the postmaster str who opened the pouch th at cato 7 thelast train I 1 did no one to help you no air the girl s bright eyes looke a as in y at mr barrett its any girls bright ayta ever looked at ally mun ayube it stuck in the pouch ive heard of bach things he loaid wont ou she took ibe pouch turned it braide down shook it and looked inside no letter vout you let me come in and help you look for it said mr barrett no no one is allowed in left the chief drew from his pocket his commis tion from the aute stat with its official signatures and seals and showed it to the girl at kida as 11 he read it can I 1 come in now yes blushingly blu 1 1 I beg your you did perfectly ri abt my child said the venerable agent of the secret service there was d broad partition six feet high beyond the airm window alad agate in the end of this partly tiou toward which the postmasters daughter went but mr barrett thought she moved v e r 7 lowly at last she turned the k 1 I 1 the lock opened the gate a d ad it led the ioel betor ile walked forward a few feet and looked around there was nothing in tight but bare deal shelves and letter boxes and he knew his mission w X not there 1 I mailed the letter myself to a mes ancaster he said at last that is a fictitious name lancas ter being my mothers maiden name that letter was put in that pouch by the mail clerk on the train who took a memorandum of it an locked the pouch in my presence prez ence when that pouch was put off at the eta t ton I 1 followed is and kept it in eight until it wat taken in the post office now you say you opened it alone that no one else touched it is my letter 1 I never saw it ar if you doubt me you can search in mr barrett said he would not do A a t and that he bad never done su ch a thing to a woman and be began to pace the floor ia deep thought mhd girl more beautiful than ever iii her elc it ement sat down in the rocking chair crossed her limbs adf began to rock the inspector facea thedoor in deep thought call your mother and she can search you in ma presence said ha at length M 7 mother is dead e again tile secret service agent paced the floor ile looked into an adjoining room brightly slid neatly furnished and wondered whether the girl could have secreted the letter there while the pre tended to be gong I 1 ow ard the gate to let him in h paced back and forth he noticed the feet of the postmasters daughter that one of her stockings bad sagged down and that under that stocking was the shale of an cevelo e your has dropped he said the girl turned scarlet and white and stopped rocking she her breath as if to faint now give me my letter said the inspector she took it from its biding place banded it to him and burst into a flood of passionate tears the decoy letter as usual in case 3 of abio sort bad been fixed so that it would be apparent to any one that money bafs enclosed it had door its work where Is your father asked air barrett in the gurden sobbed the girl ir barrett out into the gardin found the old man hoeing aud brought him in std when le will all lie bowed his white head slid sobbed with his child ahll etor learned that the girt licul 1 a was Ila tural ilist her father was very miserly not lur even the joney for a bright bit alf ribbon a new hat or new artt abat tile had ajen to take money fr 1 I 1 hp ai I 1 s r MO of finery suit had fo mr bitterly no aused the oli ol I wan of the we to bi ame and lie ledged it 1 I 3 ou will arrest ber said the girls father will volt remit ution of I 1 h e built it was about 10 she has taken on account of your a eol yes here it I 1 is arid it wa hanaew over will you arrest her if I 1 did what would be br future no unless you or she tell this it v ill never be known in the village inspector barrett left after fore ing tile old man to promise his daughter never be compelled or allowed to handle the mails again and when he submitted his tu I 1 report to the head of the de p artmont at his course wa a fully approved |
