The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-12-28

addressed in various styles of writing
to parties out of the State, the fact that
they contained money being apparent
to an experienced eye and hand
Mr.. Marsh gazed upon her in spi h.
less astonishment, whilethe eyes of the
officer twinkled as he said: "Do as the
young lady wishes; there is no harm in
it, and there may be much good. [
will take the stage for the north in the
morning, and will mail the letters.
will return on the stage at night, and
get off out of the village ways"
"I've no objections to Trying it, but,
really, Miss Marble, why arey you so in
terested in this matterP" asked Mr..
Marsh.
The girl flushed and paled. ri have
had more or less connec.i7n with the
business, and know that letters have
been lost recently, and if Mr.. Gray is
the guilty party think he will be de-
tected by this means and, if so, l be-
lieve he will make a full confession,
which, under the circumstances, would
be due to Mr.. Wynne, in justice to
himself and family"
"Where is Mr.. Gray goingP" queried
Mr.. Marsh.
He is going out of town only
dozen miles or so on the southern
stage, and expects to be back at 6 in
the afternoon" answered the girl,
rising to take her leave.
A few minutes after thenext even
ing Mr.. Marsh and the detective ad-
mitted themselves into a back hall of
the postoffice building, key having
been furnished the former by Kitty
early in the day. Part way up the
stairs, which led to vacant rooms in
the second story, thev found small
apertures in the board partition by
means of which they had full view
Of the back office. A lamp, turned
low, stood upon the mailing table, but
the room was tenantless.
81 hardly like this business NUT
tered Marsh, but the detective made
no answer.
A footstep fell softly upon the step
of the rear door, key turned in the
lock, the door opened, and the men on
the stair saw female figure glide into
the dark hall, the door closed, then a
match scratched on the wall, a weird,
blue light flashed and sputtered for a
moment,and then the features of Kitty
Marble became visible as she lighted a
small hand-lamp. She motioned them
to be silent as she stepped swiftly and
noiseleSsly up the stairs to the entry
above. Here she crouched down upon
the floor, the lamp beside her, and fixed
her glittering eyes with almost cat
like intensity upon the two men below
her on the stairs.
Mr.. Marsh could scarcely withdraw
his gaze from her. Could this be the
bright, happy Kitty Marble whom he
had known since her infancy? But a
noise in the office warned him that his
services as spy were needed. The de-
tective seemed glued to the wall, and
he applied his own eye to the gimlet
hole before him. He could hardly
suppress an exclamation of disappoint-
ment. 1t was not Allan Gray who
stood at the mailing table sorting let
ters, but Major Wynne. All their
contriving had been in vain-when
suddenly his heart leaped to his throat
and he seemed suffocating. Major
Wynne had actually taken up letter
and deliberately opened the envelope,
putting it in one pocket and the con-
tents in another. And this act was
quickly followed by similar one.
Honest Enoch Marsh had never in
all his lifetime before witnessed a
transgression of the law of any mag
nitude, and to be thus brought into
such close proximity with SO heinous a
crime as downright robbery deprived
him of nearly all his strength. A cold
perspiration broke out upon him as he
drew back and turned his CHASTITY face
toward the quiet, watchful girl only a
few feet away. His eyes glared back
at her bright orbs which had lost none
of their intensity, but she shook her
head and frowned, and once more he
peered in upon the culprit, while the
officer never moved a muscle.
Several times he saw theman whom
the whole community would have
trusted with their lives abstract money
from letters, disposing of them as he
had the first, and then the detective
turned and whispered:
"Let's slip out and go around and
enter the Office and arrest him with the
proofs of his guilt upon him."
Poor Major Wynne-his bland smile
was sadly wanting as the two men
burst in upon him. He made no re-
monstrance against being searched,
shaking his head and moaning, "My
poor babies, my poor babies"
1t was the greatest shock Unionville
had ever received, and hundreds came
in the early morning to see the pitiful,
broken-down man in his narrow quar-
ters in the Jail. His wife sat with pal
lid face beside him, and his three little
children clung to his knees, scarcely
realizing their fathers misfortune,
though with vague, frightened look
in their little faces. A great deal of
sympathy was expressed for the major
and his children, though the mother
shared it in less measure, for to her
well known extravaganza the majors
downfall was attributed Toward noon
the detective and local officer. armed
with a search warrant, visited the ma
jor's house, holding conference with
Kitty Marble shortly afterward.
That afternoon an out-of-town friend
brought Allan Gray home, still in igno-
rance of the developments of the night
before. He looked so pale and feeble
that his mother feared to break the
news to him, and looked relieved when
Kitty Marble came lightly up the steps