The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-24

general delivery window. had now
to see who called for this package.
One evening, quarter of a hour be-
fore the Office closed, a gaunt- looking
woman, poorly dressed and walking
with a limp, entered and approached
the window. The postmaster handed
her the package and asked:
"Well, is Tom any better?"
"a trife, sir, but not much" she
replied.
"He is getting lots of mail"
eyes, sir. He does lots of good. The
soldiers say it is sure cure every
time"
That evening, as the post master
and sat together in my room at the
hotel, carelessly referred to the wo-
man and her letters.
"Say, the day will come when Un-
Gle Sam will give that family PEN
sion," he replied.
"For what reason?"
"For caring for the health of 80
many Of his boys down at the front.
That woman's husband is laid up with
fever sore. They live out here about
seven miles. They make a sort of
porous plaster out of roots and tallow
which will prevent any one from TAX
ing cold if worn on the chest. This
plaster will drive out rheumatism Or
neuralgia in two hours, and is great
thing to heal hurts and wounds"
"Do they have any sale here?" l
asked.
"No, l guess not The folks laugh
at them, but they go off like hot cakes
in the army"
"Then he sells good many?"
ale sometimes gets fifty letters a
week, and each one with fifty cents
inside"
ale and the wife live alone, eh2"
"No. They have nephew with
them, believe. He is said to be a
young man from Ohio who was drafted
into the army, and ran away to escape
service. | guess he is knocking about
the woods .nost of the time"
No one but thoroughly honest old
man could have been so simple, l was
satisfied, now that / had the case in
my hand, but there was more of the
ground to be looked over. engaged
the postmaster to go out with me
next day to look at tract of land
lying ON the road to 81. E. M .'s''
place. The mans name was Roberts,
and when | asked why his letters did
not come properly addressed, the post
master explained:
81 can't just remember what the
woman said about it, but l believe he
used to have partner in the business,
and is afraid to use his legal name."
The next day we drove out to in
spect the tract of land, and / shaped
things 30 as to cut across the woods
and make call at Roberts cabin.
had hoped to discover some evidences
here to confirm my suspicious, but l
did not do as well as expected. Rob-
erts was supposed to be almost help
less with his ailment, but as we APP
preached the place caught sight of a
man walking briskly between the
house and the barn, and afterwards
knew that it was the cripple. 1t was
an ordinary log house, divided into
two rooms. When we reached it the
, man was lying on the lounge, and
seemingly asleep, but the fresh earth
on his boots had not yet dried. Not q
| sign of the letters could be seen, and
! when 1 spoke of his wonderful plas-
tiers and my desire to purchase l was
informed that it was just out. 1t was
plain to me that both Roberts, and
wife were under constraint, and
though the postmaster was my guar
. antee, they were shy of me. Common
q hospitality forced them to offer us q
Q bite to eat, but knew they felt re-
t lieved when we took our departure.
AS soon as we reached the shelter OF
J, the woods l sent the postmaster across
= to the horse and buggy and secreted
Q myself to see what would happen. In
!, about twenty minutes Roberts ap.
0 peared at the door, carefully looked
4 about him, and then went to the barn
< which stood about ten rods from the
7 house, and hung an old sheepskin on
l peg near the door. This door faced q
4 highway which was 80 little used that
: it scarcely showed wheel track. II
8 struck me that he hung up the sheep
skin as a signal, and, though he re-
turned to the house and everything
/ was very quiet, ! waited for two
: hours. Then was rewarded by seeing
man ride past on horseback. He was
evidently familiar with the signal, for
: he rode his horse through gateway
} to the barn, and Roberts at once went
out to meet him. l saw them have
two or three packages between them,
, and they kept up conversation which
, lasted half an hour. Then the sheep
, skin was taken down, the stranger rode