The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-08-09
The POstmaster,s Daughter.
An inspector bad a queer expeI

:
neared this village he walked into
the mail car and asked for the mail
clerk, showed his commission, and
put in a letter addressed to James
Lancaster, fictitious name. The
letter contained SO bill. The in
spector stood upon the platform of
the mail car when the train stopped
and the pouch was thrown off. A
boy took the pouch over his shoul-
der and started up the village street.
There was a crowd of visitors inside
the office who swarmed toward the
little desk. The inspector waited
Is minutes until they had all gone
to get their mail. He entered the
place. A handsome girl, II years
| lold, dressed in an old fashioned bod
ice and light colored skirt, sat be-
hind the wire grating in rocking
chair, sewing.
Is there a letter here for James
Lancaster" he asked.
@No," she said after sorting some
letters in the case marked al"
al am sure the letter must haye
come, said the inspector.
ats not here"
care you the postmaster"
"No. l am the assistant. My
father is the postmaster"
"Who opened the pouch that came
in by the last train?"
81 did"
mo one to help your"
mo, SIR"
Maybe it's stuck in the pouch.
l have heard of such things. Won't
you look?"
She took the pouch, turned it up-
side down, shook it and looked ih-
side. No letter
"Won't you let me come in and
help you look for it2"
"No. No one is allowed in here :"
The inspector drew out his COM
mission. "May l come in now?" he
asked.
"Yes;" blushing; 81 beg your par
don."
81 mailed a letter myself to James
Lancaster" the inspector said. 1t
is fictitious name-Lancaster. The
letter was put in that pouch by the
mail clerk on the train, who took a
memorandum of it and locked the
pouch in my presence. When that
pouch was put off at the station i
followed it and kept it in sight un-
til it was taken into the postoffice.
Now, you say You opened it alone,
and that no one else touched it.
Where is my letter."
al never saw it, sir. If you doubt
me you can search me-"
The inspector began to pace the
floor in deep thought. The girl,
o.
more beautiful than ever in her ex-
citement, sat down in the chair,
crossed her legs and began to rock
herself to and fro.
"Call your mother, and she can
search you in my presence"
"My mother is dead"
Again the inspector paced the
floor. AS he walked back and forth
he noticed the swinging feet of the
postmaster's daughter. One of her
stockings had fallen little, and un-
der it was the shape of an envelope.
"Your stocking has dropped, he
said.
The girl turned scarlet and then
white and stopped rocking. She
caught her breath and almost faint
ed. Then she recovered, took the
letter from its hiding place, handed
it to the inspector and burst into a
flood of passionate tears. The girl
had admirers, as was natural. Her
father was miserly, not giving her
the money even that was needed for
a bright bit of ribbon, let alone
new dress. She had been tempted
to take money from the mails for
bits of fnery. The inspector bit
terly accused the old man of being
the one to blame.
"I suppose you will arrest her2"
he said.
"WiH yon make restitution of the
sum stolen?''
1t was handed over.
"Will you arrest her?"
"If 1 did, what would be her fu-
ture2 No. Unless you or she tell,
this will never be known"
Hard Times.
Hard times never come tn two