The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-31
A DEPUTY CULPRIT
By FRANCIS LYNDE.
Icolyrighs, 1897. by tho Author.l

senger Train IN the morning and Its ar
rival at supper time. To do honor to
both of these the Vigon corps de loisir
was wont to gather in force ON the sta
ton platform twice a day, and, know
ing this, Inspector Jaffray dropped from
the farther side of the incoming train
and beckoned to man who stood in the
shadow of loaded coke car on tho
mine siding.
"How are you, Layne? Let's get away
from hc~e before anybody recognizes
me, he said. "You got my letter?'
81 did SO. Hit come last night"
GOOD. I hope it won't put you out
to take care of me-"
81 reckon you know better'n that"
said Layne reproachfully. He was q
Tennessee farmer in. whom hospitality
was in some sort birthright, and In
spector Jaffray was an old friend.
81 do know it, bnt it's one of those
things man says from force of habit.
Have you seen Cantrell?" -
eyes. He'll be long up to the house
after he's called the mail. didn't tell
him you all was comm
"That We right y
Layne led the way up to the mine
shoot, keeping behind tho coal and
coke cars, and from thence they skirted
the village, reaching tho farmhouse in
its further fringe without meeting any
one. AS man the inspector was known
throughout his district as jovial COM
panion, the best of story tellers and an
undisguised good fellow, but as an Off
Of loo W., hf
skillful TO plan, quick to execute and
very beagle of the service in the secrecy
Of his. methods and the rapidity of his
movements. And it was an as officer
that he came to Vigo on this Septem-
Der evening.
The little mining town was the ter
minal station on the Long Mountain
branch Of the railway and the distrib-
uting Office for biweekly mail route
which included half dozen villages in
the upper end of the valley. Within a
month a number Of valuable letters and
packages had been missing on this route,
and the inspector had come to Vigo to
locate the leak, and, having found it, to
stop it.
Will Cantrell, the Vigo postmaster,
met him at Layne's after supper, and
the inspector was soon in possession of
such information as Cantrell had to
give.
"You say it's always money that's
missing?" asked Jaffray after the post
master had told what he knew.
eyes, mostly. But as far as we know
it began with ring that John Corny
ordered from Nashville for his girl 1t
came this far all right because I mind
seein little package marked to John.
But he says it new did reich him.
'What kind of ring was it?''
"Piain gold was what he sent for.
There was goin to be a margin,
reckon"
"Where does Corny live?"
Cup in Loder's Cove. Graffville's
his postofiice. %
"That's this side Of the gap, isn't it?''
''No, it's on the far side, tho way the
routes carried. Ande'son gees up on
this side Of the valley and comes back
ON the other-makes circuit. - -
''Humphl Anderson's tho carrier, I
suppose. What do you know about
him?"
well, don't know. Lafo's toler-
'ble good sort of boy-son of old man
Anderson up on Long mountain. Does
his work all right, far as know, and
new heard anything against him."
The inspector nodded absently and
began to make idle hieroglyphs with
his pencil On the margin Of newspaper
he had been reading. Cantrell waited
patiently for the final question, and
presently it came.
"What is your theory about this thing.
Cantreil?'
The postmaster tilted his chair and
thrust his hands deep into his pockets.
az don't know as I've got any, Mr..
Jaffray. Seems like it's amongst half q
dozen Of us up here, and reckon I'd
better stand on line with the rest till
you find out who's doin it,
"But you reported the thing your
self. !" said the inspector.
Cantrell smiled. "Ye-cs. But heap
bigger fool than am might've thought
Of doin that ="
''That's SO. Well keep you in mind
as one of the possibles, said the in
bptclDr. Dub US lauSHSu III u way W set
Cantrell's mind at rest upon that score.
Then, with sudden return to the bust
ness OF the moment: Lets see. Tomor-
row is the regular mail day. I suppose
You have the pouch Anderson earliest"
Eyes. It's down at the store"
"Get your hat, and We'll go down and
have look at it."
They went out together and stumbled
along tho rocky road through half
mile Of inky darkness to the country
store. Cantrell admitted his companion,
struck light and found the pouch. 1t
was old and we'll worn, and the in
Epector pointed out a small hole frayed
through one of the creases in the leather.
why haven't you reported this?" he
asked.
81 have I've kicked about it till I'm
pln,nb tired. You know the supplies for
tho route are ordered by Godfrey at tho
gap, and I've sent word to him by Lafo
half dozen times.
Jaffray threw the pouch under the
counter 'That's the leak" he said
briefly sf(1ood NIGHT -