Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-08-07
FAITHFUL SERVANTS


mountains The questioner was a quick |
moving, sharp eyed man, who spoke in
a tone of authority. The postman
glanced through package of letters |
he took from his bag, while the other /
looked over his shoulder
There it isl suddenly exclaimed |.
the stranger. and, making a dash, |
knocked the batch out of the postmans |
hand, scattering it on the ground |
Then. apologizing profusely. he helped |
the postman to pick up the letters.
The postman continued his route and |
later came upon yonng woman stand !
Ing in the road, waiting for him.
"Nothin' today, Mag he said pleas
antly
"Nothin' fo' Bob shore?'
Alex NcCurdy, the postman, looked
over his letters, but found none for
Bob Campbell.
Gurus" he muttered. Seems to
me | remember startin' with one.
wonder if that teller below He
paused.
"What fellerF'
ooh, | met Il man that was terrible
anxious for his letter and he knocked
the lot on the ground. He was mighty
willin' to help me pick 'em up"
'Short, thick man, black, stubby
beard?"
"Well. yes"
Lord save us it's him"
"Who?"
"Stvers. revenue man. They'll
ketch Tom with the goods on him.
They've been watchin' him fo' weeks,
and this Teller who's got the letter has
been doin' everything he could to find
out whar the still is. Tom wrote Bob
that he'd deliver fou' barls O whisky
in the woods iist above SCOTS mill to-
night at 10 o'clock. Bob was to let
Tom know he'd got the word and the
letter d be here by you on this trip
The girl seemed crushed and the
postman saw how he had been tricked.
That be was in the United States serv-
Zee did not for moment outweigh his
mountaincer citizenship and his sym
patty with the moonshiners. Besides,
Mag Campbell, the sister of the men in
dang as his swectheart-at least he
want lcr to be his sweetheart.
Here. take keer of this. Mag" he
said handing her his letter bag. I'm
goin' to try to head him off"
''IIf you do I'll''-
McCurdy heard the words and knew
what they meant. but didn't stop to
listen to their finishing. 1t was ) o'clock
and he had miles to 90 to reach the
=, JaI
goods which. for the lack of a revenue
stamp. would land the Campbell broth
ers in Jail He knew every road by
path-trail in that region-and by TAX
ing the shortest cuts was able to reach
point not far from the rendezvous a
few minutes before 10 o'clock. As he
was hurrying on he heard horses
hoofs and the rattle of a wagon behind
him. Darling behind tree beside the
road he waited for the conner to pass.
A man was driving. and as he came up,
full moon shining in his face. Nc
Curdy recognized him as the person
who had taken the letter. In an in
slant he was standing in the road con-
fronting the man with a cooked re-
volver.
1--WE no money" said Stivcrs
at isn't money l want. Give me the
letter you took"
Hold on, I'll explain that. I'm
revenue officer, and you're Il pOstman.
We're both in the United States serv-
ice I'm going now to join my posse,
and in five minutes We'll nab two of
the slickest muonshiners in Tennessee"
you'll nab no moonshiners tonight.
And I'll trouble you for the letter.
Stivers was astonished He could
not understand why man in another
byanch of the service would prevent
him from accomplishing his object.
This will cost you your position"
he said
IF it does it viii he for lettin' you
take the letter.
Stivers was resolute man and not
to be baked without an effort. Think
Ing that McCurdy would not resist
the force of arms. he drew his revolver.
y ball whistled by his head. He fired,
and mis- shot was returned Both men
were wounded. Stivers fell from his
seat into the road. McCurdy crawled
up to him, put his hand into his pocket
and took out the letter After eXamin-
ing the address in the moonlight and
seeing that it was what he wanted he
| tainted
All this occurred within sound of
the rendezvous and at the moment the
Campbell brothers met to pass the
whisky Hearing the shots, they went
to the spot where they We're fired and
found Stivers ana McCurdy, the lat
| ter unconscious.
An hour later the brothers deposited
the wounded Stivers where he lodged
and in the morning drove up to their
own cabin with McCurdy. When Mag
saw them coming with the man who
had saved them lying at length in the
wagon, she climbed in and folded him
in her arms.