Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
Faithful Servants.
IOriginal.1

glanced through a package of letters
he took from his bag, while the other
looked over his shoulder.
"There it isr' suddenly exclaimed
the stranger, and, making n dash,
Knocked the batch OHt of the postman's
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 young woman stand
ing in the road. waiting for him.
"Nothin' today, Mag" lie said pleas
antly.
''Nothin' 70 Bob shore2'
Alex McCurdy, the pOstman, looked
over his letters, but found none for
Bob Campbell.
Gurus he muttered. Seems to
me / remember startin' with one. 1
wonder If that Teller below He
paused.
what felIer?"
ooh, l met n 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"
"I,ord save us, it's him.
"Who?"
"Stivers, Il revenue man. They'll
ketch Tom with the goods on him.
They've been watchln' him fo' weeks,
and this Teller who's got the letter has
been dom everything he could to find
hO ctf 10 to Lob
that he'd deliver fOu' bar'ls o. whisky
in the woods jist above Scott's mill to-
night Mt 10 o'clock. Rob was TO let
Tom know he'd got the word and the
letter ii be here by you on this trip"
The girl seemed crushed. and the
postman saw how he had been tricked.
That he was in the United States serv-
ice did not for moment outweigh his
mountaineer citizenship and his sym
pathy with the moonshiners. Besides,
Mag Campbell. the sister of the men in
danger, was his sweetheart-at least he
wanted her 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,
EFF you do Tll''-
what they meant, but didn't stop to
listen to their finishing. 1t was > o'clock
and he had miles to so to reach the
rendezvous before the delivery of the
goods. which. for the lack of n revenue
stamp, world land the Campbell broth
ers I'm jail. He knew every road, by
path-trail in that region-and by TAX
ing the shortest cuts was able to reach
a point not far from the rendezvous n
few minutes before 10 o'clock. AS lie
was hurrying on he heard a horses
hOofs and the rattle of n 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 lie was standing in the road con-
fronting the man with a cooked re-
volver.
ave no money! said Stivers.
at isn't money / want. Give me the
letter you took"
Hold on! I'll explain that. I'm
revenue officer. and you're a postman.
We're both in the United States serv-
ice. I'm going now to Join my posse,
and in five minutes well nab two of
the slickest moOnshiners in Tennessee"
You'll nab no mOonshiners tonight.
And III trouble you for the letter"
Stivers was astonished. He could
not understand why a man in another
branch of the service would prevent
him from accomplishing his object.
This will cost you your position"
he said
''If it does it will be 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.
A ball whistled by his head. He fired,
and his 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 were fired and
found Stivers and 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.
A year later a large bundle of pa
pers relating to the case were pigeon
holed in the interior department at
Washington and similar bundle in
the post Office department. An order
was issued from each, the one COM
mending Benjamin Stivers. the other
Alexander McCurdy for the faithful
ness with which they had served the
government in their respective depart
ments.
Stivers was promoted and placed in