Middletown transcript., 1905-12-16
THE POST=OFFICE SCANDAL
AT GILDED GROVE
by CLINTON DANGERFIELD

face to face with lifeless body swinging
from an oak while on it's breast was
pinned rude legend to tile effect that so
died all who turned informers against the
mountain-folk.
She fled from the spot Immediately
but for many long day the remem-
brance shook her nerves. She had been
too gently bred for her present position.
Once she had been the petted darling Of
her fathers suburban home. But pow
erty, keen and biting, had descended on
the orphan as soon as she found herself
alone. She could not cope with the Bit
| ter competition in the city, where even
bare survival must be to the tiltest, and
SO she had turned to the woods, that her
slight learning should, by contrast. seem
great.
Now as she came up the steps Of Widow
Sandusky's little piazza, her heart thrilled
| again with new terror as she caught her
Hostess angry, excited voice, and she saw
through the open window the well-poised
head and shoulders OF decentIy groomed
man.
"Another revenue r she gasped to her
self. ''No other class OF men would come
out here!i Oh, Heavens, wish he had
gone somewhere else -
! Sne went bravely on into the sitting
room, however, and there beheld sight
which puzzled her extremely.
For there lay the Gilded Grove post
office in the middle of the floor, quite
empty. Around it we're piled the sup
plies, now neatly assorted according to
their kind. Here lay pile of huge red
envelopes for registry, there heap Of
small white ones ready to contain the
Gilded Grove letters. There were account
books, receipts, yellow and red cards,
postal cards, a box of type, an inky pad
with its dating-stamp, a pile of badly dis
ordered and sticky postage stamps, and a
dozen other evidences OF Uncle SANS
fathery efforts to endow all sections with
postal advantages.
On one side of all this stood Connings-
by, an account book in one hand, a foun-
tain pen in the other; while directly
opposite him Minervy, drawn to her full
height, her salow face red with insulted
pride, held forth until, just as Miss Litch-
field entered the room, sheer lack Of
breath choked her and gave the inspector
time to speak.
"Can't you understand" he said, pa
tiently, "that you had no right to lend
the governments money to any one p
"No right Y flashed Minervy, indig
nantly. mo right to lend it to Uncle
Billy Saunders, an him payin' better
intrust than the government would git
anywhere's elst? Didn't | take mug
gige on his best muwel ? Amt the
COVER ment perfectly safe ~
''That's not the point" began Con-
ningsby, then broke off abruptly as he
perceived Miss Litchfeld.
She stood in the doorway, slim, gray
eyed, exquisitely youthful, with just
WEAKNESS enough in the droop OF her
small red mouth to make it appealing.
The atmosphere of sweet personality
hung with such alluring grace about her
that Conningsby involuntarily said to
himself:
"a gentlewoman And here y
But instantly be laughed at himself for
the fancy, and told himself that when
she spoke the illusion would be promptly
destroyed. Not that he waited for her to
address him. He spoke to her himself,
with the easy freedom he had learned to
use as the best mode among the difficult
mountain-foik.
"Pm afraid we've ma de such mess
with these papers that there's not much
room. Yes, here's one clear spot by the
fireplace"
He stood aside to let her pass, as lie
indicated the oasisVninnRstion She
thanked him with Ind crossed
to it, STOPPING to ca Is - big cat, that
had jumped from the bed and had come
to meet ner.
'Set down, Henrietty, set down." said
Mrs. Sandusky mindful Of her manners
even in her wrath. II recken ye wouldn't
never guess why this yere stranger is
troublin' hissef to come to my house.
Mr.. Conningsby, | present Mis- Litch-
6aid,"
'He must be revenue" thought the
girl. Aloud she said, timidly, "He seems
to be helping you with the post-ofice. /"
"The voice Of well-bred woman, too, /"
thought Conningsby, in astonishment.
"Oh, yes, he's helpin' all right" re-
torted Mrs. Sandusky, with the bitter
sarcasm OF an official feeling for the first
time the heartless search-light of author
lied inquiry. "The kind o. help folks
give when they want to make trouble fer
ye. He says amt had no right to lend
money to Uncle Billy Saunders, ner to
swop them three. cent stamps ier chickens.
An you know, Henrietty, how long and
faithful tried to sell them stamps. When
/ seed nobody wouldn't have 'em,
turned 'em into chickens at the valley
store, aliowin' to pay 'em back to the
COVER ment this winter-with intrust, too.
reckon live chicken is worth mo- in
the market than dead stamp"
"You are not allowed" began Con-
ningsby, firmly but Minervy had re-
covered her breath.
HE even goes fur enough to say |
KANT trust my own brotherin-law with
a two-cent stamp, though everybody in
Gilded Grove knows Jim is the reliabelest
teller goin'. Mebbe you think | ought
to hev TUX muggige fer that single
stamp" she added, with withering irony,
to the inspector.
sIt's the principle OF the thing, said