The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-08-31
Under Guise Of "Palmist" They
Effect an important
Capture.
CAUGHT WITH THE GOODS
POSTMASTER Who Was Considered
Above Suspicion, Found to
es systematically
Piifsrins.
From the Kama. city star.

~ ~
several frms In X Y z. KAN. had gone
astray; ut least the contents. amount
ing TO $4,000. had reached their
destination. Such an amount In en-
titled 20 create something OF n scnsa-
ton In a small town. and the urgent
appeals and threats that went To the
postofice department In Washington
resulted I'm one o! the best men In the
service being given the case. The peo-
pie Of the town did not know this. how
ever. for nearly "A month. and when
they found II out they received the
shock OF their lives.
Inspector Crafty was an artistic iook-
ing chap with n Van Dyke beard OF
light color and n pretty pink skin. HIS
appearance n demeanor were SO uh-
like what would be expected OF n sleuih
that his profession was never sus-
pected except when ~ was revealed at
a trial. He went quietly Into y \ Il
with a young assistant. and soon was
Installed In two rooms directly over
the postofice as Professor Teller
paimist." He FASTENED to have his sign
painted on the door, n his assistant
busiiy distributed his cards. Craftys
whiskers were something OF a sensation
in the town, and they drew him con-
siderable trade. blu Crafty was not
there TO tell fortunes In gencrai-he
was interested IN the past. present u
future OF only n person: n ne
meant 10 learn his fortune oefore nc
told ~ to y on
For this rcagon N CHANGED that
-those who called on Professor Teller
were politely asked by the assistant.
stationed In the outer room, To excuse
the professor today as he was busiiy
engaged at the present. All OF when
VA very true. for the Professor
$500. Ill tha hn,tTa NJ the day lNlnE
5dat on his stomach with his eyes peer
1nr through gimlet holes he had made
An the floor. lie had n full View OF
every corner OF the small postofiice
and his later report proved that every
transaction during his stay In y 4 IL
came under his observation.
In the meantime Professor CRAFTY
had learned the history OF the town
and every one In IL. Suspicion was
narrowed down TO three people. Post
master Hanks. Miss Scott. his assist
ant. and Tim Blake. h man who car
ricd the mail bags To and from the
trains. The town people thought Blake
might possibly be guilty. the post
master and Miss Scott never. but
Blake had shown no particular signs
OF Increased wealth: he was the same
5oytal square" man OF old. Miss Scott
was preparing TO be married. but her
simple trousscau showed no signs OF
having come from n flooded bank ac-
count. Postmaster Hanks-why. he
was the poobah of the village. He was
the pillar Of his W. church. and n
contributor To the opposition Just 10
be public spirited. He was supcrtn-
stendent OF the Sunday school. the best.
most genial. charitable and thoroughly
good man I'm the town. He had the
.sweetest, best loved little wife In the
place and happiness beamed In his ev-
cry glance. He was n hard worker.
too. T'he p~ostoffae door swung open
every morning In answer To MS Key
and he was the person who locked IL
again every night. Crafty tnNesttgat-
ed them all and found the rumorcd
good reports TO be true. He was up
people who thought they had lost
money I'm that postofnce~ must have
dreamed n. There was no more model
branch OF the government In n Unit
ed States. He had decided Ia Civ IL
up as n bad Job and told the assistant
they would pack that night for wash
About : o'clock that afternoon the
assistant rushed IN from the outer Of
Nee mud exclaimed:
There's a customer TO soc you!"
wei. you know the answer. Tn
fbusy. I don't see why YOU
'Dut It's Mrs. Hanks" the assistant
The p~ostmastcr's wife,"
"rrs:-
Crnfty paused only n moment Their
n said resolutely:
'SnaS. her In. I'll take n last chanc,
at thl rame before leaving this town
Mrs. Hanks was timid about haNlns
s,er fortune told. even though sh'
wanted II lone very much. IL was
new experience for her. but Crafty pu
ne- ut ease I'm n as he spur
OF y great MANY things he had Learned
abou' her past during his investigation
20 al Of which she eagerly added
-"That's true, How wonderful!
re gave her the most magnihcen
rcnfing ever delivered from n PALMS
ana at the end he eyed her kecnly a
he said:
.Drt with all this there IL somcthin
NorT, = you. some secret trouble !
eating nt your thoughts. This troubl
fnciul les some one very close To yo,
You cannot see your way clear. Bu
you rust not worry. when the tim
roireS. as Il will come soon. for yo
20 tell your story. you u tell IN
truth Just as you know IL. no matte
whom Il hurts. and everything vi
GORE out all right"
~. Pa.hs g1"c no evidence OF b,
e. '5uchSd OF n tender spot b
Craftg's effort. n after she was COS
thu Professor" told his assistant this
he was truly sorry he had done IL.
"she's n mighty sweet and pref
woman he added. and ! ought TO !
ashamed OF myself. But ! am at n
point where I've got 10 take chances.'
crafty sat in study for a long tim
Well he ruminated. 'f her hu
band had anything TO do with that Tol
bsry and she knows anything about
tLerc'll surely be developments. She
tell him the minute she gets home.
they're innocent. / guess there's :
particular harm done. II you'll use u
observation roles I'll "A X a nap. Il
going TO sit Up tonight"
I. was : o'clock In The morning whs
Crafty. who had feen lying on u
floor with his ear next to the "a
hole. thought he heard movements
che room below. His eye replaced h
ear and the reward was an occasion
ray OF light that anne. and went III
that OF "A large FREELY. crafty kne
her was someone In the postoffi
with an electric dark lantern. but
could no; distinguish even the outlii
OF the igure OF "A man. After a wais
ten minutes. and his eyes had bccon
used TO the work. he wal rewarded
seeing n hand In the -ay of light, az
an hand Acii > letter. The hand def
~ opened the letter. removed Ton'
therctrom. AMI sealed h utter agai
Tie uLan was an expert a, u. the