Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-07-26
The Inspectors
Romance
Copyright, 1905, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham
Bu CLAUDE PANARES

]
iatcr-Inspector Cranforth had entered
| The different postottices on his route
md checked up and Strengthened out
affairs There were postmasters who
4 had seen him grow old and gray since
/ his appointment. They had always
! found him pleasant spoken and Just
! man. but all stood IN awe of him. In
/ no department Of the public service is
Uncle Sam more particular than in the
/ postal The cash must balance to
/ cent with the postmastcrs, and any
| man or woman who attempts to play
| tricks with his letters are certain to
| be pursued with relentless energy.
/ Inspector Cranforth was generally
/ regarded as a flint hearted man. 1t was
! understood that he was an old bachelor
and had never known what love was.
/ He accepted no excuses from postmas-
tcrs and INDUCED in no tlirtations while
travelling. At fifty years Of age he had
got to be part of the route, and no one
/ knew him for just what he was. Out
side of his oticillsm he had a heart as
warm as any mans, and one reason
and perhaps the main one-why he had
not married was the fact that he had
| always maintained home for a
/ mother and crippled sister. His sal
/ rry could do no more. one day wind
/ tan came in the shape of legacy, and
ii ne Inspector had dreams of matri-
i.puv ana Il freside AL his own, no one
,puli blame him.
Those who looked upon the man as
Hint hearted did not know the ins and
outs of the case at the Dover post
olIice An old soldier had been post
master there for years. When he died
his widow took his place. When she
died her daughter Mary, who had
known the Inspector since her baby
hood was left motherleSS, fatherlesS
and almost penniless. 1t was the In
spector who paid part of the under
takers bill: it was the inspector who
had Uncle Billy Smith appointed; II
was the inspector who got Mary VII
liams a clerkshlp that practically made
her postmistress and financially inds-
pendent.
Even the girl did not know the eX-
tent Of his kindness. When he found
himself asking why he did ii he found
himself replying that IN two or three
wears more he hoped to be In a posi-
ton to marry. At present his feelings
toward the girl were merely paternal.
What they might be In the future he
wouldn't discuss with himself.
1t was said that Inspector Cranforth
took more time for Inspection at the
Dover poStottice than anywhere else.
Some Of the village gossips said it was
because of Mary Williams. who regard
cd him as u friend and was always
glad to see him come. and others said
he had his eye on Tillie LangtOn, the
daughter of the village lnnkeeper. 1t
was the talk that the two girls were
rivals, and the innkeeper's daughter ut
least came to believe 1t and TO feel bit
terly toward the girl in the postotiice.
The situation of affairs was just right
when there came an official complaint
against the Dover postotfice.
William Pentield, son Of Deacon Pen
field. was In the habit of sending his
old father money from Iowa every
month or two.
William was of an economical turn
and did not want to pay a registry fee
or the premium eXacted for a money
order. The bill was simply inclosed in
q letter The father was inclined to be
garrulous and to look upon 1t as
smart trick to get ahead of Uncle Sam,
and 50 IN time every one IN and around
| Dover came to know what would have
been more prudent to be kept secret
A money letter was missing. Old Mr..
Penfield haunted the postofiice for a
week and then wrote to William. VII
| liam made affidavit that he wrote and
inclosed n ten dollar bill on certain
| date 1t was the business Of Uncle
Sam to send out tracer and for one
| Of his inspectors to follow it up In
| spector Cranforth took his time about
| 1t, but he finally traced the letter into
! the Dover postotlice.
BY that time there was great ado in
| the town. Old Mr.. Peniield hadn't hest
tated to express his opinions that
"some one" right In the home postottice
had crlbbed his letter and abstracted
| the money, and d course he referred
! to Mary
She claimed TO be innocent, but there
were those who held to the contrary,
| and when Inspector Cranforth arrived
| to carry his investigation further there
was great excitement. To the Intense
| indignation Of hundreds of citizens the
| investigation was held within closed
doors-that Is, Mary was questioned
| only in the presence of justice Of the
peace She was nervous and excited
and shaken. She admitted her belief
| that such a letter had arrived at about
| such date, but what had become OF
| II. II not delivered, she could not say.
The establishment was combina
| tion grocery and postOtiice. \ person
| could have sneaked into the postotfice
! part from the grocery, but he would
have had to look over all the general
delivery mail to get the Penteld letter
! He would have also had to hit the
exact date OF its arrival
Every incident of the day was re
! called. but suspicion could not be d.
rccted against anybody. The letter had
! arrived but what had become Of II
| was puzzle Two hours talk was
| leaving the Investigation just where il
! had begun when the outsiders demand
ed that the girls trunk ut her boarding
! place he searched. She went pale IN an
! instant. and as the Inspector noticed it
suspicion lodged in his heart. When
! asked if she were willing she heSitated
and finally declined. Even the good old