Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-03-14

your friends. then they will stop ana
you can discharge your butler.
IAN right SAID stanton, "nut doi T.
for Gods sake. MAKE "a mistake.
Your ilnpetuous c~hivalry is running
away with your Judgment. There VIII
he no mistake mad. be assured "i 'la''
Good evening. Mr.. Stanton
stanton left with a cloud of unrer-
rain>y in his mind. However. Judge
Treat had told him 10 trust cheney
| ana ne would Bul Ciilce Apney the
culprit? No, never
~ SOC Us Stanton bad sone cheney
lighted = fresh cigar and. snnilinglN,
~nurinured: Hell hath no fury IKE mat
of a mn Scornea
The next morning Cheney made a
quiet Investigation n ihe n"ighborh"od
al the Abney home. he found mat MIS-
Abney 1Dou, two months ago hau Iuf-
chased a couple OF WrltilS fidS ana
some plain envelopes at - small station
cry store just around the corner. ~
talk 10 me like that | shall tel Mr..
the slhSiation he intcrNleWed me man
that sold stamps. liz was Il ciNil war
veteran. Johnson by name. and al'er
Cheney presented his credentials WIS
willing To answer any qu'slloms.
DO you know Ms. Abney: asked
Cheney.
Yes. know her ny sight" replied
johnson.
Does she ever buy stamps here?
Yes. that's the way know her.
How long since she bought any
About two weeks ago.
"liow many stamps -oes she nuN AT
. time
"Generally about, tifty. haif u sheet.
NOW. listan.'' said Cheney sharply.
This afternoon IN send YOU out a
.I,.,, .f ct ~, l1.. fkaIn HkA1N IN
some safe place ard when Mrs. Abli"y
buys amy more stamps sell her from
that sheet and s.nd tn" rest I" me
Immediately. Don't forget; it is inn
portanl.'
"Ml right, sir. | Won't forget" said
Johnson.
Cheney was absolutely certain Mrs.
AbieN VAS the letter "pastcr. In ms
own mind he knew it. but he wanted
the proof-proof that could be used in
IL court of law if necessary. He went
In he %postotiice. interviewed the post
master. secured a sheet of stamps and
tina. afternoon sent them to IohnSons
suhstation. Then he waited, waitHd
like an angler watching n bcbbinS cork.
waited for "A nibh which would tel!
iIim the rist was playing wirn his bait.
Seven days later ii happened. John
son came down with half a sheet of
stamps and reported Mrs. Abney had
purchased fifty that morning. The cork
was bobbing rather vigorously and the
indications were the fish would soon
swallow hook. line and Slnker.
Two days later Stanton came in. a
report from Guthrie had preceded his
coming.
Here's another batch of those
damned letters" he said. throwing them
on the table.
Right on time to the minute" said
Cheney. smiling. But. Mr.. Stanton.
let me assure you there won't be any
more. These Will be the last"
You mean YOU know who is send
ing them and can stop it," asked stan
ton.
Yes. that's just what | mean. and
tomorrow or next day YOU can dis
charge YOU butler: / may need him
here"
IAN right said Stanton. but I'd
like to keep him. He's "A good one"
Il know that" replied Cheney.
Guthrie is good at anything he under
takes. but 1 { don't believe he fancies This
'hutlering' business. Come around to-
morrow and | will tell YOU ALL"
Now Cheney was ready to move
swiftly and surely in his work. He
was sure before that Grace Abney had
knew IT,. All that was left to do was
10 bring about the denouement.
Just off of chency's office was AN
alcovc room before the door of which
hung a curtain. In this tlcovc was his
secretary's office. and his secretary was
a Very bright woman named May Wood.
Cheney called her.
Miss Wood. tomorrow morning
want YOU to be in your office CONSTANT
~. expect a lady visitor. quite IA
society woman in fact. and | want ev-
cry word spoken while she is here
taken down."
Cheney again interviewed the post
master and that gentleman promised to
have Mrs. Abney in his ~UChency's) Of
.ice the next morning. He knew her
md would no have any troublc i'm in
ducinE her to come. Cheney didn't
want her husband to comc-not lust
yet. if ut all. 1t depended on the
n
The next morning about II O'Clock
The postmaster and Mrs. Abney ar
rived. she was Il beautiful woman.
styiishiy sowned. and possessed a pair
OF blue black eyes. The introduction
was brief and the postmaster with
drew. Mrs. AbneN had herself under
splendid control. She knew nothing of
wrat was in store for her. Cheney
too was good to look upon that morn
ing; he was we'll dressed and deco
rated with a rcd %carnation.
"i". ifphey, ne began after his
guest was comfortably scared i'm AN
easy chair. Il am connected with the
government service. and in process
of my work l have formed an idea
that something is wrong with the
stamp department. of the st. Louis
~postoffice."
And what has that to do with me
pray. asked Mrs. Abncy in n ricl
contralto voice. Her eyes were look
ing straight at Colonel Cheney
Wait. please. 1t is thought there
are Il numbe of spurious stamps be-
ing sold in st. Louis. The substa-
ton near your residence is suspected
of being implicated
What: MIR. Johnson Impossible.
Colonel Cheney, impossible"
MIS- tApne!. nothlng is impossible