The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-03-08

ney's office. Anderson was a likely
looking young chap and hadn't the
least indication of crook, unless it
be his shifty eyes. Cheney never ad
mired man who couldn't look you il
the face. Anderson was not under ar
rest when he came in and acknow3
edged Pughitt's introduction cour
teously.
"Sit down, Mr.. Anderson" Guthrie
stood to the right and rear of Ander-
son, and Cheney, Pughitt and the sus.
pect were grouped around the colonel's
desk.
Cheney came right to the point.
"Mr. Anderson, the registered mails
on the route running through Boydston
have been Systematically robbed.
Some time ago the government asked
me to take the case. ] agreed to do
so and also offered to 5apprehend the
thief without leaving my office. That's
why l have asked Pughitt to have you
come here"
Anderson paled as he heard Che
ney's words and half rose.
"Sit down, Anderson, sit down, and
be calm. 1 know you're quick on the
trigger, but there's man standing
behind you who is a damned sight
quicker
Anderson recovered himself and
snapped out: cts an Internal out
rage to be brought in here and accused
of something I know nothing about. Z"
''Well, Mr.. Anderson, if you know
nothing about the case you need have
no fear at all, and I'll stand any dam
ages you may call for. But you do
know about the case, you know all
about it. On the 2Sth of last month
you opened registered letter adj
dressed to Kuhn e Co., bankers, New
York. You steamed open the letter,
extracted therefrom $4,000 and substi-
tuted paper in it's place. You've done
it before. But this time you're caught"
"Your saying so doesn't prove it."
That's true as preaching, Mr.. An
derson; but wait moment. After
you had extracted the money you re-
sealed the letter, using a small muci-
lage bottle, such as will be found on
any postmaster's desk. The mucilage
in that bottle was doctored, as was
the mucilage in every Office on that
route"
Anderson paled again; the coils
were Tightening around him. Pughitt
sat fascinated by the. simple work of a
great man. Guthrie was on to the
whole game. Cheney proceeded.
Some few weeks ago post Office
inspector went over the route. My
man Guthrie there was temporarily
the inspector. I knew some postmas-
ter was steaming open these regis
tered packages and then re-sealing
with mucilage. The robbed letters
showed that. So l gave Guthrie a lit
tie black box containing 20 different
liquid essences. At each Office he used
different liquid and made notations
as to just what they were. Yours hap
pened to be the worst of the lot-es-
sence of quinine. Therefore, when
the last robbery occurred and the en-
velope was brought in here, / merely
opened the resealed flap, tasted the
mucilage, and-the bitter quinine taste
was there. Looking over the list OF
essences and offices Guthrie had pre-.
pared for me, 1 saw: 'Boydston: Els,
sence of Quinine.' Simple little thing,
wasn't it, Mr.. Anderson"
Good God, man." gasped Ander
49,. ,,poopnuio
mo-" smiled Cheney, "quinine isn't
uncanny, it's just bitter"
Pughitt was dumbfounded, but took
his man away.
The dinner was had some time later,
and it opened with an Essence OF
Quinine cocktail" Only it wasn't bit.
ter.
Copyright, by w. G. Chapman.)
3 gSaA e. 90 IpG2