Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-11-18
SAVED FROM
A TRAP
BY EMMA D, ToWNE
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.
BY EMMA D, ToWNE

those beautiful lakes or northern Italy
which are the resort OF people from
ell over the world The Italian Gus.
toms officers are constantly on the
alert TO intercept Smugglers,
One evening poStman was climbing
one Of the steep mountain roads that
lead up toward the border line when
he was accosted by man with stub
BILE beard aud small, cunning eyes,
Anything for Aatolne CavalleriT
he asked of the postman.
The postman took u package OF let
tiers from his bag and looked over their
superscriptions,
Nothing for Cavalleri." he said and
was about TO return the letters TO the
bag when the man made Il grab for
one OF them, seized It and ran away
with II. The postman was at disad-
vantage His letter bag was so heavy
that he could not hope to catch the
letter thief while IL was strapped to
his back, and he dare not lay 1t down.
He would not risk large number OF
letters to recover one. He hurled a
stone after the thief to vent his ire
and kept on his way. He had not gone
far before he met young girl com
ing down TO meet him.
"A letter for me today, LuigiY'
"Yes; there Is one. l believe"
He looked over the letters, but found
none for the girl. II was sure there
was one," he said. Then he stopped
and thought, saying half to himself
and half to her, II wonder II that was
the letter the rasca! robbed me OFT"
He was looking at his companion and
saw that she paied.
"Have you been robbed Of letter.
she asked quickly.
"Yes."
by a thlckset man with a short
beard and eyes like snake'sT
"The same. He asked for letter
for Antoine Cavalleri, and while was
looking over the lot made a grab for
one and ran away with 1t. But what
Is 1t, MarieT"
"Oh. Luigi, Giovanni and his friends
will be taken! The man who stole the
letter was customs official. II con-
rains the hour and the place where
hey are tonight TO run some goods
lver the border This letter was ad'
lressed to me to deceive the revenue
Jftlcers. This man has been told that
| am the medium between the Swiss
md Italian bands who are acting to-
gether-Giovannl and his friend col
lecting the goods in Switzerland and
turning them over TO the Italians. who
run them across the lake. Giovanni
sent It to me to deliver TO Toni"
But Is there not time TO warn
themr
Il don't know where either party IL
or the trysting place. That Is given In
the letter. Which way did he goT'
HE took the valley road up the
mountain"
~ will go and seek him myself. He
knows that girl named Marie Polini
is the go-between for these letters, but
he has never seen me-"
An hour later the letter thief was sit
ting under an arbor outside an Italian
inn drinking glass of wine and smok-
ing a cigarette. Marie, who was ascend
ing the road, saw him, and, taking q
byroad-all roads In that country run
between high stone walls-she entered
the inn unseen by back door. She
knew well the people who lived there;
they were friendly to her and the
mugglers-indeed, friendly to any one
who Is interested In getting q living
out of the two sources of income open
to impoverished Italians. the govern
ment and Americans, though the flow
of coin is usually to the government.
while 1t Is always from the Americans.
She told them the story and her pur-
pose. Going out to the official, she said.
with a smile:
Ibid the senore call for more winef"
II did not. but IL so pretty maid
will drink 1t with me I will have
liter"
The girl brought the wine and mod
estly stood till the man asked her to
be seated; then. showing her white
teeth IN a smile and darting her Ital-
ian black eyes at him. she took the
glass Of wine he poured for her and
slipped 1t. The customs officer drain.
ed his own glass and refilled 1t.
A knowledge Of drugs that will kill
or stupefy has been handed down
gmong the Italians since the days Of
the Rorgias. Before bringing the wine
Marie had slipped a powder into it,
and the man had scarcely drunk when
his eyes grew heavy. They closed, and.
the pretty face of Marie, which now
wore a smile of triumph, faded before
him. AS soon as he became uncon-
scious she unbuttoned his coat. took
the letter he had stolen from the post
man, looked at the superscription and,
seeing that it was for her, opened and
read 1t.
Taking up the bottle containing the
balance of the wine, she poured 1t on
the ground, then, leaving the officer to