Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-29
SAVED FROM
"A TRAP

Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

why" "ie-ehe ieSoft VI people from
all over the world The Italian Gus
toms officers are constantly on the
alert 10 intercept smugglcrs.
One evening a postman was climbing
one OF the steep mountain roads that
lend up toward the border line when
he was accosted by man with stub
BILE beard and small. cunning eyes.
Anything for Antoine Cavalleri?"
he asked OF the postman.
The postman took a package Of let.
ters from his bag and looked over their
superscriptions.
Nothing for Cavalleri." he said and
was about TO return the letters 10 the
bag when the man made grab for
one OF them. seized 81 and ran away
with It. The postman was at disad,
vantage. His letter bag was SO heavy
that he could not hope 60 catch the
letter thief while II was strapped to
his back, and he dare not lay It down
He would not risk large humber OF
letters TO recover one. He hurled n
stone after the thief to vent his ire
and kept on his wny. He had not gone
far before he met young girl com
ing down to meet him.
"a letter for me today, Luigi
Yes; there is one. / believe"
He looked over the letters. but found
none for the girl. II was sure there
was one" he snid. Then he stopped
and thought. saying half to himself
and hair TO her. II wonder IL that was
the letter the rascal robbed me Off"
He was looking ut his companion and
saw that she paled.
"Have~you been robbed OF letter."
she asked quickly.
YES"
by thickset man with a short
beard and eyes like n snake's?'
The same. He asked for n letter
for Antoine CAVALIER, and while was
looking over the lot made grab for
one and ran away with It, But what
IS 1t. MarieT'
"Oh. Luigi, Giovanni and his friends
Will be takeni The man who stole the
letter was u customs official. 1t con-
tains the hour and the place where
they are tonight to run some goods
over the border. This letter was ad
dressed to me TO deceive the revenue
officers. This man has been told that
] nm the medium between the Swiss
and Italian bands who are acting to-
gether-Giovanni and his friend col
Letting the goods I'm Switzerland and
turning them over 10 the Italians. who
run them across the lake. Giovanni
sent 1t to me TO deliver to Toni"
10
themT
''I don't know where either party is
Dr the trysting place. That * given in
the letter. Which way did he go?"
Pie took the valley road up the
mountain
Il will go and seek him myself He
knows thnt girl named Marie Polini
Is the go-between for these letters. but
lie 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 slnok
Ing II cigarette. Mnrie. who wns ascend
ing the road. saw him. and. taking II
byroad-all roads In that country run
between high stone waIls-shr entered
the i'm unseen by back door. She
know well the people who lived there:
they were friendly TO her and the
siItiggIors--indeed. friendly 10 any one
who Is interested I'm getting living
ont or the two sources OF income open
90 Impoverished Italians. the govern
ment and Americans. though ih, flow
~ coin * usually To the government.
While II Is always from the Americans.
she told them the story and her pur-
pose. Going out 80 the official. she said.
with u smile:
Did the ScnOrc call for more wine?"
II did not. but " so pretty u maid
will drink It with me | will have n
liter"
The girl brought the wine and mod
rstly stood TIL the man asked her to
be seated: then. showing her white
teeth In a smile and darling her Itnl-
Ian blHck eyes Mt him. she took the
glass OF wine he poured for her and
,ippcd II. The customs officer drain
ii his own glass and rcf!lcd n.
a knowledge OF drugs that will XII
81 Stupefy has been minded down
lm0ng The ltSlIHns since the days OF
hc Botglas. Before bringing The wine
Marie bad slipped powder into n
md the man bad scarcely drunk when
us eyes grow heavy They closed ana.
he pretty face Of Marie. which now
SorT' q smile oftriumpb. faded before
lin. As soon ms hp became uncon
ciOuS she uubuttOncd bis coat. took
he letter he had stolen from tie post.
nan. looked AT the suporScrfutt,, and
eeipR that II was for her opened and |
cad It.
Taking up The bottle containing the /
'alance " the wine. she poured II on |
he ground. then. leaving thc officer 10 |
leep Oh the effect Of the drug she |
lad given him started up the noun /
ain. Il was growing dark whom she |
anne upon a man leaning on a stone ,
vail. looking or pretending TO look |