Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-16
SAVED FROM
A TRAP
BY EMMA d. TOWNE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY EMMA ID. TO

all over the world. The Italian cus-
toms officers are constantly on the
alert 10 intercept smugglers.
One evening a postman was climbing
one Of the steep mountain roads that
lead up toward the border line when
he was accosted by Il man with stub
BILE beard and small. cunning eyes.
Anything for Antoine CavaileriT'
he asked OF the postman.
The postman took package OF let
tiers from his bag and looked over theft
superscriptions.
Nothing for Cavalleri." he said and
was about 10 return the letters to the
bag when the man made a grab for
one of them, seized II and ran away
with II. The postman was at disnd-
vantage. His letter bag was SO heavy
that he could not hope TO catch the
letter thief while II 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 10 meet him.
"a letter for me today. LuigiT
..yes: there Is one. 1 believe"
He Looked over the letters. but found
none for the girl. IL was sure there
was one he said Then he stopped
and thought, saying half TO himself
and half TO her, II wonder IL that was
the letter the rascal robbed me orr
He was looking at his companion ana
saw that she paled.
Have you been robbed OF letter.
she asked quickly.
"Yes."
"By a thickset man with a short
beard and eyes like snakes"
"The same He asked for letter
for Antoine Cavalleri, and while l was
looking over the lot made grab Tor
one and ran away with II. But what
Is 1t, Marie?"
"Oh. Luigi, Giovanni and his friends
will be taken. The man who stole the
letter was 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
I am the medium between the Swiss
and Italian bands who are acting to-
rether-CiovannI and his friend col
lecting the goods in Switzerland ana
turning them over to the Italians. who
run them across the lake. Giovanni
sent 1t to me to deliver to Toni"
But is there not time to warn
themY
II don't know where either party Is
or the trysting place. That Is given in
the letter Which way did he goT'
He took the valley road up the
mountain
Il will go and seek him myself He
knows that n girl named Marie Polini
IL the go-between for these letters. but
he has never seen me-
An hour later the letter thief was sit
ting under an urbor outside an Italian
inn drinking glass OF wine and fmok-
ing a cigarette. Marie. who Was ascend
Ing the road, saw him. and. taking a
byruadZall roads In that country run
between high stone walls-she entered
the inn unseen by a back door. She
knew well the people who lived there;
they were friendly 20 her and the
indeed. friendly to any one
who Is interested In getting living
cut 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 It Is always from the Americans
She told them the story and her pGr-
nose. Going out TO the official, she said.
with a smile:
did the senore call for more wineT
Il did not. but IL so pretty maid
will drink II with me I will have Il
liter"
The girl brought the wine and mod
estiy stood til the man asked her to
be seated: then. showing her white
teeth In q smile and darling her Ital-
ian black eyes at him. she took the
glass Of wine be poured for her and
sipped Il. The customs officer drain
ed his own glass and refiiled II.
A knowledge Of drugs that viii XIII
or stupefy has been handed down
among the Italians since the days OF
the Bsrgias. 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 be became uncon-
scious she unbuttoned his coat. took
the letter he had stolen from the post;
man. looked at the supcrscriPtiou and
seeing that Il was for her, opened and
read 70.
Taking up the bottle containing the