The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-10-07
SAVED FROM
A TRAP
By EMMA D. TOWNE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By EMMA D. TOWNE

The border line between Italy and
Switzerland in several places crosses
those beautiful lakes of northern Italy
which are the resort of people from
all over the world. The Italian Gus
toms officers are constantly on the
alert to 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 man with "a stub
BILE beard and small. cunning eyes.
Anything for Antoine Cavalleri?'
he asked of the postman.
The poStman took a 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 grab for
one of them, seized it and ran away
with it. The postman was at disad-
vantage. His letter bag was so heavy
| that he could not hope to catch the
| letter thief while it was strapped to
his back, and he dare not lay it down.
He would not risk d large number Of
]
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, Luigi?'
Yes; there is one, l 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. Il wonder if that was
the letter the rascal robbed me OFF,
He was looking at his companion and
saw that she paled.
Have you been robbed of a letter."
she asked quickly.
Yes.
by thickset man with a short
beard and eyes like snakes"
1.-THE same. He asked for a letter
for Antoine Cavalleri, and while was
looking over the lot made grab for
one and ran away with it. But what
is it. 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
l am the medium between the Swiss
and Italian bands who are acting to-
| gether-Giovanni 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
them?''
Il don't know where either party is
or the trysting place. That is given in
the letter. Which way did he go?"
He took the valley road up the
mountain.
! 81 will go and seek him myself. He
knows that Il 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 IL glass of wine and smok-
! ing cigarette. Marie. who was ascend
ing the road. saw him. and. taking a
| byroad-ull roads in that country run
between high stone walls-she entered
the inn unseen by back door. She
knew we'll the people who lived there:
they were friendly to her and the
smugglers-indeed. friendly to any one
who is interested in getting 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 it is always from the Americans.
She told them the story and her pur-
pose. Going out to the official, she said.
with smile:
did the senore call for more wine?"
Il did not. but if so pretty maid
will drink it with me | 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 Il smile and darting her Ital-
ian black eyes at him. she took the
glass of wine he poured for her and
slipped it. The customs officer drain
ed his own glass and refilled it.
A knowledge of drugs that will kill
or stupefy has been handed down
among the Italians since the days of
the Borgias. Before bringing the wine
Marie had slipped 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 ut the superscription and.
seeing that it was for her. opened and
read it.
Taking up the bottle containing the
balance of the wine. she poured it on
the ground. then. leaving the officer to
sleep off the effect of the drug she
had given him started up the noun
tain. 1t was growing dark when she
came upon Il man leaning on IL stone