Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-08-21
COPZRNGHT 1917

the door, impelled by the authority in
her tone and his own respect for gov
eminent property. l determined not
to be routed so easily. It seemed to
me that the occasion afforded me an
excellent opportunity, not to solve the
mystery of the missing postmaster,
but to work out one of my own puz-
zles-who it was that had rented Lock
Box II.
Miss Cox" said, CAS- a personal
friend of Post Office Inspector Davis,
who is to join me here in few hours
in connection with an important mat
ter, and for your own sake as well,
would suggest that you should keep at
least two Of us here as witnesses. This
is government property. The postmas-
ter has disappeared and some of the
governments property may be miss
ing. If your inspection is made in the
presence of two witnesses there can
be no question about your statement
of the condition in which you found
things. l really think it is a neces-
sary precaution. would suggest that
two of us, say the constable and my
self, be permitted to remain as wit
nesses."
"By ginger, he's right" said the
constable, whose attitude toward me
at once became one of decided friend
illness.
Maybe I had" said ISIS Cox. "You
two may stay, but the rest get out"
With narrow sense of duty she in
before she made any investigation.
Meanwhile the constable and 1 dis
cussed the case. From him I learned
that Rouser, the postmaster, was a
1ikable young fellow of twenty-five or
six, who had held the Office for two or
three years.
''The way he come to be postmaster
was this: His father had represented
this district in Congress for twenty
years or SO before he died. The old
man was an able citizen, but never
had accumulated much money, though
he gave the boy a good education.
Charlie, however, wasn't much good.
He was bright and smart enough, but
he seemed to lack the git-up and git
TODD for himself After his father
died he lived on the little money left
him till it was all gone and then just
drifted around, getting a meal where
he could and his clothes growing shah
bier and shabbier. The women-folks
all liked him and was always trying to
find something for him to do. He'd
work if he had it, but he wasn't the
kind of fellow to be teaming or gar
dening or trucking, and it was the
hardest sort of job to find something
that would suit him. The old postmas-
ter died and the politicians was about
equally divided as to who was entitled
TO the place. They didn't seem able
to agree on no one. Then somebody
suggested Charlie Rouser, some of the
women-folks l guess it was, and first
thing you rknow he had it.
1T don't pay much, only six hum
dred year, but Charlie don't drink
and don't gamble, so he's been able to
get along on that well enough, and he
amt made bad postmaster. He's a
weak yOungster and easily led, and if
he'd ever got into bad company I can
see his finish. Lately I've noticed he
seemed to be spending lot of money,
though where it came from, if the
books is all straight, is more than I
can imagine"
What's he been spending it for?'
We'll, l noticed him the other day
wearing a big diamond in his necktie
and he bought himself a gold repeater
watch and he's always hiring horses
at the livery stable and going off for
drives in the evening. One night I
seen him buy a round of drinks that
cost a dollar and ten cents. That's
what call spending"
Maybe he met with an accident on
his drive"
Maybe he did, but don't believe 1t
likely. A fellow that can get along
with women can get along with horses,
and while Charlie wasn't athletic or
anything like that, never seen the
horses yet he couldn't drive.
By this time Miss Cox had her mail
sorted and turned to us with: eff you
two gentlemen want to see what's in
the safe, now is your chance. I'm go
ing to open it,
Everything inside the safe was in
the neatest order. She removed the
Ledgers and put them on the desk, in
spected the cash-drawer Of the safe
and made a tab of the amount. She
also carefully counted the reserve sup
ply of stamps, postal-cards and
stamped envelopes, and added them to
her tally.
Nov for the daily cash-drawer,"
suggested the constable. Lets see if
he's taken any of the cash"
That's just like man. snapped
Miss Cox. How are you going to tell
till go over these books and see how
much there ought to be? Well open
the cash-drawer after I'm through
looking
There was nothing to do but wait,
and it was perhaps half an hour be-
fore she completed her calculations,
hniue often intarr11ntad Nv oa1Iors 81.