The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-12-06

been Unexpectedly called away in the
midst OF his work
| recalled that in my bax q. the no.
tel was one of those storage battery
lights. which happened to be there be-
cause ] often found 1t useful in the
cabin where | went to shoot ducks. |
decided to get this and investigate
further. 1t had begun TO rain and
there were few people on the street
| returned with my light in very few
minutes and began to explore. | did
not greatly fear interruption. for the
mail-boxes on the street side served
as a screen to shut off the shaft OF
light by which | worked.
Ny second inspection convinced me
that the postmaster had left in con-
siderable hurry. A pile of mail half
sorted stamp drawer left wide open
and the books standing in an open
safe seemed to bear out this theory.
Even the cash-drawer stood open. re-
vealng a few bills and some change.
IF the cash-drawer had been rif1ed,
| ! said TO myself, Il might suspect that
the postmaster had been murdered
and robbed
! / pushed the cash-drawer shut and
heard the automatic lock click on it,
and then began a search for the list
of box-owners. At the back of each
! box a slip was pasted with the OWN
er'5 name. To my great disappoint-
ment Box No. II was blank. | turned
next 20 the safe and at last found the
book in which the accounts of box
rent were kept. In this were neatly
entered the name of each box-holder
and the two references given. for ev-
cry box except No. II.
AS | stood porting over this book
perpleKed by my failure TO discover
the owner, | became conscious that /
was watched A sixth sense con
vinced me that some one else was
near. Quickly | pressed the button
that extinguished my electric lantern.
Noiselessly | turned toward the rear
door by which had entered. | caught
just a fleeting glimpse of a mans face
being hastily withdrawn. Undoubted-
ly it was the postmaster who had
turned and caught me there OF course
he must take me for burglar. II had
been too dark for me to recognize the
! features of the man and | was certain
he could not identify me. | stood mo-
! tionless for minute or two. listening
| intently. but | could not hear even a
| footstep-nothine but the patter of the
rain.
Yet undoubtedly whoever had dis
covered me had gone to summon as
sistance. Ii would never do for me to
be caught there. While | felt l was
perfectly justified in my mission. il
would be hard to make a satisfactory
explanation If | was captured there
il certainly would mean an unpleasant
night in yermin.flled shack, perhap:
in irons It might take several days
TO establish my innocence. | decided
TO attempt an escape. The sense Of
having a revolver in my pocket com
forted me, though | realized its pos
session would be most damaging If
should be caught | moved swiftly tt
the door and peered out. There was
no one In sight.
Thrusting my lantern in my poke
and turning up my collar | made {
dash around the corner of the build
ing and looked mp and down tht
street It was entirely deserted. TIL,
thought struck ne that the man WHIT
mad been watching me might still b'
in hiding ON the other side of tht
building, but ! did not stop to inyesti
gate With the best air of uneoncerr
| could assume, | walked, not over
hastily, back to the hotel. There wa!
no one in the office bat the clerk be
hind the desk and | stood there for ;
moment beside the big oldfashioneC
stove drying my clothes. The dool
opened and a tall smooth-shayen char
came in and approached the desk Il
get his key. AS he saw me standinl
there he gave me a keen glance o.
scrutiny | had noticed that he hac
come from the direction Of the post
office and he must have seen that my
clothing was rain-soaked He half
halted as If about to speak TO me. but
changed his mind. heard the CLERK
say:
Good night Mr. Cook" as he van
ished upstairs.
If this was the man who had seen
me in the postoffice. plainly he was
not the postmaster If not, who was
he? What was he doing there?
II was long after midnight before
my mystified brain woul& let me sleep
Every step had taken seemed only
20 no leading me deeper and dpeuaT
into darkness.
CHAPTER vi.