The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-12-26
/, of interest in him that he ,nade sever
al blnndsrs in his deliveries.


used In winter instead OF his calash
headed dowE with packages and letters
and there was more room in the sleigl
than in the sealash ,isefore Leaving t.
niake his ideliyeries he took a resolves
from drawer in the pOst0tfice ane pu
It in his overcQat pocket
The snow WAS falling tn great fake
as Monson drove along the road, aaid
since X was knewn that he would .b'
a veritable Santa Claus. there Ser,
many children out at the delizery boXe;
to take what he might have for then
from his hands Monson oauld ~,
them aheaS of him, cunning ont to in
'tarcept him. for they could hear his
,bieighbells juggling for n long distance
Then when he came ny what a ,eSattel
there would be. Anything for sneT
''Thaf box Is mine. ] SNOW" >alh
,pshaw: recka1ed on getting at IsIs
one giSG by this mail" T'hese are I
few of Glhe exclaSoations that greetes
the carrier.
1t was act long before he PSssod be-
pend the hoilses near the post0fiice anc
suffered the thinly seuled district that
,onssrised the main part of his ronte
On reaching Dsisy's home she wac moi
waiting for him: but, seeiDg him trysng
to hang a package on to che delivery
box, she ca me out and took n from him
Merry Christmas!" he sais Sorry
1 have no letter for you from Rube
You have had nose for me for a
week | wrOle him the day you hand
ed nae my Christmas gift Of mSney,
and he telephoued me thSt he was go
ing away for long while. l expect
be has deserted me"
MonsOn tried to cheer her. but his
effort was bali hearted Besides. be
had so many deliveries to make that
he was in a hurry So he started on.
but. having gone short distance, turn
ed and saw Daisy looking after higl,
1t seemed. wistfuiiy. lie sighed. for
be knew that she was having trouble
with her lover He was sure she would
suffer, and he feared Rube might bring
her more distress than by q simple de
sertion.
Monson now began to pass over y
part of his route where the distances
between the houses were great. Leay-
ing some gifts and letters at dwell
Ing. he started to cover a distance OF
two miles before he would reach an
other While passing through lonely
place a man suddenly stepped from be
hind tree with a gun aimed directly
at the carrier, and cried out:
"Stop! l want some O thatp'
Monson had robe over his lap tuck.
ed under him on each side. Before
he could get out his revolver the man
would have bored a hole In him. He
had his whip in his hand and his pipe
In his mouth. He had filled and lit the
latter before starting to make the long
distance between houses. aud replaced
tin box holding his tobacco In his
left vest pocket He gave his horse
sharp cut with the whip. and the AMI
NAL shot ahead over tue level road
The carrier heard a shot and at the
same time felt blow in the region
Of his heart He supposed that he
would soon die and was absorbed in
getting the mil as far from the robber
as possible before he succumbed
He got away without being hit again
and when he felt safe threw open his
clothing to examine his wound He
found hole through coat and over
coat, and his tobacco box dented. His
pipe was still in his mouth and he was
unconsciously putting away Justify
The mail was saved and he was happy
Having completed his delivery, he
returned and on coming to the spot
where the attempted holdup had taken
place he left bis sleigh and went to
the tree from behind which be had
been fired at. The snow was beaten
down about it. but tracks Of pair of
"toothpick' shoes pointed into tue
woods. Nonson followed them for Il
short distance, when they turned In to-
ward the road. where he lost them.
But before he went home he selected
a perfect imprint of the shoe and made
a drawing the exact size of it. This
he gave to the police. and within few
days Monson was called to look at
prisoner who bad been arrested. 1t
was the man who had attempted to
rob him
The next time he passed Rube's
sweetheart on his route she did not
appear. the blinds were drawn and the
carrier knew that there was trouble
within. Having letter for her. ad-
dressed In Kube's handwriting. he took
it to the house and knocked on the
door. The girl appeared, but not the
girl she had been Suffering was
stamped on her features She took
! the letter. read it and covered her face
with her hands The paper fell to the
ground and Monson took it up. SDf
motiOned him to read 1t
Rube begged her to intercede with
the letter carrier to save him from
punishment. He was the man who
had attempted the robbery.
The next Christmas brought a great
change between the letter carrier and