The Springdale news., 1912-10-04

Sef1, De 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 liness
 Maybe I had" said iss Cox. You two may stay, but the rest get out"
 With narrow sense of duty she in- sisted on sorting the mornings mail before she made any investigation Meanwhile the constable and I dis cussed the case. From him I learned that Rouser, the postmaster, was likable 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 to-do for himself. After his father died he lived on the little money left him till 1t was all gone and then just drifted around, getting a meal where he could and his clothes growing shab- 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 d 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 i suggested Charlie Rouser some of the women-folks I guess it was, and first thing you rknow he had it.
 It don't pay much, only six hum dred a year. but Charlie don't drink and don't gamble, so he's been able to get along on that well enough, and he ain't 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 a lot Of money, though where It came from, if the books is all straight, Is more than l can imagine"
 hats he been spending 1t for?"
 Well, l noticed him the other day wearing a big diamond in his neektie and he bought himself 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 l call spending"
 Maybe he met with an accident on his drive"
 Maybe he did, but don't believe it 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: .If you two gentlemen want to see what's in the safe, now Is your chance I'm go- i 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 tab of the amount She also carefully counted the reserve SUD- ply Of stamps. postal=eards and stamped envelopes, and added them to her tally.
 Now for the daily cash-drawer," " suggested the constable Let's see if he's taken any of the cash"
 That's just like man." snapped Miss Cox. How are you going to tell till l go over these books and see how much there ought to be? We'll open the cash-drawer after I'm through looking"
 There was nothing to do but wait and 1t was perhaps half an hour be. fore she completed her calculations being often interrupted by callers for mail.
 If the cash-drawer hasn't been l robbed" she said, well find exactly sixteen dollars and forty.eight cents in it "
 In the presence of both of us she opened the drawer and carefully count. ed out it's contents. One fiye-dollar bill, two two's. four ones and three dollars and forty-eight cents in silver and pennies were in the drawer.
 Right 10 a t." she exclaimed tri. umphantly. T believe you two are disappointed at not finding a shortage i Charlie Rouser may have his faults but he's honest"
 1 Whats that there at the back of the drawer" asked the constable paying no attention to her remark.
 The drawer. one of those heavy wooden affairs with a circular pocket for silver, had been pulled out almost to it's utmost length. Where the money compartments fitted into the back of the drawer little space was left, barely visible under the overhane of the desk. It was at this particular | fl..t