The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-03-28

midst OF his work.
| recalled hat il my bag at the no
tel was one Of those storage battery
lights, which happened to be there be-
cause | often found it useful in the
cabin where | went to shoot ducks.
decided to get this and investigate
further. 1t had begun to rain and
there We're few people on the street.
l returned with my light in a 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.
My second inspection convinced me
that the postmaster had left in con
siderable hurry. A pile Of mail half
sorted, a 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
vealing a few bills and some change.
"If the cash-draWer had been rihed.'
l 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 1t,
and her began a search for the list
of box-owners. At the back Of each
box a slip was pasted with the own
er's name. To my great disappoint-
ment Box No. II was blank. | turned
next to 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 w references given, for eV-
cry box except No. II.
AS | stood porting over this book,
perplexed by my failure TO discover
the owner, | became conscious that |
was watched. A sixth sense con
WINGED me that some II else was
near. Quickly | pressed the button
that extinguished my electric lantern.
Noiselessly l turned toward the rear
door by which had entered. l caught
just a fleeing 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being hastily withdrawn.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 a burglar. 1t had
beer too dark for ne TO recognize the
features of the man and | was certain
he could not identify me. I stood mo-
tionless for a minute or two, listening
intently, but | could not hear even a
footstep-nothing but the patter of the
rain.
Yet undoubtedly whoever had dis
covered me had gone to summon as
s~istance. 1t would never do for me tt
) be caught there. While | felt | was
: perfectly justified in my mission, i
; would be hard to make a satisfactory
! explanation. If ! vas captured there
| it certainly would mean an unpleasant
night in a vermin-flled shack, perhap:
T in irons. 1t might take several day!
: to establish my innocence. | decided
i to attempt an escape. The O
having a revolver in my pocket com
! forted me, though | realized its pos
session would be most damaging if
should be caught. | moved swiftly t.
the door and peered out. There wa
no one in sight.
a Thrusting my lantern in my poke
and turning up my collar | made
. udSl dlCOlld iIS hCI vi IN bdiAb
y ing and looked up and down tn
street. 1t was entirely deserted. TIL
thought struck me that the man VIII
had beer watching me might still b
/ in hiding on the other side OF th'
2 building, but l did not stop to invest.
gate. With the best air Of unconcerl
n | could assume, | walked, not over
hastily, back to the hotel. There wa
no one in the office but the clerk b.
q hind the desk and | stood there for
moment beside the big old-fashione
stove drying my clothes. The doc
= opened and a tall smooth-shaven cha
came in and approached the desk t
get his key. AS he saw me standin
there he gave me a keen glance {
scrutiny. l had noticed that he ha
come from the direction OF the pos
Office and he must have seen that m
clothing was rain-soaked. He hal
= halted as if about to speak to me, bu
changed his mind. ! heard the cler
say:
a Good night, Mr.. Cook as be val
ished upstairs.
- II this was the man who had see
=, me In the post-ofice, plainly he VIZ
. not the postmaster. II not. who we
= he? What was he doing there?
q 1t was long after midnight befor
a my mystified brain would let me sleel
Every step l had taken seemed onl
70 to be leading me deeper and daepe
- into darkness.