The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-10-10
A TIIEVING
MYSTERY
By EDITH V. ROSS

Mr.. Murtaugh." said Andrews, chief
officer of the postoffice detective bu-
reau, more thievery has been going
on at Trimm.ngham. This is the
fourth time stamps have been missed
in that quarter. and | wish you to go
there and get on to the thief
1--WE been there twice already" re-
piled Murtaugh. without finding any
thing wrong The people of the town
all have the most perfect confidence in
Miss Griggs, the postmistress, and her
only clerk is her younger sister. aged
sixteen. Miss Griggs has appeared to
be as much puzzled as any one as to
what becomes Of the missing stamps"
I'm afraid. Murtaugh. you're too
gallant to spy on woman"
There was hidden meaning in the
words. for Andrews was not above
spying on the members of his force
and had learned that Detective Muir
laugh. who had been several times to
Trimmingham to ferret out the source
of the trouble. had been making love
to the postmistress. Indeed. he would
have sent some one else this time, but
he suspected Murtaugh of shielding
Miss Griggs. and if he was doing this
he was recreant to his duties as q
poStoffice official Murtaugh made no
reply to Andrews last remark. and
the latter added:
"Well. try it once more. If you don't
get on to the thief this time I'll try
some one else"
This was spoken in a tone to give
Murtaugh a warning. He was one of
the best men on the force, and An
drews didn't wish him to get into
trouble by shielding thief.
Murtaugh had thoroughly convinced
himself of Miss Griggs' honesty, and
her sterling worth was apparent to
every one He knew it would be folly
for him to spy on her, and, acting on
his own judgment. he went openly to
Trim mingham and told her that he
had come to help her find who was
stealing her stamps.
The postoffice was a little one story
frame building. all CT which was occu-
pied for mail purposes One night
Murtaugh stole unobserved into the
postoffice, climbed up under the roof
and bored peep hole in the ceiling
through which he could look down into
the poStofiice 4 few stamps had
been left in The postmistress' desk.
The detective kept awake all night.
but heard not the slightest sound be-
low, saw no light-indeed. no sign of
in the morning the stamps left in the
desk were gone
Since the tbievery was perpetrated
at night there was ITO need to watch
in the daytime Indeed. no stamps
had ever been missed in the day. They
were counted in the morning and at
night. How the thief managed to
get into the house after dark without
being detected Murtaugh could not
conceive
When sure that no one was near to
see him he examined every part Of
the little building. especially the cellar,
for a subterranean passage, but could
find no passable ingress That. Miss
Griggs or her sister could so far out
wit him as to get into the house while
he was there without his knowing it
he felt sure was impossible. The
stealing must be committed by some
one eIse-some one VINO managed TO
conceal himself or herself in the build
ing. This person must be able to work
quite noiselessly. Whether the exit
was made in the daytime or not was
like all the rest of it-unknown. In
deed, Murtaugh could not find any
possible way any one could get into
the building unless by going down the
chimney, and to do this without be-
ing heard would be very difficult.
During the time of his operations his
love affair with Miss Griggs was being
brought to head, and when he re-
turned to his chief the only thing he
had to report was that he was engaged
to the person whom he had been sent
to spy on. This he kept to himself.
though Andrews knew of his lovemak-
ing, for he had sent a detective to spy
on his spy.
Andrews astonished Murtaugh by dis
charging him. He also transmitted an
order written at his suggestion from
Washington to Miss Griggs that she
was required to make good all the
stamps that had been purloined Since
from the first more than 500 worth
was unaccounted for and the salary at
Trimmingham was but $500 year
Miss Griggs found herself unable to
comply with the order. for she and her
mother and sister needed every cent
of her income
Murtaugh found another job. Miss
Griggs was permitted to retain her
place till an enlargement Of the post
Office building which was intended
could be made. In taking out side Of
the house the workmen laid bare a
space that was filed with fragments
Of postage stamps. Miss Griggs' desk
had stood against this wall. Mice had
gnawed a hole from the wall into the
back of the desk. which gave them ac-
cess to the drawer in which she kept
the stamps. The tiny thieves. attracted
by the gum arabic on the back OF tn.
stamps, had carried them where they
could feast on it at leisure.
A great deal of sympathy had been
manifested for Miss Griggs by the
townspeople. who all signed a petition
that she should be retained in her po-
sition This was now not necessary.
She would have retained her position,
but Murtaugh established detective
agency of his own and wanted her to
attend to his house and home.