The daily Alaskan., 1913-09-26
On the Rural
 Delivery
By OLIVE EDNA MAY

che letter, to bc put in the next mail box. when he encountered George IT. win walking,
 Anything for me, Ear" asked Irwin.
 "If thcrc Is you'll get It in your box" replied the postmOu.
 "Tm going out of town; on my way to tho station now. It would be an ac- commodutlon lf you would give it to me now lf there's anything for mo. Otherwise len have to bo forwarded"
 Bartlett pulled up, Irwin drew near him. and while the former looked over a handful of letters the latter leaned | forward Co sec the addresses himself.
 "Thcre |. isw he exclaimed, making a grab for one of the letters, and hls interference resulted In the splllng of some twenty of them on the ground, while dozen more fell within the bug gy. Irwin apologlzcd, and, picking up the letters scattered near his feet, ho handed them to Bartlett "Dld you tokc the letter addressed to you?' asked the latter "No. It wasn't for me. thought it was, but I was mistaken"
 "Now, seq here, George Irwin, here. after when Pm handling my mall you keep your hands or lt The next time you do a thing like that Tll have you arrested for interfering with a govern mont officer ln the discharge Of his du. ties"
 sorry, El didn't intend to inter. rerc"
 l Bartlett drove on without making e reply At Deacon Wurdcr's box ho found Susie Warder, tho deacon's daughter, aged eighteen, waiting for | him. There was an intensity in hor face that indicated anxious eXpecta- ! ton. Bartlett had often delivered let. tcrs to her addressed in a masculine hand. and by tho way she huggcd them Co her heart and ran into tho ! house with chem he had surmIsed that ] they camo from lover Instead of putting the mail in the box ho hand cd it Go hcr. She looked over it and her face fell
 "NothIng morci" she asked, looking up at the po3tmm desp0iringIy.
 That's all Sorry ] haven't ono for you today, Miss Wardcr. Perhaps I'll bring you one tomorrow"
 "No. you won't" replied tho girl, tears i starting to her eyes, "If It was to come at an lr would have como today"
 Bartlett sighed sympathctlcally. Dur Ing Che rest of hIs trip over his route | his mind was more on Susie Warder l than on the mail. Her words 'If It was Co como at an it would have come l today" rcmcincd with him, and he couldn't bonlsh them. What dld they mean? That tho expected letter was to have been from tho lover ho could not doubt
 Our minds now roll smoothly from one train Of thought tOs0nothcr and again they jump gaps. And yet thcro is doubtless connection between tho two sides of .he gap too subtle for us to distinguish Bartletts mind turned from SusIe's disappointment to George Irwln's grabbing at the letters. Then he made a mental jump, for thcro was no connection between his two | thoughts. Susics letter didn't come, and perhaps George Irwin when he picked up those that fell on the ground retained one for Susie.
 Though hc knew of no reason for such an act ho couldn't dismiss tho suggestion. It occurred to him to turn | back and charge Irwin with purloinlng a letter, trusting to have struck the correct theory Ho looked at his watch It was 4 o'clock. He had met | George about 2: 20 There was no train either way out of tho station between 8.25 and 4an He remembered to l have heard tho whistle of tho 825 ! train while ho was talking with George. The man had doubtless mOdo his state mcut about going out of town falsely and for a prcteyt to steal the letter.
 When Bartlett reached thosO induc- ! tive conclusions he had finished bis de- i livery. He drove rapidly back to the vii. Iagc, occasionally asking ono ho met # ! he had seen George Irwin. Presently hc i found man who had seen him and gave tho postmun clew to nnd him. Bartlett found his man on a road where no one else was about
 "Giye me ths letter you tookl" he said rcsolutcly and confidently.
 "Thc letter took! What do you mcan|
 "I mean that when you picked up those that dropped on the ground you kept one"
 Irwin stood at bay, Presently he said: You have no right to accuse me. 1T you know took letter, sure | ly you know to whom that letter was addressed"
 "I do-SGson Warden"
 Irwin turned white. Bartlett must have evidence against him that ho did not know or
 "Whatn you do if give 1t up|
 "Uu tell you what Ill do if you don't | give 1t up," said Bartlett, jumping out of his buggy. "Tll break every bono in your body"
 Irwin was cowed. Tremblmgly ho put hls hand in his pocket took out the ] r.4E.. ..r f.....H..H fE c., HF,n r,RuFnnnT1