magic and real detectives-第10节

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station　one　morning；　and　proceeded　to　survey　the　town；　which

consisted　of　four　or　five　houses　scattered　along　the　highway　for　a

distance　of　half　a　mile。　　〃Livingston　Hall〃　and　〃Elm　Avenue〃　were

nowhere　visible。　　It　was　apparent　that　〃No。　42〃　on　any　avenue　was　a

remote　contingency　not　likely　to　arise　in　the　present　generation。



Having　previously　ascertained　that　the　postmaster　was　also　switch…

tender　at　the　junction；　and　that　the　cares　of　the　office　devolved

on　his　wife；　the　officer　walked　up　to　a　keen…looking　man　in　front

of　the　little　round　switch…house；　whose　energies　were　devoted

exclusively　at　that　moment　to　the　mastication　of　a　huge　quid　of

tobacco；　and　who；　after　a　prolonged　scrutiny　of　the　stranger；

answered　his　salutation　in　an　attenuated　drawl；'　〃Meornin'；　sir。〃



〃Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　tell　me；　sir；　where　Mr。　Morris；　the

postmaster；　can　be　found？〃　asked　the　agent。



〃Wall；　I　guess　my　name's　Morris。　　What　kin　I　do　fur　yeou？〃



〃Mr。　Morris；　I　should　like　a　few　minutes'　private　conversation　on

business　of　great　importance；　which　can　be　so　managed　as　to　turn

out　advantageously　to　us　both。　　I　do　not　wish　to　be　overheard　or

interrupted。　　In　these　times　even　blank　walls　have　ears；　you　know。〃




The　last　suggestion　seemed　to　serve　as　a　passport　to　the　confidence

of　the　postmaster。　　Leading　the　way　into　the　switch…house；　he

remarked；　〃Come　in　heear。　　Neow；　what　is　it？〃



〃The　fact　is；　Mr。　Morris；　some　friends　of　mine　propose　to　go　into　a

little　speculation；　which　will　involve　a　large　correspondence；　and

for　reasons　that　I　need　not　specify　to　a　man　like　you；　they　do　not

wish　to　have　every　ragtag；　bobtail　post…office　clerk　poring　over

their　letters；　and　asking　impertinent　questions　at　the　delivery…

window。　　If　they　can　find　a　shrewd；　square　man；　who　knows　how　to

keep　his　mouth　shut；　and　who　can't　be　fooled；　that　for　a　handsome

consideration　will　put　the　letters　away　in　a　safe　place　till　called

for；　they　are　willing　to　make　an　arrangement　that　will　be

profitable　all　around。　　You　have　been　recommended　as　just　the

person。　　I　am　told　that　you　generally　know　which　side　your　bread　is

buttered；　and　have　called　to　see　if　we　can't　arrange　to　pull

together。〃



〃'Nuff　said；〃　ejaculated　Morris；　with　a　sly　wink。　　〃I　know　what

yeou　want；　but　my　wife　is　the　one　to　fix　things。　　I　don't　have

nuthin'　to　dew　with　the　letters。　　Sue　'tends　to　everything。　　The

folks　as　we'se　a…workin'　for　said　we　must　be　plaguey　keerful　about

the　deetecters。　　I'll　bet　nun　on　'em　can't　play　it　on　my　wife　tho'。

If　they　dew；　they'll　have　to　git　up　arly　in　the　mornin'。〃



With　that　he　thrust　his　head　out　of　the　window；　and　yelled：　〃Sue；

Sue！〃



As　the　sound　died　away；　a　tall；　raw…boned　female；　from　whose　cheeks

the　bloom　of　youth　had　faded　a　number　of　years　before；　emerged　from

the　side　door　of　a　two…story　cottage；　about　eighty　rods　distant；

and　walked　briskly　to　the　switch…house；　where　she　was　introduced　to

the　stranger　as　〃my　wife。〃



After　a　little　preliminary　skirmishing；　she　invited　the　agent　to　go

over　to　the　cottage。　　Having　been　duly　ushered　into　the　〃best

room；〃　he　embellished　for　her　benefit　the　story　already　told　to　the

husband。



〃I　think　I　kin　'commodate　yeou；〃　she　broke　forth；　〃but　yeou'll　have

to　pay　putty　well　for't。　　Laws　me；　I'm　toldand　I've　ways　o'

heerin'　'bout　these　thingsthat　the　deetecters　are　jest　as　likely

as　not　to　come　a…swoopin'　deown　enny　minnit。　　Yeou　know；　if　they

feound　it　out；　we'd　be　smash'd。〃



Her　terms　were　ten　dollars　a　week。　　Highfalutin　&　Co。　paid　six；　but

she　understood　the　business　a　great　deal　better　now　than　when　she

made　the　bargain　with　them。　　The　agent　thought　the　price　rather

high；　but　finally　consented　to　contract　at　that　figure。



Then；　as　if　troubled　by　an　after…thought；　he　said；　〃Madam；　how　do　I

know　but　some　of　these　'deetecters'　may　come　around；　and；　seeing　my

letters；　get　me　into　difficulty？〃



〃Why；　laws　a'　mercy；〃　said　she；　〃don't　be　skeer'd。　　Yeou　jest　leave

that　to　me。　　The　minnit　them　air　letters　gits　here；　I　hides　'em　in

that　bewro…draw'r；〃　pointing　to　an　article　of　furniture　in　the

corner。



〃Is　it　a　safe　place？〃　queried　the　agent。



〃Yas；　it　is；〃　answered　the　woman。　　〃Got　it　half　full　neow。　　Carry

the　key　in　my　pocket。〃



She　gave　a　grin；　intended　for　a　knowing　smile；　in　admiration　of　her

own　cleverness。



〃I　believe　the　hiding…place　is　tolerably　secure；〃　replied　the

officer；　with　the　air　of　one　who　desired　to　be　convinced；　but　had

not　yet　reached　the　point　of　full　assurance。



〃You　seem　to　be　very　particl'r　and　diffikilt　to　satisfy；〃　continued

Mrs。　Morris；　〃but；　if　yeou　don't　believe　it；　jest　come　and　see　for

you'sef。〃



She　led　the　way　to　the　bureau；　opened　the　drawer；　and；　raising　a

plaid　cotton　handkerchief；　displayed　the　contraband　letters　by　the

score。　　All　were　directed　to　the　lottery　firm；　and　were　turned　over

to　the　knave　from　time　to　time　as　it　suited　his　convenience　to　call

for　them。　　As　no　such　firm　did　business　at　Wington　Junction；　it　was

the　duty　of　the　postmaster　to　forward　to　the　department；　as

fictitious　and　undeliverable；　all　letters　bearing　the　address　of

the　swindlers。　　In　similar　cases　neglect　to　obey　the　regulation　was

treated　as　sufficient　ground　for　instant　removal。



More　fully　pleased　with　the　result　of　the　examination　than　the

woman　surmised；　the　officer　resumed：　〃I　see　you　are　very　particular

about　your　methods　of　doing　business；　and　do　not　mean　to　be　caught

napping。　　The　arrangement　we　are　about　to　enter　into　is　a　very

important　one；　and；　as　you　are　not　postmaster；　your　husband　will

have　to　be　present　to　witness　and　ratify　the　bargain。〃



〃Bless　yeour　soul；〃　replied　she；　〃it's　all　right。　　I　'tend　to　all

the　biznis。　　My　husband　doesn't　bother　hissef　abeout　it　in　the

least。〃



〃Madam；〃　answered　the　officer；　〃pardon　me。　　I　had　my　training　in　a

large　city；　and　am　accustomed　to　pay　minute　attention　to　every

detail。　　Your　husband　is　the　principal　in　this　case；　and　must

ratify　the　agreement　to　make　it　binding。　　Of　course　you　will　derive

all　the　benefit；　but　his　presence　is　essential　as　a　matter　of

form。〃



Apparently　satisfied；　she　called　for　〃John；〃　who　replied　promptly

to　the　summons。



〃Mr。　Morris；〃　said　the　officer；　〃your　wife　has　agreed　to　keep　my

letters　for　me〃



〃Yaas；〃　broke　in　the　postmaster。　　〃I　know'd　she　would。　　Yeou'll

find　she'll　dew　it　right；　tew。　　Nobody　can't　come　enny　tricks　on

hercan　they；　Sue？　　I　wish　one　o'　'em　durn'd　deetecters　would　come

around；　jest　tew　see　heow　she'd　pull　the　wool　over　'im。　　I　wudn't

ax　enny　better　fun；〃　and　he　indulged　in　a　fit　of　loud　cachinnation

at　the　absurdity　of　supposing　that　anyone　could　match　in　sharpness

his　own　beloved　Sue。



〃The　letters　will　come　to　that　address；〃　said　the　agent；　pulling

out　his　commission　from　the　postmaster…general；　and　exhibiting　it

to　the　pair。



Taking　in　the　purport　of　it　at　a　glance；　Morris　jumped　several

inches　into　the　air；　slapped　his　sides；　and　exclaimed；　〃A

deetecter；　arter　all；　sold；　by　jingo！〃



〃We're　bust'd　then；〃　chimed　in　Sue；　with　a　melancholy　grin。



It　was　even　so。　　The　letters　for　Highfalutin　&　Co。　went　to

Washington；　and　Morris　went　out　of　the　post…office；　but　the　fact

that　Sue　was　overmatched　hurt　him　more　than　the　loss　of　the　place。





June　8；　1872；　a　law　was　approved　making　it　a　penal　offense　to　use

the　mails　for　the　purpose　of　defrauding　others；　whether　residing

within　or　outside　of　the　United　States。　　The　postmaster…general　was

also　authorized　to　forbid　the　payment　of　postal　money　orders　to

persons　engaged　in　fraudulent　lotteries；　gift　enterprises；　and

other　schemes　for　swindling　the　public；　and　to　instruct　postmasters

to　return　to　the　writers；　with　the　word　〃fraudulent〃　written　or

stamped　on　the　outside；　all　registered　letters　directed　to　such

persons　or　firms。　　Prior　to　the　enactment　of　this　law；　the　most

wholesale　and　barefaced　operations　were　conducted　by　professional

cheats；　mainly　through　the　facilities　afforded　by　the　mails；　with

almost　absolute　impunity。　　Letters　addressed　to　bogus　firms　were

indeed　forwarded　from　the　offices　of　delivery　to　the　department　as

〃fictitious〃　and　〃undeliverable；〃　and　many　colluding　postmasters

were　decapitated。　　Such　petty　measures　of　warfare　served　merely　to

annoy　the　vampires　and　to　whet　their　diabolical　ingenuity　for　the

contrivance　of　new　devices。　　Since　the　law　of　1872　went　into

effect；　however；　the　scoundrels　have　been　compelled　to　travel　a

thorny　road。　　Scores　of　arrests　have　been　made；　and　in　many　cases

the　criminals　have　been　sentenced　to　the　penitentiary。



It　would　exceed　our　limits　even　to　enumerate　the　devices　which　have

been　tried　by　different　swindlers　with　greater　or　less　success。

Gift　enterprises　of　various　kinds　are　the　most　common　and

notorious；　constituting　a　distinct　branch　of　the　business；　but　the

pretenses　on　which　human　credulit