Surely, this would have been easier, and much more safe, than to deal with three subordinates. Several little incidents which had come under his observation gave Owen reason to believe that the superintendent of Branch X Y was not an overscrupulous official. He was a man who, in the administration of his office, “played politics” to an outrageous extent. Under ordinary circumstances, no doubt, he would not have hesitated to do Boss Coggswell this favor. Why, then, had not the politician gone to Henderson instead of dealing with the carriers? Owen believed that he understood why, now. Coggswell was afraid that the superintendent would not stand for any monkeying with the mail of his brother’s employer. He might have warned the judge and caused trouble. Convinced that his theory was correct, Owen went that evening to the residence of ex-Judge Lawrence. The latter, a keen, aggressive man, a few years past middle age, received the letter carrier in his library, and listened with great attention to what he had to say. When Owen was through, Judge Lawrence nodded his head vigorously. “I think you have guessed right,” he said. “In fact, I haven’t a bit of doubt that it is my mail which that rascal Coggswell is after. There is a certain incident,” he went on, “concerning which I am now in correspondence with a certain person. While there is really nothing about this incident--nothing which could bring discredit on me if the real facts were known, the matter could be misrepresented in a manner which would greatly injure my reputation. I happen to know that Coggswell has a slight inkling of this matter already, and has been trying for some time past to get more information on the subject, so that he can spring it on me and smash me at the primaries. That is why I feel pretty sure that it is my mail he is scheming to get hold of.” He banged his fist vigorously upon the library table. “Tampering with Uncle Sam’s mail is a pretty serious offense,” he declared grimly; “and so friend Coggswell will learn, if he is engaged in such a contemptible piece of business.” He arose and held out his hand to Owen. “I am very grateful to you for having come to me and put me on my guard, Mr. Sheridan,” he said. “I am going to take steps immediately to ascertain if our suspicions are correct. And if they are, you and I are going to put Samuel J. Coggswell in prison stripes.” CHAPTER VI. JACK HINES IN LOVE. “Say, Miss Peaches-and-cream, is the main squeeze in?” At this unconventional salutation Dallas Worthington looked up from her typewriter, and stared curiously at the person who had given utterance to it. She saw that the visitor was a stout, red-faced young man, who wore a suit of exceedingly loud pattern, a soft felt hat of the very latest and most rakish design, and a red necktie, in which glittered a diamond of huge proportions.