A competent Assistant--Yielding to Temptation--An easy Post Master--Whispers of Complaint--Assistant embarrassed--Application to his Uncle--The Refusal--Value of a kind Word--Resort to Depredations--Evidences of Guilt--Decoy Letter taken--The Bowling Saloon--The Agent worsted--The Restaurant--Bother of the Credit System--The fatal Bank-Note--Keen Letter to the Agent--The Arrest--The next Meeting 52 CHAPTER III. Business Rivalry--Country Gossiping--Museum of Antiquities--New Post Master--Serious Rumors--Anonymous Letters--Package detained--Bar-room Scene--_Ram_ifications of the Law--First Citizens--Rascally Enemies--Lawyer's Office--Gratuitous Backing--Telegraphing--U. S. Marshal arrives--The Charge--The Fatal Quarter--Enemies' Triumph--The Warrant--Singular Effects of Fear--A Faithful Wife--Sad Memories--The Squire's Surprise--All right 66 CHAPTER IV. High Crimes in low Places--Honest Baggage-masters--Suspicious Circumstances--Watching the Suspected--Shunning the Dust--Honesty Triumphant--An Episode--Unexpected Confession--The Night Clerks--Conformity to Circumstances--Pat the Porter--Absents himself--Physician consulted--The Dead Child--Hunting Excursions--"No Go"--Pat explains his Absence--His Discharge--The Grave-stones--Stolen Money appears--The Jolly Undertakers--Pat at the Grave--More Hunting--Firing a Salute--Removing the Deposits--Crossing the Ferry--Scene at the Post-Office--Trip to Brooklyn--Recovery of Money--Escape--Encounter with a Policeman--Searching a Steamer--Waking the wrong Passenger--Accomplices detained--Luxuries cut off--False Imprisonment Suit--Michael on the Stand--Case dismissed 95 CHAPTER V. An infected District--A "fast" Route Agent--Heavy Bank Losses--Amateur Experiments--Dangerous Interference--A Moral Lecture--The Process discovered--An unwelcome Stranger--Midnight Watching--Monopoly of a Car--Detected in the Act--The Robber searched--His Committal--A supposed Accomplice--The Case explained--Honesty again triumphant--Drafts and Letters--A long Sentence--Public Sympathy--A Christian Wife--Prison Scenes--Faithful to the last--An interesting Letter 122 CHAPTER VI. Safety of the Mails--Confidence shaken--About Mail Locks--Importance of Seals--City and Country--Meeting the Suspected--Test of Honesty--Value of a String--A dreary Ride--Harmless Stragglers--A cautious Official--Package missing--An early Customer--Newspaper Dodge--Plain Talk--A Call to Breakfast--Innocence and Crime--Suspicion Confirmed--The big Wafers--Finding the String--The Examination--Escape to Canada--A true Woman--The Re-arrest--Letter of Consolation--The Wife in Prison--Boring Out--Surprise of the Jailor--Killing a Horse 136 CHAPTER VII.