It clears up a point that off and on
has troubled me considerable. I can only wonder I wa'n't
smarter;"
"What point, may I ask?"
"Why, about the time you hung out your shingle here, some one
wrote a letter to General Jackson. It was mailed after night,
and when I seen it in the morning I was clean beat. I couldn't
locate the handwriting and yet I kept that letter back a couple
of days and give it all my spare time. It ain't that I'm one of
your spying sort--there's nothing of the Yankee about me!"
"Certainly not," agreed the judge.
"Candid, Judge, I reckon you wrote that letter, seeing this one
comes under a frank from Washington. No, sir--I couldn't make
out who was corresponding with the president and it worried me,
not knowing, more than anything I've had to contend against since
I came into office. I calculate there ain't a postmaster in the
United States takes a more personal interest in the service than
me. I've frequently set patrons right when they was in doubt as
to the date they had mailed such and such ? letter." As Mr.
Wesley sometimes canceled as many as three or four stamps in a
single day he might have been pardoned his pride in a brain which
thus lightly dealt with the burden of official business. He
surrendered the letter with marked reluctance.
"Your surmise is correct," said the judge with dignity. "I had
occasion to write my friend, General Jackson, and unless I am
greatly mistaken I have my answer here.
Pages:
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406