Dan Shag seemed everywhere present, repeating, in a loud tone, his grievances, and continuing his threats against the postmaster, who offered him no reply.
Mr. Warfield was out of town, but in the afternoon of the same day he got home from Volney, Little Snap was paid a visit by the politician's secretary.
"I felt it my duty to call upon you," said Mr. Jones, "relative to the matter I know must be fresh in your mind."
"I do not understand what you refer to," replied Dix, not at all pleased with this call.
"Nothing is so hard to understand as what we do not wish to understand," said the other. "Of course you have not forgotten those missing registered letters of Mr. Warfield's."
"No, sir; still I do not know why you should come to me about them. I suppose the affair is being investigated."
"No one would be more likely to know than you," was the significant reply. "But to be frank with you, I have come for a confidential talk with you, confessing that it was suggested by Mr. Warfield. He bears you no ill will. In fact, he desires to help you all in his power, as his past actions have shown. Now, upon his guarantee I can assure you that nothing will be done with you if you will tell us the whole truth in regard to this matter.
"Please do not think we suppose you have taken the letters knowingly, but we suppose that in some way you have lost them. Of course you are not directly to blame in that case, though it does look bad for you, particularly as you have denied it so stoutly. If you will candidly acknowledge that this is the case, we will let the affair drop here, save to explain that you have not been in any way to blame."
Little Snap had listened to this speech without any interruption, and at its close he said:
"Mr. Jones, it is evident that you think I am either a fool or a thief. I have told all I have to say in regard to the matter. Before you come to me please investigate your post offices. I——"