f Benjamin Hooker,
Postmaster, Westville.

"That settles it," he said, in a harder tone than he had before employed.

"I guess it looks black enough against Ralph Nelson now," said Uriah.

"So it does."

"I positively know nothing of that bag," cried Ralph, when confronted with
it. "I never saw it before."

"You will have to go with me," returned Jack Rodman.

"Do you place me under arrest?" ejaculated Ralph.

"Hardly that. But you must go with me to the post office. There we will see
what Mr. Hooker has to say. It is his affair--and the Government's."

"Oh, Ralph!" cried Mrs. Nelson, in alarm. "They think you are really one of
the robbers!"

"I know it, mother. But I am not, and I do not see how they can hold me."

"You won't go along?" asked Uriah, quickly.

"Oh, yes, I will. I am not afraid of the consequences."

It was now drawing toward daylight, and after completing his hastily-made
toilet, Ralph accompanied the constable and the others to the Westville
post office.

Here they found all in confusion. The safe doors had been blown open with
gunpowder, and the explosion had damaged the entire office. The plaster
from the ceiling had come down, and this lay over a mass of letters, papers
and wrecked furniture.

In the midst of the mass was the postmaster and his clerk, Henry Bott,
doing what they could to straighten matters out and ascertain the exact
loss sustained.

Squire Paget was also present. He seemed particularly anxious about the
registered letters which had been ready for the morning mail, and groaned
aloud when he heard that all of them had disappeared.

"Not one of them left?" he asked, of Henry Bott. "You don't see anything of
the one I addressed to New York?"

"No, squire; all have disappeared together," replied the clerk.

"Too bad! That letter was worth a small fortune to me."

"What did it contain?" asked the clerk.

The squire did not answer, but walked away in deep perplexity.

There was an additional excitement when Ralph was brought in by Jack
Rodman. Soon it became whispered about that the boy was one of the robbers.

"Who is it?" questioned several.

"Easy to see that. It's Ralph Nelson."

"Say, is he really guilty, do you think?"

"That's what Uriah Dicks says."

"Rather guess Uriah is mistaken."

"And that's what I think. Uriah is down on the boy."

"That's so. Ralph is honest enough."

"Eddy Harmes saw Ralph around the post office."

"Maybe he is mista