He began by saying that when his friend Major Yancey became conversant
with all the facts he would be more lenient with him. He had, he said,
found the proprietor's drawer locked, and, not having a stamp about
him, had dropped the document into the mail-box with the firm's letters,
presuming that the clerks would affix the tax the Government imposed.
That the document had reached the post-office was evidenced by the
date-stamp on the envelope. It seemed to him a picayune piece of
business on the part of the authorities to detain it, and all for the
paltry sum of two cents.
Major Yancey conferred with the judge for a moment, and then said that
the colonel's explanation had relieved him of all responsibility. He
owed him a humble apology, and he shook his hand. Colonel Carter had
done all that a high-bred gentleman could do. The letter was intrusted
to the care of Mr. Klutchem's own government, the post-office as now
conducted being peculiarly a Yankee institution.
"If Mr. Klutchem's own government, gemmen,"--and he repeated it with
a rising voice,--"if Mr.
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