a leather sack of letters, last seen on the back step of the post office, has not been recovered. its contents are said to be mostly small.
the missing bag of letters, brown leather, brass clasp, was last accounted for at the post step at three o'clock on friday. the postmaster, taken with a kettle, set it down for the time it takes to fill a cup. when he returned it was where he had left it. on saturday it was not.
the custodian, asked, has not seen it. a child reports a leather bag walking on its own near the bridge at dusk; the report is not given the weight it might have been. the neighbour opposite says she saw a man in a coat the colour of the bag, but no bag.
persons expecting correspondence are asked to be patient, and persons in possession of an unfamiliar letter are asked to return it, unopened, to the office. a rumour that the bag contains a single very important envelope is, the postmaster wishes to say, only that.
— continued on page 4 · see the letters