The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-01-30

we were sitting over the usual post
prandial bottle of wine, he took letter
from his pocket and showed it to me.
"'That's the kind of thing we have to
put up with here, Mr.. Ellerslie,' said he.
you mustn't go away with your ideas
of the country too much couleur de rose.
"1Hat was in truth a strange produc-
ton. 1t was written, or rather labori-
ously printed, on sheet of coarse pa
per, headed by a rough but spirited
drawing of coffins and bell-mouthed
blunderbuses. Below was the following
composition, of which made copy out
of curiosity:
"'M. NJ. DON'T. GO. TO. MOTE. OR. L.
WILL. B. YOOR. END .1ET. 1T. B. RIT i.
OR WRONG Jet PVT. HIGGINS i.
STvY AT ONES
81 looked at my host for an explana-
ton.
"'It is threatening letter. said he,
sand not the first, either, that 1 have
received. The printing is easy enough
to read, on the photographic principle,
with the caution that most of the AS
and LIS are upside down. The meaning
is, that one of my tenants having, against
my express orders, plowed up grass
field, I have given him notice to quit,
and went into Moate yesterday to con-
suit my attorney as to what compensa-
ton was obliged to pay under the
Irish Land Act. I got this the day be-
fore. am not personally much afraid
of the fellows; but it is very annoying
and I am always on thorns lest one of
those letters should reach my wife; it
would almost brighten her to death, 1
fancy
"sYou met with no interruption 60
ing into Moate, I suppose? said I.
"'No; but l took my precautions. l
got policeman on my car and drove in
by roundabout route. 1t isn't a pleas
ant way of doing things, is it?'
81 quite agreed with Mr.. NJ that it was
not, and expressed my surprise that the
author of the letter could not be brought
to justice.
"'You don't know the Irish, Mr.. Ell
lerslie. There is not a soul about here
who would not swear black was white
rather than be the means of convicting
neighbor. You know yourself how
completely the police system failed over
so daring an offense as the murder of
the late Lord Leitrim. With such peo-
pie as witnesses and jury, what is to be
done? For my own part, have no
doubt that Mr.. Pat Hi ggins himself
wrote the letter; but huntingup evidence
would be hopeless
GA sudden thought struck me. Ihad
seen that the last few words of the
document were lighter in color, as if
they had been blotted. If so, would
there not remain an impression on the
blotting paper?
81 don't know what evil spirit took
possession of me at this juncture, unless
Il own it with contrition-it were that
of inordinate self-conceit. Should 1 be
able to get enough evidence myself, 1
should certainly derive much credit for
sagacity, and have an excellent story
for nay friends in England on my return.
With this end in view said nothing of
my happy thought, determined to work
it out myself.
"Next morning, having found out the
locality of Higgins's cottage from Cor
mack, I went to make call there. The
sole occupant of the tenement when 1
arrived there was wrinkled old woman
sitting on three-legged stool and smok-
ing black clay pipe. She looked at
me suspiciously, but her native hospi-
tally forbade her to refuse me a seat.
For the first time felt some qualms of
conscience at the character of my errand,
but these were speedily dissipated by
the sight, in the corner of the large open
hearth, of the very thing I was seeking
"a piece of dirty blotting-paper
crumpled up into ball. To be sure
there was no telling how long the paper
might have laid there, still 1 felt a con-
viction that it was the object of my
search.
"The devices to which resorted to
get possession of that mute piece of
evidence were worthy of a detective
policeman. I Unanswered my chair
closer to it under pretense of feeling a
draught, though with the unpleasant
consciousness that the old woman did