The Irish standard., 1897-06-12

my memory, if the note had not left a,
sortso9 uneasy impression on my mind
that might suddenly be called to New;
York, and. as was. deeply interested
in this case, I dreaded interruptions. 1t
was this frame of mind that caused
very trifing circumstance to bring
back the whole thing to me.
"The letter Of apology which had
sent after the telegram happened to be
put in an envelope bearing the business,
card of my hotel in this city, under
which, being rather methodical in al.
most everything, I had written the num-
Der Of my room. Well, in few days it,
was returned to ME marked: Not De-.
livered.'
"This at once excited suspicion that.
something was wrong-that some de-
signing person, for reasons of his own
had tricked me into betraying. my;
whereabouts. The telegram had not
been returned. That showed that some,
one at 2s4 Union street, Brooklyn, had
received it and signed for it in due
form, or I should have been advised Of
his failure to do so by the telegraph
office here. The letter addressed in the
same way had been returned. That
proved that Frederick Champney either;
was not there or wanted me to think he
was not, and my curiosity was reused.
But, as your case was just then becom-.
ing more interesting, put the letter:
away for safe keeping, along with the:
note to my mother: to take up again
when I was more at leisure, and dis,
missed them from my mind. However,
as said just now, there was something
strangely familiar about the envelope
we found at the rag shop yesterday, and,
could not for the life of me tell what it;
could be. 1t was not until I had left
you and reached my hotel last hight
that I found out. It was simply the,
large capital D in the center of the New
York postmarls, for it correspondent ex-'
actly with the big d in the postmark Of
the letter my mother had received.
You smile. You think that very little
thing. Well, so it was; but wait. The
d Indicated the station at which the
letters were posted; they had both been.
mailed in the same postal district.
know that much, you see, as starter;
but was not satisfied. was sure the
two envelopes held a better clew be-,
tween them, and was bound to have it.
II lay awake half thenight, thinking,
thinking, till 1 got SO wrought up I
could not reason logically at all. I,
knew that would do no one any good, so
I banished thoughts of all kinds, and
was getting into drowsy state, in fact
was almost dropping off, when sudden.
ly an idea popped into my brain.
"Isprang up, 1T the gas, and with my
magnifying- CLASH examined the letter.
which had been Returned to me from
New York marl{ed:ok Not Delievered.'
What do you suttpdse discovered? My
letter had been isteaaned and carefully.
opened. It was! Perfectly evident.
could see indications of its having been
regummed and resealed. It is almost
impossible to pitt piiaste on an envelope.
as smoothly by 4 h 8 as it done by a
machine" q -
$50 you thoughtA.' began WILDLY:
"That: when TIE iffdividual who had,
written my mother atnder the name Of
Frederick :ChampffeX had received the
letter coming oh Che heels of my tele-'
gram, his first iihfIp1ifse was to returnit
unopened, being afratd the reception Of!
itwould tend to show his whereabouts.
But, being curious to know what had.
to say, he first opened it, read it, and;
then sealed and returned it. Not bad
. idea, eh?"
WILDLY nodded. ut failed, however,
to take you in"
"And, moreover, it put me on to a sub
stantial clew. See, here are the two:
envelopes side by side-the one adj,
dressed to my mother and the other to
Mr.. Strong. Now for points of re-;
semblance. The handwriting, though;
disguised, is the same; the ink under a
glass shows the same crystal forma-.
tons; the two letters were sent from:
the same postal station in New York;
and, though the color and quality Of
each envelope are different, yet under
the flaps, in raised letters, are the names
of the same retail dealers in New York,
See-Ramage & Co., Stationers, East
Fourteenth street. The two envelopes
were purchased at the same shop"
"But," said WILDLY, doesn't it strike
you that it is rather an unnatural thing
II ~