Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-10-21


This ~ 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 23i Union street, Brooklyn. had
received it and signed for it in due
form, or ! 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 Inc 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 | 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. II was not until | had left
you and reached my hotel last night
that ! found out. II was simply the
large capital D in the center of the New
York postmark, for 1t correspondent ex-
actly with the big D in the postmark Of
the letter my mother had received.
You smile. You think that a very little
thing. Well, so 1t 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 better clew be-
tween them. and | was bound to have 1t.
81 lay awake half the night, thinking,
thinking. till l got so wrought up
could not reason logically at all. !
knew that would do no one any good, so
| banished thoughts Of all kinds, and
was getting into a drowsy state, in fact
was almost dropping off, when sudden
ly an idea popped into my brain.
81 sprang up, lit the gas, and with my
magnifying-gass examined the letter
which had been returned to me from
New York marked; Not Delivered.
What do you suppose discovered? My
letter had been steamed and carefully
opened. 1t was perfectly evident.
could see indications of its having been
regummed and resealed 1t is almost
impossible to put paste on an envelope
as smoothly by hand as it is done by a
machine"
80 you thought" began WILDLY.
"That when the individual who had
written my mother under the name OF
Frederick Champney had received the
letter coming on the heels of my tele-
gram, his first impulse was to return il
unopened, being afraid the reception OF
II would 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 "lt failed, however
to take you i'm
Sand, moreover, IL put me on to sub
stantial clew. See, here are the two
envelopes side by side-the one adj
dressed to my mother and the other tt
Mr. Strong, Now for points of re-
semblance. The handwriting, though
disguised, is the same; the ink under {
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 o.
each envelope are different, yet undel
the flaps, in raised letters, are the names
of the same retail dealers in New York
See--Ramage & Co., Stationers, Eas
Fourteenth street, The two envelope
were purchased at the same Shop
"But," said WILDLY, doesn't it strik
you that it is rather an unnatural thin
o.