The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-04-21


tive. his eyes giittcrng az he fixed thcm
on the young mans face
"IIe stood at the window" went on
WILDLY. "and read the letter again.
From where / was in the hall could see
the paper quivering in his hands. He
remained there for a long time. as II
in deep thought. and then threw the
envelope into waste-paper basket.
took down n file, and put the letter care
fully away"
"Ah. see. Good. so fart" exclaimed
/ Hendricks. do you think you would
know that letter again?"
II don't know: perhaps so. 1t was in
a large. square, blush envelope. and
the sheet was of the same color. and of
letter-paper size"
Il am glad you remember those de-
tails" said Hendricks. "Now let's in
spect that file. May we not go in the
room where Mr.. Strong kept his pa
pers?"
Certainly" said WILDLY. The coast
is clear. Matthews is staying down
stairs. am answering the doort,ell.'
AT this young lady's suggestion"
said the detective. with laugh, as they
were crossing the hall.
Pray how did you guess that, I'D like
to know ?" Miss Delmar asked.
"You were afraid your father would
call here, and if Mr.. WILDLY answered
the bell you would have time TO hide.
Is not that true?"
Perfectly" replied the girl. with
laugh. I'm glad he isn't a famous de-
tective. He would have found me out
long ago"
When they entered the little room and
! approached the desk. which was near a
! great iron safe by window. WILDLY
started to draw the letter-file from a
pile of books and papers OF shelf over
/ head, but the detective called out:
/ "Hold on! Don't touch it," and he
brought chair and placed it under the
shelf. Then he went to the window,
raised the shade as high as it would go,
and let in the sunlight; after which he
stepped upon the chair, and, with
| hand on each end of the shelf, looked
carefully at the books and papers on
which the file rested.
"Ah, blast his ugly pictured" he jacu
| lated. Hes nobody's fool"
Whats the natter" asked WILDLY.
"We snan't find the letter, after all"
| Hendricks lifted the file and stepped
down to the floor.
"Why. you haven't looked protested
| Miss Delmar.
"Yes, ] have" said the detective. in
disappointed tone. Those books and
papers up there are thickly covered
with dust, but the file is comparatively
free from it,"
"Ah!" said Miss Delmar. Some one
has been handling it,"
Exactly; and quite recently" Hen
bricks opened the boX-like file and be-
gan to turn over the papers fastened in
by sharp-pointed stee! prongs. "Ah!
see y:ney are arranged according TO
date of arrival. You think, Mr.. WILDLY,
that the letter you remember noticing
came about a month ago. Well, we must
turn TO about the 20th of June. All,
here is the spot; and, by Jove. our
friend was in a hurry-not so very eau
tious, after all"
What is il ?" asked WILDLY.
''He has torn letter out at this place.
And il was blue one, too. for he has
left tiny fragment of it on the prongs.' =
Hendricks held minute piece of paper
towards WILDLY. Does that look like
the paper on which that particular let
ter was written?"
II think so"
Hendricks nodded, and put the torn
piece into the back part of his watch
case. Then, taking the letter-file to the
window. he laid it on the end of the
desk, and, keeping it open at the place
where the letter had been distracted, he
examined il closely.
Miss Delmar drew nearer her lover.
Il do hope he will find the criminal
1t would make me happier than any
thing in the world" she whispered.
II don't think there is much hope,
replied WILDLY, in a low tone, as he
stealthily pressed her hand, his eyes on
the broad back of the detective.
II think there is great deal" said
the girl. "Oh, should simply be de-
lighted to be able to show papa that you
are innocent, after all. He would never
object then, you know, for you would
be your uncle's legal heir, and worth
more money tnan i coulu ever eNpSc'
from papa. If only
by Jove!" Hendricks startled ex-
ciamatiou drew their eyes 70 him. He
was holding the file close 20 his face
and examining letter with his lens.
What is it?" asked WILDLY.
''B-l-o-o-d!" said Hendricks. playfully,
in deep, gurgling tone. The fellow
extracted that letter within two min
utes after he cut Strong's throat"
How do you know?" asked Miss Del
> mar.
II find traces of blood ON each of the
two letters between which the missing
one lay. SO far. so good, Now, there is
but one course of action, and if that
fails | shall be at sea; so, Mr. WILDLY
keep your wits about you The letter
taken from this file must have been oi
such nature that IL would associate
the writer of IL with the crime. THAI
means a good deal. II is quite likely
that the murderer witnessed your un
cle's reception of the letter and saw hin
/ file II away; otherwise he could no
have gone TO IL so readily. Now. what
we have to do is TO find the envelope yoI
say your uncle threw into the waste
, paper basket"
sImrAocsfl,la . said ANbidbv