Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-05-19

great iron safe by n window, WILDLY
started to draw the letter-fie froIa a
pile Of books and papers on shelf over
head, but the detective called out:
Hold on! Don't touch it!' and he
brought a 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 a
hand on each end of the shelf, looked
carefully at the books and papers on
which the ille rested.
"Ah, blast his ugly picture!" he ejacu-
lated. Hes nobody's fool .
Whats the matter?" asked WGuby.
1--WE shant find the letter after ali"
Hendricks lifted the file and stepped
down to the floor.
"Why, you haven't looked" protested
Miss Delmar.
"Yes, ! have" said the detective, in q
disappointed tone. "Thosc books and
papers up there are thicldy covered
with dust, but the file is comparatively
free from it,"
"Ah!" said Miss Delmar "Somc one
has been handling it,"
Exactly; and quite recently" Hen.
dricks opened the box-lkc file and be.
gan to turn over the papers fastened in
by sharp-pointed steel prongs. "Ah!
l see they are arranged according to
date of arrival You think, Mr.. WILDLY
that the letter you remember noticing
came about month ago. Well, we must
turn to about the goth of June. All!
here is the spot; and, by Joye! oul
friend was in a hurry-not so very eau
tious, after ALL"
"What is it?" asked WILDLY.
'1He has torn letter out at this place
And it was a blue one, too, for he ha,
left a tiny fragment oft on the prongs.
Hendricks held a minute piece of paper
towards WILDLY. Does that look lik.
the paper on which that particular let
ter was written?"
81 think So"
Hendricks nodded, and put the tori
piece into the back part of his watcl
case. Then, taking the lettcr-file to tht
window, he laid it on the end of tn,
desk, and keeping it open at the plac
where the letter had been distracted, hr
examined it 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
81 don't think there is much hope,
replied WILDLY, in a low tone, as h
stealthily pressed her hand, his eyes o.
the broad back of the detective
Il think there is a great deal" sail
the girl. "Oh, l should simply be de
lighted to be able to show papa that yo
are innocent, after all! Hewould neve
object then, you know, for you woul
be your uncle's legal heir, and wort
more money than | could ever eXpec
from papa, If only"
"By Jovel" Hendricks startled eE
clamatioA drew their eyes to him. Il
was holding the file close to his fac
and examining a letter with his lens.
"What is it?'' asked WILDLY.
"B-I-o-o-d!" said Hendricks, playfull3
in a deep, gurgling tone. "The fello,
extracted that letter within two mil
utes after he cut Strong's throat"
How do you linow?" asked Miss De
mar.
Il find traces of blood on each of tb
two letters between which the missin
one lay. So far, so good! Now, there
but one course of action, and if tn;
fails | shall he Mt sea; so, Mr.. Whidb
keep your wits about you. The lettt
taken from this file must have been {
such a nature that it would aSsociat
the writer of it with the crime. The
means a good deal. II is quite lilel
i that the murderer witnessed your III
cle's reception of the letter and saw hi
file it away; otherwise he could NJ
/ have gone TO it so readily. Now, VIII
;, we have to do is to find the envelope yc
, say your uncle threw into the vast
paper basket"
, Impossible" said WILDLY.
"Why?"
\ Matthews has been looking after Il
rooms since the maid went off, and ]
n takes out the waste paper as soon as
!. accumulates. 1t must have bee
@ thrown away several weeks ago
. 'Where does he throw such things
E Il don't know"
o Call him"
/. WILDLY rang, and in a minute Ma
= thews came up from the basement.
lTo DE CONTINUED ]