Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-01
CHAPTER XIX.
THE EVIDENCE OF DIR. BLAIR.

without. 4 lie uOctOr
was sitting on his couch, staring at the
pretty pillow that Kendall had noticed.
lie had not troubled himself to rise az
he called Come I'M" in response to the
detectives knock.
"Mr. Elmendorf," said he, good even
Ing. sir. What can do for you?'
81 want to ask you few questions,
doctor" replied Elmendorf. "Hellol
Had n burglary"
He pointed to desk in the corner
that seemed to have been broken open.
"There was blankbook that had
contained a business memorandum" he
said, land 1t was locked up in that
desk. A friend of mine was so anxious
10 see it that, calling in my absence,
he did not wait FOR me to return. lie
broke the desk and got the book. But,
unluckily for him, had already re-
moved the page on which the memo
landum appeared"
"Blackmnil?" qucried Elmendorf.
"Something of the sort" was the re-
ply.
"If can he of any assistance, let me
know" said the detective And now
want to talk about the case Of Elsie
Miller. There's little medical point
"NVhy don't you ask KendallT'
"pr. Kendall is not talbative," said
Elmcndorf. and
Neither am l." responded Blair.
However, let's hear your question"
You remember" said Elmendorf,
seating himself and looking across the
table in the center of the room, his
arms resting upon it. that Miss Miller
was stabbed in n peculiar way. There
was a little mark, scar you might
call it. just below the collar bone on
the left sides
THE mark of what we call a green
fracture" said Blair; that is, the bone
was broken in youth. | understand
she fell against a sharp point of some
thing while she was ut play. The rib
at that spot was permanently weaken
ed and somewhat depressed afterward,
but not enough to interfere with the
lung"
at was no Disagreement when she
wore a low cut dress. was it?' asked
Elmondorf.
quite the contrary" replied Blair.
at looked like Il large dimpe.'
IAN ordinary man wouldn't have
known what it was, eh?''
"probably not"
"Ihe kuife couldn't have struck there
by accident" said Elmendorf at
looks to me like one of those freaks Of
murderer Who has brooded over the
crime in advance"
"CuriouS point" said Blair
$50 it seemed to me-" said Elmen-
dorf, and here's another. OF course
tie man who stabbed her meant to kill
her"
"Ccrtanly."
"A thief would have struck her on
the head
Il should think likely"
$50 this WAS a murder case" said
ElmcuGorf. There was the intention
TO ki]l. Now, why didn't the murderer
strike again.
"ile probably thought the wound
was fatal" responded Blair.
That's the queer part Of it," said
the detective. 81 wouldn't have
Thought it WAS fatal. Most murdcrers
20 on stabbing; they strike half a
dozen times in a sort Of frenzy. This
man was content with one blow, but
1t was Il good one, and if the knife
blade hadn't been bent
WAS it bent" inquired Blair.
"\ rs.' was the reply. And II the
aEsass- was one who knew the loca-
ton of the vital organs, but was at
the time too mach excited to notice
the defect III the instrument, why,
then, that bend in the blade may have
saved her life"
IF II is suved," added Blair.
ut was certainly saved for time"
said the detective, though every doc
tor who saw the wound Immediately
pronounced it fatal. That's point n
the case"
From which you conclude-whatY'
said Blair, rising and taking a seat at
the table opposite Elmendorf.
The detective did not Immediately
answer the question. He seemed to be
deep in thought
by the way" he said suddenly,
there's another point while l remem-
Der it. mean that letter."
"What lcttery
The one Alden wrote and Elsie new
er got replied Elmendorf. The post
man really delivered It, Of course,
though he won't testify positively. 1t
was undoubtedly put by the servant
under the door of the vestibule that lit
tie hall leading to Miss Miller's room.
1T was put under that door, but not far
enough"
not far enough?"
mo. Somebody came along and
pulled il out. If it happened to be a
man who was in love with Miss Miller,
the reading Of it couldn't have been
pleasant. But how did the man get
, thereW
81 don't know" said Blair.
"As to the motive" continued the de-
1ectve, "that's pretty clear now. Miss
Miller has told about her marriage.
She hasn't named the man, but you
know him."
YES" said Blair; 81 know him"
He took up a very little bottle from
the table and began to turn it idly in
his hands.
"Now, then" said Elmendorf, Tets
recapitulate. The murderer was man
who knew of that scar"
"Anybody might have seen that" re.