Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

without. The doctor
was sitting on his couch, staring Mt the
pretty pillow that Kendall had noticed.
He had not troubled himself to rise as
he called, "Come I'M" in response to the
detectives knock.
"Mr. Elmendorf," said he, good even
ing, sir. What can do for you"
II want to ask you few questions,
DOCTOR" replied Elmendorf. "Hello!
Had burglary?"
He pointed to a desk in the corner
that seemed to have been broken open.
There was blankbook that had
contained business memorandum" he
said, "and 1t was locked up in that
desk. A friend Of mine was so anxious
to see 1t 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, l had already re-
moved the page on which the memo
randum appeared"
"Blackmail?" queried Elmendorf.
Something of the Sort" was the re-
ply.
"If can be 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
''Why don't you ask Kendall?'
"Dr. Kendall is not talkative," said
Elmendorf, "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 1t, that Miss Miller
was stabbed In peculiar way. There
was little mark, a scar you might
call 1t, just below the collar bone on
the left side
'.The mark Of what we call green
fracture" said Blair; that Is, the bone
was broken in youth. 1 understand
she fell against sharp point of some
thing while she was at play. The rib
at that spot was permanently weaken
ed and somewhat depressed afterward,
but not enough to interfere with the
lung"
ut was no Disagreement when she
wore low cut dress, was it?' asked
Elmendorf.
"Qulte the contrary" replied Blair.
1T looked like large dimple."
IAN ordinary man wouldn't have
known what it was. eh?'
Probably not"
"The knife couldn't have struck there
by accident" said Elmendorf. 'It
looks to me like one of those freaks Of
murderer who has brooded over the
crime in advance"
Curious point" said Blair.
$50 1t seemed to me-" said Elmen-
dorf. "and here's another. OF course
the man who stabbed her meant to kill
her"
Certainly"
"a thief would have struck her on
the head"
II should think likely"
$50 this was q murder case" said
Elmendorf. There was the intention
to kill. Now, why didn't the murderer
strike again?"
HE probably thought the wound
was fatal" responded Blair.
THAT'S the queer part of It," said
the detective. II wouldn't have
thought 1t was fatal. Most murderers
so on stabbing; they strike half a
dozen times in a sort Of frenzy. This
man was content with one blow, but
1t was a good one. and If the knife
blade hadn't been bent
WAS it bent" inquired Blair.
YES" was the reply. And II the
assassin was one who knew the loca-
ton of the vital organs. but was at
the time too much excited to notice
the defect in the instrument. why,
then, that bend in the blade may have
saved her life"
"If 1t Is saved" added Blair.
ut was certainly saved for time"
said the detective, though every doc
tor who saw the wound Immediately
pronounced 1t fatal That's point In
the case"
From which you conclude-whatT
said Blair, rising and taking 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 1t. mean that letter."
What letterT'
"The one Alden wrote and Elsie new
err 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"
mot far enoughr
"No. Somebody came along and
pulled 1t out. If it happened to be q
man who was in love with Miss Miller.
the reading Of 1t couldn't have been