Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-12-27

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"Of course Dou'rc puzzlcd." he said.
"lou We're there, then?" asked.
"Oh, yes. L couldn't afford to miss
It,"
"The color blind theory was simple
one"
80 simple that it never occurred to
any one else. think we're too apt
to overlook the simple explanations,
which are, after all, nearly always
the true ones. It's only in books that
we meet the reverse. You remember
it's Gaboriau vile advises one always
10 distrust the probable;"
YES. don't agree with him."
"Nor l. Now take this case, for In
stance. think it's safe to state that
murder, where it's not the result of
sudden passion, is always committed
for one of two objects--revenge or
gain. hut Mr.. Holidays past life has
Eeen pretty thoroughly probed by the
reporters, ana nothing has been found
to indicate that he had ever made
deadly enemy, ut least among the class
of people who resort to MURDER so that
does away with revenge. On the other
hand, no one will gain by his death
many will lose by it-in fact, the whole
circle of his associates will lose by 1t.
1t might seem, at first glance, that his
daughter would gain, but think she
loses most of all. She already had all
the money she could possibly need, and
she's lost her father, whom, it's quite
certain, she loved dearly. So what re-
mains?"
Only one thing" said, deeply inter-
estcd in this exposition. "Sudden pas
sion"
He nodded eXultantly.
''That's it. Now, who was the wom-
an? From the first l was certain 1t
could not be his daughter-the very
thought was preposterous. 1t seems
almost equally absurd, however, to
suppose that Holiday could be mixel
up with any other woman. He Ger
tainly has not been for the last quarter
of q century-but before that--well, it's
not SO certain. And there's one. strik-
ing point which seems to Indicate his
guilt"
"Yes-you mean, of course. her re-
scmblance to his daughter"
Precisely. Such resemblance must
eXist-a resemblance unusual, even
striking-or 1t would not for moment
have deceived Rogers. We must re-
member, however, that Rogers Office
was not brilliantly lighted and that he
merely glanced at her. Still, whatever
minor differences there may have been.
she had the air, the general appearance,
the look, of Miss Holiday. Mere facial
resemblance may happen in a hundred
ways by chance, but the air, the look,
the altogether is very different--it in
dicates a blood relationship. My the
Dry Is that she is an illegitimate child.
perhaps four or five years older than
Miss Holiday"
paused to consider. The theory
was reasonable. and yet 1t had Its
faults.
Nov, let's see where this leads u.s."
he continued. Let us assume that
Holiday has been providing for this
illegitimate daughter for years. AT
last, for some reason, he is induced to
withdraw this support, or, perhaps, the
girl thinks her allowance Insufficient.
At any rate, after. let us suppose, in
effectual appeals by letter, she does
the desperate thing of calling at his
office to protest in person. She finds
him ineXorable-we know his reputa-
ton for obstinacy when he had once
made up his mind. She reproaches
him-she is already desperate, remem-
ber-and he answers with that singing
sarcasm for which lie was noted In
an ecstasy Of anger she snatcies up
the knife and stnbs him; then, In an
agony Of remorse. endeavors to check
the blood. She sees at last that 1t is
useless, that she cannot save him, and
leaves the Office. All this Is plausible.
isn't ir?"
Every plausible" l assentcd, look
Ing at him in some establishment. You
forget one thing, however. Rogers tcs-
titled that he was intimately acquaint-
ed with the affairs of his employer
and that lie would inevitably have
known of any intrigue such as you
suggest"
My companion paused for mo.
ment's thought.
II don't believe that Rogers would
SO inevitably have known of It," lie
said at last. But, admit that-then
there is another theory. Holiday has
not been supporting his Legitimate
child, who learns of her parentage and
goes to him to demand her rights. That
fits the case, doesn't itY'
YES" admitted. at also is plausi.
ble."
ut is more than plausible" he said
quietly. "Whatever the details may
be, the body Of the theory itself is un-
impeachable-it's the only one which
fits the facts. believe it capable of
proof. Don't you see how the note
helps to prove it?"
"Ihe note?'
1 started at the word, and my suspi-
cions sprang into life again. looked
at him quickly, but his eyes were on
the cloth and he was rolling up innu-
mcrable little pellets Of bread.
''That note" he added, 'proved two
things. One was that the writer was
deeply interested in Miss Holidays
welfare; the other was that he or she
knew Rogers, the clerk, Intimately
more than intimately; almost as well
as physician knows an old patient"
81 admit the first" I said you'll
have to explain the second"
''The second, is self evident. How
did the writer of the note know of Rog-
ers' infirmity?
"His inirmity?"
Certainly color blindness. 1 con.
fess I'm puzzled. How could any one
else know It when Rogers himaelf