The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04

0t We AA@1@
A.aial Building, despite the guarded atti-
r,de Of the employees. Before the first
morning rush of lads n young women
vas over it was known that the body Of
Thomas Knott, a tenant on the fifteenth
Aoor. had been found at the bottom OF the
elevator shaft. The car of that shaft had
yerv little to do for the rest Of the day.
The lead man had not employed a clerk
and it was difficult for gossip to place him.
Detached recollections here and there,
however, combined to give him form and
substances:
Nice looking little chap with blue eyes
and yellow mustache; and such red, red
cheeks! Stylish, too, though down on his
luck. He didn't have an overcoat last
winter.
Il used to hear him humping away on his
machine in that lark little room opening
on the well, first thing in the morning and
Iast thing at night. He picked up a book
sor me once that I dropped, and took of his
hat like a gent. Must nave scoffed hisself
all right, all right
So the rank and file compared notes and
hen hurried to work. important and graft
red through an odd senee Of kinship With the
dead man.
When Judge Josiah Marcellus leisurely
brought up the rear Of the dignihed and
cpulent 10 o'clock contingent, the starter
on the ground floor changed his tactics.
He drew the eminent jurist aside n inn
parted the fullest particulars.
He must ave went crazy up there all by
his ~lonelies, Judge" he said. why. it
would take the strengt' of a giant to wrench
open the door into the shaft.
sCouldn't stand the racket, is my verdict.
Nothin' comm in but trouble, m that
comm fast.
He slep' up there in that seven by six
teen closet, Judge; it useter give me a ner-
vous chill to collect the rent for it. swear
H. did; slep' on a broken down lounge that
would make a packing box seem luxur'us.
He ct there, too, many's the time I've
teen him chasin' up a mug Of milk bluer'n
be was.
He gev' his luck a good fight; but last
night il downed him. The coroner pro-
rounced it suicide at fust glance. The
emains-a proper word for them, sir
Is on the way to the Morgue. The Office
il tor rent sg'in; takes nerve, don't it, to
own reel e~state?"
Dear, DEAR remarked the Judge with a
sort of absent sympathy, "here to-day
and gone tomorrow. What did you say
he did for a living, or for lack Of one?'
Some kind of law work, sir, j believe.
Briefn', l think he called il. He'd be out
in the lib'ries all day, and then at his type
writer all night-that is, when he wasn't
walkin' the floor till the order KEN in"
A look Of condemnation clouded the
Judges face. His name?' he demanded.
"You haven't told me yet"
Thomas Knott, sir; at least that's--'
The starter stopped short In his quail
ication with a gasp Of establishment, for
the Judge with almost unseemly haste
made for the nearest elevator car.
"Cronkite," he painted as he hurried into
his private Office, -have you done anything
as vet with that letter from Helpham 4 Hill
i laid on your desk7"
only this moment came across it, sir"
well, be so good as to read IL aloud. I
want to refresh my memory"
And Cronkite read as follows:
DEAR JUDGE MARcELLus: Recalling the
clever work OF that confidential man OF yours
in the eiucidation Of mystery under your wise
direction, We desire to place the following
matter In your hands.
An esteemed client of ours, a lady. while in
consultation at the ONCE a few days ago haI.-
pened to glance at q pile OF typewriter manu-
script. II was an exceedingly laborious and
tedious digest OF an obscure phase Of the Eng
fish ecclesiastical law, naturally enough ig-
aored by current works. which we had obtained
year or so ago through a law briefing COM
pany. We enclose specimen sheet OF same.
Our client at once cried out that the type
writing Of this digest had been done by a per-
son in whom she takes a deep interest. and
whose disappearance has been a profound
sorrow to her. We ar gued against such a con-
viction as farfetched and fanciful. since all
typewriting looks alike to US: but she became
30 i~nsistent that we promised to find the
writer for her.
Our investigation thus far has proved futile.
The brienng company, located in your city.
has gone out Of existence; it's manager. driven
by debt. has gone to parts unknown.
Possibly the title and address of the de-
funct concern at the top OF the enclosed sheet
will help you in coming into touch with some
one OF the former employees. The initials.
TOO, in the upper right corner may serve for
Identification. This Is all the light we can
furnish; acknowledging with regret that it is
90 weak and scant.
-Farfetched and fanciful'; weak and
Ecsnt'-I should say so, unused the Judge.
Were it not for the initials, I would fire it
back to them"
The initials" repeated Cronkite. 1T.
Il oh, ! see. Thomas Knott"
1T might be so, agreed theJudge grudg-
ingly. There 10 nothing else"
Il don't know about that, sir. Habits
formed in typewriting are sometimes re-
\ealing. For instance, this writer, you see,
Invariably spaces five times before be-
ginning a paragraph and three times be-
tween sentences.
He uses a semicolon frequently INC
Understandings, where a mere copyist
would use a comma Such a use, sir, shows
technical intelligence; the writer was capa-
lie Of making a brief, and presumably made
this laborious and tedious digest.
1T is unnecessary to mention to you the
differences as to his education and mis-
fortunes. But what Is more important, sir,
than these isolated habits Is the general
style that each typewriter insensibly and
inevitably acquires.
Look crOsswise over that sheet and see
II you don't observe that the print Ia heavier
in one place and lighter In another. This
is due to the difference In force with which
the keys are struck; a difference which varies