The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-01-25

AoAu 11IIA6 uOI was ~ pfluCeu, OUT
had been composed by words and fig
ures cut out of a newspaper and
pasted on the outside of an envelope.
The letter inside was similarly made.
That day, downtown, six of the same
kind of letters were handed me by
friends of mine. They had been re-
ceived at their respective houses.
Every letter was alike and contained
the threat to hurt me with Mrs. Stan
ton" Again there was a short pause,
and Stanton continued:
"You see, could have all mail d.
but that would cause Mrs. Stanton to
be suspicious, so I have watched the
mail ever since, intercepting the post
man when possible, and have so far
succeeded in keeping them from her;
but sooner or later one will get by
me and then there will be the devil
to pay
Cheney was interested; the young
man was so earnest in his manner.
and Judge Treat had sent him.
"You say these letters began COM
ing about two months ago."
Yes, sir, and they've come about
ten days apart ever SINCE"
''Your friends always receive theirs
at the same timer"
Eyes, sir"
"You say they refer to your past?
Is there anything in that past you
would not want known? Anything
which might be considered-er-
graceful? You will pardon my ques-
lions, Mr.. Stanton" said Cheney,
noting the mans rising. choler. II do
not mean to be personal or inquisitive,
but it is essential that l know all.
want to help you; now help me
do it."
Stanton had risen, but again seated
himself and replied:
"Well, colonel, am no better and
no worse than most young men. I
was educated at Yale college; my
father gave me a liberal allowance
and I sowed fair crop of wild oats,
but there was nothing disgraceful,
there was no entanglements. After I
left college I came here, went in busi-
ness with father. Last year, as I said,
I was married. That's all"
'You know of no one who would
have any motive in injuring you?"
mo, sir; not a living soul"
"Have you any of the letters with
your .
"Only two; the rest I destroyed"
replied Stanton, handing over the let
ters. Cheney placed them in desk
drawer and said:
do you keep a butler, Mr.. Stan.
TOM"
II did keep one, but he left yester.
day and I haven't as yet secured an
other one"
'That is indeed fortunate. I'll send
you young. man to-day. Hire him,
trust him implicitly, and go about
your business as if nothing had hap
pened. Your butler will look after
the. mail coming to your house, and
be assured no undesirable letter will
reach Mrs. Stanton. The case does
not look easy, but I think perhaps
can help you. One thing: Not a
word of this to anyone, and as soon
as your friends give you any more
letters bring them to me. Good morn
ing, Mr.. Stanton
AS soon as Stanton had gone
Cheney sent for Sid Guthrie and ex-
planned the case to him.
where do come in, Cheney?"
asked Guthrie WREN he had finished.
you're Stanton's new butler. You
go OUT there and keep watch on the
incoming mail. Keep Mrs. Stanton
from getting undesirable letters. Any
that are addressed as these are give
to Stanton and let me know it as soon
as possible. You're great on lunches
remember the one you had in Smed-
'paymaster case? Get some more on
this mail business. You sabe?"
Sure thing; I'm on all right. But
this butler business does not appeal
to me. If spill hot soup down Stan
tons back or wine on his wife's dress
don't you blame me- and with laugh
he was gone, taking with him card
of introduction to Stanton.
Cheney studied the two letters care
fully. He recognized the paper from
which the words were cut as the Globe
Democrat from the print, and they
were both sent from substation out
on Washington avenue. There was
nothing obscene in their contents, but
they breathed vengeance and covert,
ly intimated that the writer, or more
properly "paster," was after Stanton
with a sharp stick. Handwriting or
typewriting might have given a clew,
but the paper pasted letter did not
Ordinary scratch paper had been used
and the envelope was plain white.
There was not even a water mark.
"Puzzling, unused Cheney, "and
damned ingeniously done, but the per-
son doing it must have had lots of
time. To cut a paper and paste. six
of these letters in one day was not
a small job" Cheney determined to
wait for developments and at the
same time find out what he could
about Stanton. - ~
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