Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-31
CHAPTERR XIV.
Detective Prier and His Letter.

propriate place to study the charac-
teristics of the human race with a
view to showing up our foibles and
peculiarities-what do you think ne
will select as an appropriate place for
work of observation? Where do you
think he will go?
To Church? To Congress To Wall
Street? To Sing Sing? To the Skat-
ing Rink?
I don't think he will.
I think he will take up his position
in some convenient pOstofflce. l think
that he will observe
But must not allow myself to con-
tinue the fascinating subject. | haven't
the time nor the space. And the in
nocent philosopher of the future must
not be made liable to the charge OF
plagiarism, nor must l do aught which
will endanger the value of his copy
right.
Suffice it to say that the philosopher
will find Mr.. Prier a philosopher too
If he reaches Boston in season to hnd
Mr.. Prier at all, and an eminently wise
ard sensible philosopher too-a state
ment which l regret to say cannot be
truthfully made of all philosophers
Observing Mr.. Prier, he will see that
when he gets a letter ne opens 1t and
reads it-instead of carrying it home
unopened: he will see him look within
to find out where it came from-in-
stead of wasting some minutes of his
short life in studying an illegible post
mark; he will notice that he looks. at
the signature to see who wrote it, in
stead of spending his nervous force on
a critical analysis Of the characters
tics of the address; he will not fail to
note the fact that Prier reads to find
out what his correspondent has to say
instead of squandering breath in Won
dering What on earth can he have
written about?" Should the pleased
philosopher find Prier so different from
the average person that he follows
him home to study him more at his
leisure. he will find that he keeps his
letters instead of destroying them. So
much for Prier and the possible phil
Osopher
Now for the story-and for facts.
Prier went home to Boston the day
after Senn's acquittal. Prier wanted
to think Envious outsiders say that
the Bostonians claim that their very
atmosphere stimulates thought. Per-
haps it does. At any rate, Prier went
home to think!
He had an idea that he had some
thing to think about. His mail next
morning gave him something more
about which to exercise his thought!
letter.
Yes. a letter that he opened and
read-and then took home to read
again.
A letter that set him wild with a
hopeless study over a pOstmark which
was. If possible less clear than usual
the study being caused by the fact
that the letter had neither date nor
heading.
A letter which almost maddened him
as he tried to decide what manner UC
individual had written it-for 1t had
no signature.
A letter which he read and re-read.
Let us read it as we'll:
Deer Sur: I want you to ask 4
questions which were suggested TO me
by the trial at boomYille. Pleese ask
some good preecher if he ever knew a
man to help another out of awful
scrape because he was himself wick
ed Sinner with RemOrse. ask mister
aldrich where he spent the sunday be-
fore the Murder. ask miss web how
long she was away from Home. ask
the man you see In your mirror Wheth-
er he ever saw a Crate Detective who
was a Crate Fool"
| have already stated enough to
make il evident that Mr.. Prier was
compelled to treat this letter in man.
ner quite unusual. 1t Is needless ia
remind the reader that many men ha-
other men-and not a few-wOuld de-
stroy letters which were uncOmpllmen
tary: and they would be particularly
swift to do SO If the illusions were
aimed at those things in which they
felt they ought to have won compli-
ments: picture to yourself the state o1
mind of the lawyer whose legal lore Is
called In questionable physician whose
skill in medicine is dOubted-the cler'
gyman whose devoted goodness Is hello
up to Scorn. Prier's letter was cruel
but Prier was wise. From duns &c
comic valentines, letters, like fruit
are best when preserved. II one mar
thinks another a Crate Fool the
second man goes far toward establish
ing the truth of the statement if he
destroys the evidence Of the first mans
opinion. take pleasure in saying
that Mr. Prier kept that letter.
If he hadn't-if-
But he did.
After which
Prier went back to BOOmville again
intent on taking a look at the friends
he had there. and other Individuals
intent on taking a little trip down tC
Blankford. with possibly a ride into
the country for three or four miles
from there-intent on asking a few
persons a few questions. 1t may be
that Prier found the conditions unfa-
vorable-"the environment inauspi'
cious"-in highly cultured Boston. and
had determined to go back to the
smaller, duller. quieter and more hum
drum little city in Maine-tO think!
What kind of a man was Prier?
want TO assure you. once for ALL thai
he was remarkably good and hones
man, a foe of wickedneSS. a hater o,
shams. a worker in earnest for righ
and Justice But he believed that Il
was sometimes eXpedient to use fire ir
fighting a certain individual-or any nt
his adherents-and he tried tn make
his efforts in that direction natura
and unaSSuming.
So he took a pleasure trip to Boom
willie.
1,ta