The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-12-26
CHAPTER Ill.-(contInusd.)

CHAPTER iii.-(contlnusd.)
I glanced quickly at Davis. l fully
expected to see in his face something
of the same astonishment had felt.
was disappointed. With casual
glance at the envelope he turned to
Dowd a. II waiting for him to go on.
IT'S evidence In the Elser case." the
detective went on. turned In by the
man on post who reported the suicide.
He was that old party that was found
dead in his room up on West Twenty
third street. To my mind, its Just a
plain case Of suicide-an old man tired
Of living The poison bottle was there
on the floor beside him. don't see
nothing suspicious about 1t. but the
chief has taken a notion that there's
something behind II and wants to
know where this letter came from. We
searched the room, but this torn en-
velope was all we could fnd The
postmark's torn through. but he
thought maybe you could trace it any
how"
''Ill see what can do and I'll let
you know In the morning" said the
inspector calmly. dismissing the de-
tsctive with nod. From his matter
of-faoe tone and apparent lack Of in
II he had refused this undertaking.
too, ~ he had mine, though It seemed
to me that the two bits Of yellow pa
per connected the two suicides at the
same hour as something decisively
more than a mere coincidence.
Al soon, however, as the detective
had left the room the inspectors whole
manner changed. With the glitter Of
excitement in his alert eyes he turned
to me and explosively said:
Quick. lot me see that yellow
scrap."
had placed 1t carefully in my wal
let after he had refused my request.
Az l drew 1t out now he almost
snatched it frem my hand. Putting 1t
on his desk beside the torn envelope,
he picked up reading-glass- and
studied both pieces carefully. His in
spection lasted for several minutes.
and meanwhile. I. too. studied the torn
envelope.
Both In color and texture the paper
90 closely resembled the scrap that I
was positive that they were of the
same lot. The envelope bore the ad-
dress Of Andrew Elser, in West Twen-
ty-third street. Part Of the postmark
most Of It, in fact-had been de-
stroyed, as II in the careless opening
OF the letter with the finger. All that
was decipherable was a capital "A"
and part Of another letter that might
have been either an IN" or an "R." In
the lower part Of the circle was frag-
ment of letter that looked as II 1t
. might have been an IN" l noticed,
TOO, that the stamp had been stuck on
rather carelessly. In a lopsided man.
ner.
My friend. his inspection completed,
turned to me apologetically.
Il beg your pardon. Harding Kent"
he said. you were entirely right
These two bito Of paper are key-notes
in an important mystery. one that 1t 10
well worth u.y while to try to solve"
what made you change your mind
80 suddenly" l asked, for though I
quite agreed with him. his manner
had puzzled me not little.
He leaned back in his chair and
turned 1t so that he faced me. He had
Q sharp, explosive way Of speaking,
biting of his words almost before he
had completely enunciated them.
Cant you see? One footprint leads
nowhere. Two footprints start a path
When you brought that yellow scrap
to me you were merely guessing that
1t might have something to do with
the strange happenings in the Parrish
home. There was no way in which
you could have positive knowledge.
nor could l. You were only guessing"
Indeed. wasn't" l exclaimed in
dt .nan!ly. What drew. my attention
TO 1t was General Farrishs exclama-
ton of terror at the sight Of it just be-
fore he fell, paralyzed"
Davis shook his head determinedly.
THAT meant much-or nothing. 1t
may have been mere senile hysteria
superinduced by the great shock. At
some time In his life he may have had
some unpleasant experience which
was associated in his subconscious
memory with yellow document.
Wrought up as he was by the news Of
his daughters attempt TO kill herself,
the brain cells called into action were
those that had recorded other disturb
ing experiences, perhaps a month ago,
perhaps forty years ago. No impress
sions in the brain records are ever
lost. The sight Of the yellow paper
probably recalled some other yellow
,av" 7'her~ was then NO evidence