The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-10-31

! ter. This envelope came from cOun-
] try post-office in either New York or
| New Jersey within a month--.some
post-off1ce the name of which begins
with AR or An There are not many
rural offices that will fit in all par
ticulars. In two days or sooner, can
tell you exactly from what office they
were mailed"
"Letters-you think there were two ?
Might not this be the envelope in
which this paper Gamer"
THAT presupposes an acquaintance
between EIser and Miss Parrish, at
she know him.
| II don't think so. Her sister and |
were talking of the Elser suicide last
night after we saw the evening papers,
Louise surely would have known 1t If
her sister was acquainted with him.
Perhaps" said Davis doubtfully.
There isn't human being over ten
| that has not secret that they keep
from some one. 1t looks to me, though,
as if in all probability there were two
distinct letters. That is what makes
/ me suspect plot. 1t cOnvinces me
that the mails are being used for an
| improper and more than likely Grim
both cases properly in my domain as
a post-office inspector"
And can count on your assistance,
after ALL" said joyfully. when can
you begin work."
81 have begun" he said tersely,
pushing over for my inspection some
thing he had hastily scrawled on pad
lying on his desk. 1t was an order adj
dressed to the superintendent of the
railway mails, which read:
Have all railway clerks on New
York and New Jersey routes report
from what rural office within the last
month they have received large guam
titles of letters in yellow envelopes.
If letters have been discontinued,
when? DAVIS
Large quantities!" gasped. Were
| there more than two?"
"Of course" he snapped, in way
that showed me he did not wish to be
/
for his hat and coat, and with an alb
rupt Come along!" led the way to
the elevator.
where are you going?" l asked as
he rushed me hurriedly through Park
place to the Sixth Avenue Elevated.
ITO Twenty-third street." he replied,
Ito find out what the police have not. +"
L IL Ii.
tones of Crandall's apparent connec-
ton with the case and of his sudden
disappearance. He sat silent, his
whole bearing indicating such abstrac-
ton that doubted If he had heard a
word I was saying, but suddenly, just
before we left the train, he startled
me by asking:
do you know Crandall? What
color are his eyes?"
| regretted that I had to say no to
the first question. and that l did not,
to the latter, which query amazed me
greatly. What connection the color
of a mans eyes could possibly have
with two attempts at suicide and lot
of mysterious yellow letters from a
rural post-office was entirely beyond
me- Curious as l was. hesitated to
question him on the subject, for ex-
perience had taught me that he was
better at asking than answering.
Instead of going directly to the
clearinghouse where Elser had killed
himself, he took the other side of the
street and turned abruptly into a
house, beside the door of which was a
doctors plate.
Us Doctor Berner in?" he asked of
the maid, and on being shown into the
physicians office, introduced himself
as Inspector Davis" and began ques-
tioning the doctor about the Elser sui
eide.
Though the papers had made no
mention of Doctor Berner, the state.
ment being that policeman had
called an ambulance from Bellevue
Hospital, it now appeared that the
landlady had summoned him as soon
as the suicide was discovered. Elser
was dead, so he had withdrawn as
soon as the policeman arrived.
did you ever have Elser as a pa.
tient?" asked the inspector.
The doctor reflected.
Only once-about two years ago.
gave him something for insomnia. He
called here at the Office and / wrote
him prescription. He was to return
in few days for further treatment,
but he did not do so. Another time
The doctor hesitated.
There was another time / had al
most forgotten, year or two before
that. He met me in the street one
day and asked what my office hours
were on Saturday. He explained that
he was the guardian of boy who was
in boarding school. The child had
some slight throat trouble and he
wished me to make an examination.
On the following Saturday he brought
the boy here, a bright little chap about
ten
DO you know the boys name? What
school did he attend?" The inspector
fired this question rapidly, but it was
quickly apparent that the doctor had
nothing more to tell, so We left.
What a wonderful man you are!"
exclaimed as the doctors door closed
behind us. How did you learn that
Doctor Berner had been called in after
Elser killed HIMSELF"
There is nothing wonderful about
my knowledge" answered Davis with
a laugh. What is the first thing that
people do when anything happens
They run for the nearest doctor. Doc
tor Berner is the nearest doctor Could
] anything be simpler?"