The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-08-01

she was. sitting there crying.
A sentence of the maids testimony
suddenly thrust itself forward from
my subconsciousness as if demand
ing my attention and l listened in
tently to what she was saying.
THAT was the way it happened that
l didn't make up the room the day be-
fore. When went in to do it she was
sitting there crying and tearing a
letter to bits"
A letter! 1t came on me in fash
that here was the clue, that this was
the connecting link with the other two
cases.
l pushed my way forward into the
room, determined to learn all there
was about this new phase of the case.
The proceedings stopped abruptly at
the hustle my movement made, and
everybody, coroner, jurors and spec
tators, gaped at me.
Il am a lawyer" l said. MAY l
ask the witness one or two questions ?"
Still the coroner gaped and l wait
ed no longer for his permission.
Was it yellow letter." | asked.
Now that you speak of it l kind Of
remember that it was"
Has the letter been found?"
She was tearing it in pieces"
Where are the pieces?"
The eyes of everybody present be-
gan rowing about the room, as if in
answer to my question. The con-
stable instituted a hasty search, in
which / myself, the coroner and the
jurors joined. ] felt that if we could
only find those pieces, the mystery
might be solved. While the room was
being ransacked l kept my eye on
COOK. AS asked the question about
the letters color / noticed that he
looked startled. | was amazed now
to see him edging toward the door. |
was tempted to demand that he be re-
strained and searched. | felt almost
sure that II the pieces of the yellow
letter were to be found anywhere it
would be in his pocket. Yet second
thought advised against such rash ac-
ton. l had no positive proof that
Cook was Crandall Until had. sure
ly 1t would be unwise TO accuse him.
l remembered that there was no train
by which he could leave the town m
I'll late in the afternoon, so there was
little prospect that he could escape
me.
How did you know it was a yellow
letter." the coroner asked me sus-
plciously, pausing suddenly in his
search
1t was an awkward question. I
realized that my impetuosity had
placed me in a predicament. | was
by no means ready to tell him the
whole story, and yet the fact that |
knew or suspected the color of the
letter that she was tearing up certain
~ indicated that | knew something
about the woman.
Il didn't know it."
We'll, whatd you ask the question
about it for?" he repeated, his sus.
plclon of me rapidly increasing.
was thinking quickly what | could
say that would divert his thoughts. I
noticed with annoyance that the ewes
or every one in the room were on me
ana that they were curiously await.
ing an answer, | assumed an air of
mystery and drew the coroner TO one
side.
i am perfectly willing to tell Won
everything" said. Il am out here
on another matter that is something
OF mystery in which a yellow letter
hgures. The letter has disappeared. |
never saw or heard of this old woman
before, but when the witness men.
Iohed that she was tearing UP a let
ter sudden notion came to me that
1t might be the one of which | was in
search. A detective who is working
on the case will be out here this eve
nlng and then | can tell you more
about it."
l spoke the last sentence in a whis.
per so low that it reached only the
coroners ear. He pondered over nv
statement and then abruptly an
nounced that the inquest was ad.
1ourned until nine o'clock the next
day. | would have escaped him If I
could, but | saw that he was deter.
mined to worm out everything | knew
or suspected. | decided that activity
would be the best remedy for his
curiosity. Accordingly | invited the
coroner and the constable to come IN
10 my rooms where, without waiting
lor them 10 question me, | began fir
ing questions hot-shot at them. sug.
costing things for them to do, simple
things that would have been the first
thought of the police of New York or
any other large city, but which thew
mad not thought Of. Had they tele.
phoned description of the woman to
the Bridgeport police with her name
to see If she could be Identified as
any one who was missing from that
city! Had they examined her clothing
TO see If there was any mark on IT that
might identify her? Had they studied
her writing on the register to see If II
gave any indication of being assumed
or disguised? Had they examined her
pocketbook to see If it contained anv
clue to a motive? Had they consid.
cred whom she might have come to
this town to see?
That idea of calling up the Bridge
port police amt such a bad one," said
the coroner. Suppose you do it