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

attempted her life.
CHAPTER IiI.-(Continued)
| glanced quickly at Davis. | fully
expected to see in his face something
of the same establishment had felt. |
was disappointed. With a casual
glance at the envelope he turned to
Dowd as if waiting for him to go on.
tits 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, it's just
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 it and wants to
know where this letter came from. We
searched the room, but this torn en-
velope was all we could find. The
postmark's torn through, but he
thought maybe you could trace it any
how"
'I'll see what / can do and I'll let
you know in the morning" said the
inspector calmly, dismissing the de-
tective with a nod. From his matter
of-face tone and apparent lack of in
terest would not have been surprised
if he had refused this undertaking.
too, as 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 mere coincidence.
As 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
80 me and explosively said:
Quick, let me see that yellow
scrap"
had placed it carefully in my wal
let after he had refused my request.
AS ] drew it out now he almost
snatched it from my hand. Putting it
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, l. too, studied the torn
envelope.
Both in color and texture the paper
so closely resembled the scrap that |
was positive that they were of the
same lot The envelope bore the adj
dress of Andrew Elser, in West TWEEN
ty-third street. Part of the postmark
most of it, in fact-had been de-
stroyed, as if in the careless opening
of the letter with the finger All that
was decipherable was capital IA
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 if it
might have been an IN" l noticed
too, that the stamp had been stuck on
rather carelessly, in lopsided man
ner.
My friend, his inspection completed
turned to me alphabetically.
Il beg your pardon, Harding Kent,
he said, you were entirely right.
These two bits of paper are key-notes
in an important mystery, one that it is
we'll worth my while to try to solve"
What made you change your mind
so suddenly" l asked, for though
quite agreed with him, his manner
had puzzled me not little.
He leaned back in his chair and
turned it SO that he faced me. He had
a sharp, explosive way of speaking,
biting off his words almost before he
had completely enunciated them.
Cant you see? One footprint leads
nowhere. Two footprints start path.
When you brought that yellow scrap
to me you were merely guessing that
it 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, 1 wasn't" l exclaimed in
dignantly. What drew my attention
to it was General Farrish's 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 subconscfous
memory with a 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 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
paper There was then no evidence
whatever that it was this particular
piece of paper that SO agitated him."
But you think so now" suggested.
"The situation has entirely changed.
There was nothing to show that this
piece of paper had ever come through
the mail. There was nothing to con-
meet it with suicide. Dowd comes in
here with a similar piece of paper that
plainly has been mailed. We now
have not one footprint, but two-the
beginning of path. Once started on
the patti we can solve the mystery"
Then you think there is some con-
nection between the two bits OF pa
peri"
Il know there u.s." said Davis.
These bits Of yellow paper are of the