The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-08-24

been sitting gazing stupidity about me
and joined him ON the bench.
There was something you wanted
20 ask me. wasn't there?" he said
pleasantly.
There were so many things ! want
ed to ask him hardly knew where to
begin. but the first thing | blurted out
was:
is Hugh Crandall guilty?"
HE is guilty only Of being In love
with Katharine Parrish against her IA
theirs wishes he replied
But surely" | said doggedly, The
has some connection with the crime
OF the yellow letters. He knew
Young. He knew where 10 find him.
There are many things about his ac-
tons that to my mind call for expla-
nation" ~4a-r,---n-
did you notice his eyes?' asked
DAYS.: Il was stir too dark for me TO
see the inspectors face, but ! felt
sure that he was laughing at me. He
made me feel that way all too often.
Il didn't" answered rather cross
ly but what's that got to do with
it?"
I'm afraid, Kent, as ] have said be-
fore. you will never make a good de-
tective.- You are entirely too unob-
servant OF important details DO you
recall my asking early in our investi-
cation whether or not Crandall had
blue eyes?"
Yes" ! grudgingly admitted Il re,
call IT,"
AS soon as ! discovered that Gran
dali had blue eyes that eliminated him
as the probable criminal"
Il don't see your logic"
I've told you before" said Davis,
after pause long enough to permit
him to light another cigarette. that
there are classes OF crime and types
Of criminals, each strongly marked
after It's own sort saw right at the
start that this crime was Of the hid
den sort, of the kind that includes con-
spiracy, blaekmail. secret plotting
the kind that requires a skilful sneak
You never in your life found a blue
eyed sneak There are lots of blue
eyed desperadoes and burglars. Most
of the notorious bad men OF the west
were blue-eyed, but you don't find
man with blue eyes shooting or stab
bling a man In the back or kidnapping
a child or writing Matchmaking let
ters."
While | was not at all convinced
by his argument. felt that Il would
be useless for me 10 dispute it. for
would be invading comparatively un-
known territory, whereas he undoubt-
eddy had dozens OF cases at his finger
tips ready to illustrate his theory
decided TO change the subject.
II recall, too" said. that you
asked II Crandall was left.handed. So
far as saw. he is not What OF that?
Is that another proof OF Crandalrs in
nocence?"
No" said Davis. that didn't prove
Crandalls Innocence. II proved Rou-
ser's guilt In fact. II was the left
handed clue that put me ON the right
track and eventually led me 20 this
very cottage
For Heavens sake" said | impa-
tiently, don't talk in riddles. Go on
and explain IT,"
You're not TO blame" he continued
calmly. for not having sees the left
handed clue. You lack the education
Only person who had seen hundreds
and hundreds OF envelopes and had
studied them closely would have OBJ
served Il. You remember that po-
liceman brought me part of yellow
envelope that had been found I'm old
Andrew Elsers room. On II was a
stamp and part OF the postmark. The
first thing that | noticed was that the
stamp was put on crooked. This
might mean much or nothing. left
handed person stamping a letter in
variably gets the stamp on crooked
II ordinarily Is put in the upper right
hand corner OF the envelope. A right
handed person stamping a letter has
the two edges OF the envelope as
guide Try putting on a stamp with
your left hand and you Will see that
your hand comes In such a position
that the edges OF the envelope are
uiNNtU NtN III biiltA9 -hiit thrtH but
OF a hundred the stamp Is out OF
plumb. On the other hand. as q post
Office Inspector. I am we'll aware that
I'm n business house or office where
there is large correspondence. an
office boy mailing hundreds OF letters
al a time. is apt to get most OF the
stamps on crooked. II this yellow let
ter was one that had been mailed in
business Office. the crooked stamp
meant nothing II. on the other hand.
Il had been mailed singly or with q
few others, Il was pretty safe betting
that the man who mailed II was left.
handed. Il was easy aftor ! came to
Ardway. especially as Rouser was al.
ready missing and every one was talk.
ing about him. 20 learn that be was
leftshanded."
II still fail 10 see" ! said stubborn