The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-12-06
CHAPTER VI.-(continued).

way to investigate mad becomes suspi-
1ous OF Henry Cook" woman
commits suicide at the Ardway Hotel
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued).
1 was thoroughly disguised with the
dwelling way in which the proceed
ings were being carried on. / could
see little hope of any discovery that
would establish connection with the
similar events in New York. / turned
from listening to the witness to study
Ing the face Of the man Cook. Could
1t be possible he was Hugh Crandall I?
| saw that he was watching the testi-
mony with eager interest. Against
my will had to confess that his face
was one that attracted rather than
repealed me. While there was a
shrewdness about the eyes, the chin
was square and firm and the skull
well-balanced. l tried to read in the
shape OF the mouth or the curve of
the ears some sign of the criminal,
such as / expected to find written on
the countenance of Crandall, but it
was not there
She was sitting there crying"
A sentence Of the maids testimony
suddenly thrust itself forward from
my subconsciousness as IL demand
Ing my attention and l listened in
tently to what she was saying.
That was the way it happened that
/ didn't make up the room the day be-
fore. When | went in to do 1t she was
sitting there crying and tearing a
letter to bits
A letter. 1t came on me in a 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" / said. May |
ask the witness one or two questions ?"
Still the coroner gaped and l wait
ed no longer for his permission.
Was II a yellow letter." asked.
Now that you speak Of it kind of
remember that 1t 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 l 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 transacted l kept my eye on
Cook. AS l asked the question about
the letters color l noticed that he
looked startled. l was amazed now
to see him eGging toward the door.
was tempted To demand that he be re-
strained and searched. / felt almost
sure that if the pieces OF the yellow
letter were to be found anywhere 1t
would be in his pocket. Yet second
thought advised against such rash &C.
ton. ! had no positive proof that
Cook was Crandall Until had, sure
ly 1t would be unwise to accuse him.
| remembered that there was no train
by which he could leave the town un-
til 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-
piciously, pausing suddenly in his
search.
II was an awkward question.
realized that my impetuosity had
placed me in 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
ly indicated that / knew something
about the woman.
II didn't know it,
We'll. what'd you ask the question
about it for?" he repeated, his sus.
picion of me rapidly increasing.
was thinking quickly what could
say that would divert his thoughts. |
noticed with annoyance that the eyes
of every one in the room were on me
and that they were curiously await
ing an answer. / assumed an air Of
mystery and drew the coroner to one
side.
Il am perfectly willing to tell you
everything" i said. Il am out here
on another matter that is something
of a mystery in which a yellow letter
figures. The letter has disappeared.
never saw or heard of this old woman
before, but when the witness men
toned that she was tearing up a let
ter a sudden notion came to me that
It might be the one of which / was in
search. A detective who is working
on the case will be out here this eve
ming and then / can tell you more
about it"
/ spoke the last sentence in a whis-
per so low that it reached only the
coroners ear. He pondered over my
statement and then abruptly an
nounced that the inquest was ad
journed until nine o'clock the next
day. / would have escaped him IL
could, but / saw that he vas deter
mined to worm out everything kn~w