The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-07-11

| er than l, already had become one Va
the governments most trusted secret
agents. His rise in the service had
been phenomenally rapid. The rob-
| berry of the post-office where he was
| employed had given him his start. A
! little later, with the merest thread to
follow, he had run to earth a skilful
/ band Of stamp cOunterfeiters, and
| three of it's members were now serv-
/ ing long terms. Only year ago, when
all the other inspectors had failed to
find the flaw in the registry service
! that permitted a red-striped sack with
| two hundred thousand dollars worth
of registered mail 20 disappear, Da-
| Wis, putting his keen, analytical mind
| on the case, within a week had dis
| covered the flaw in the system and
only a few days later had arrested the
ex-convict who had profited by It,
With the natural interest of an old
friend l had followed his career and
was familiar with most Of his brilliant
! achievements. Even though the scrap
| which was puzzling me had no en-
velope and bore no postmark, so conf
! dent was / in his farreaching powers
l would hardly have been amazed if he
| had told me all about it as soon as |
showed it to him. Imagine, then, my
! disappointment at his absolute refusal
! to take up the matter at all.
Don't you see how important 1t is?
! l cried This little scrap is the key
/ to the whole mystery"
He was sitting with his back to the
| light-a trick most business men have
| these days, so that they can see your
| face in full light, while you have diff
| Guilty in reading theirs-yet from his
I tone l felt that he was inwardly
/ amused at my anxiety.
I'm afraid you overrate my detect
i've ability and my powers as post
| Office inspector" he said. while am
inclined to agree with you that this bit
| of paper may have some bearing on
the case, there is nothing to show from
/ what post-office it came through whose
! hands it passed, or by whom it was re-
ceived. 1t may not have come through
| the mail at all. More than likely some
! messenger brought it. Before l could
! undertake an investigation l would
| have to know, first, that it had come
| through the mail; second, that there
was some evidence that the mails were
being used for an unlawful purpose;
/ and third, would want to be certain
| before l began the investigation, that
| | would win out. That's the secret,
/ old chap, Of my success, Of every
body's success. Don't tackle things
you can't do, then you never fail"
Davis refusal was greater blow to
! me than | cared to admit. Louise and
/ in our final conference the night be-
| fore had decided that there were three
steps that would take US far into the
light
First, l was TO try at once TO find
/ Hugh Crandall l was to ask him to
explain the rupture with Katharine,
/ the attitude Of General Parrish toward
| him. his knowledge Of the yellow let
ter, and why he had called Katharine
| on the telephone the afternoon before.
| Second, failing TO find Crandall, l
was to make some preteXt for visiting
/ his rooms. His sudden departure and
! his cautioning the jaHitor to admit no
one had a suspicious look. While
neither Louise nor l had discussed
what might be there to explain the
! mystery, l was thinking that in all
probability I would find a bundle OF
letters from Katharine, some Of which
might furnish clue.
Third, was to ask Inspector Davis
10 help me trace the yellow letter
had anticipated little difficulty in
ascertaining Crandalls whereabouts.
A broker Of standing does not vanish
overnight without informing his bust
/ ness partners. Before coming to the
/ inspector l had telephoned to Gran
! dalls office. Great WAS my amazement
| 10 learn from one Of his partners that
they were as much puzzled as over
! his sudden going away. They had
merely received a telegram saying
that he had been called out OF town
Unexpectedly and did not know when
he would return. The telegram had
been sent from an Office near his rooms
the night before. There was no bust
ness affair that would take him away,
so they supposed that 1t was some
urgent personal matter
While l chatted for a moment with
Davis over our bOyhood days l was
thinking what step | should take next.
! The problems of learning Crandall's
whereabouts and gaining access to his
rooms did not seem so simple as they
had the night before. A clerk entered
with card for Davis, and l rose to
go.
Don't go yet" he said. IT'S only
man from police headquarters. His
errand will probably take only min
ute"
AS | resumed my seat Detective
Dowd was ushered into the room He
was the typical police sleuth, thick Of
head and foot, ready to suspect the
suspicious and to see the obvious. In
appearance, in speech, in manner Of
thought, he and the inspector We're al
most exact opposites. One was a griz-
zled, blear-eyed man Of fifty whom
even the clumsiest criminal could not
have mistaken for anything but what
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