Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-19
tective." I said as pleasantly as I

l UeCCIVS, ! 6dlu dS plS0ndutiy d6 >
could. I'm-a-friend of Miss Cox
down at the postoffice and we were
wondering whether Charlie had taken
This bicycle when he went away, and
Miss Cox thought you might know
/. "If you're a friend OF Jennie Cox"
said Mrs. Smith, 81 guess I'd be like.
ly to know it, being her own cousin
and knowing as we'll as l know my
for eleven years, since Aleck Thomp-
son died. AS for Charlie Rouser 60
ing away on his bicycle, r don't know
nothing about it. All know is his
wheel amt here, but he never kept 1t
here anyway. He always kept it down
at the postoffice.'
| With that she slammed the door in
my face, but I went away well salts
fed. AS I walked down the dusty
path of the so-called street toward the
hotel I reviewed all had learned and
was delighted to think how amazed
Davis would be when presented my
facts gathered In the last twenty.four
hours, which were these: "
Hugh Crandall was aware that we
were on his trail.
Unable to learn anything from
/ CSi0kAASAASS AAo ~~~@-
ed to go to the Parrish home.
He had so inundated Louise that
she had asked me to withdraw at once
from the inquiry.
Acting on her fears, he had per-
suaded her to accompany him to some
place in New Jersey.
Lock box II was used for the mail
of some one who had taken the alias
80 IIo,,rv MoJcnlrn Stewart
All the mail that came to that adj
dress was taken care Of by Charlie
Rouser, the postmaster.
Rouser was In the habit Of going at
frequent intervals either on his b.
cycle or in q buggy out the road that
led away from the station.
Rouser, when he disappeared, I'M
doubleday had gone away on his
bicycle.
EVERYTHING, to my mind, pointed to
his having gone to meet Crandall.
| How to account for the fact that
Rouser had not returned was still a
poser to me, but as I reviewed Gram
dalrs connection with the chain Of
persons who had been driven to death
I found myself believing that it was
notatal out of the range Of possibility
for Crandall to have made away with
Rouser for fear Of betrayal. From all
l had learned about the missing post
master, was convinced that he was
weak rather than vicious, and l felt
that he probably was an innocent par
ty to the nefarious plot Of the yellow
letters. Davis theory that 1t was a
crime of two persons, after all. was
only a theory. When the mystery was
cleared up I was positive that the on
| ly criminal who would be uncovered
would be Hugh Crandall. I shudder-
ed as recalled that Louise even now
was somewhere with him, not exactly
alone, to be sure, for the car was
driven by her own chauffeur, but still
it was most disconcerting thought
AS I approached the hotel I saw q
buggy stop before it, the occupants
of which were Davis and the con-
stable. AS Davis dismounted heard
him say to the constable: .
Tonight at eight"
"Ill be on hand, you bet" said the
constable as he drove of.
| auickened my steps and overlook
Davis Just as he started up the stairs
to his room.
give got some great news for you, "
I whispered and went on up with him.
The minute he got into the room
he flung himself on the bed, as II ut
|terly worn out, and lighted a cigarette.
had expected that he would be eager
to question me but this did not seem
to be the case. He lay there with
eyes half closed as If unaware Of my
| presence.
Annoyed as was at his seeming in
difference, was sure that when told
him my amazing news about Crandall
and my discoveries ABOUT the post
master he would be effectually arous-
ed. took it for granted that his
mood was due to dependency over
his failure to find either of them.
81 have seen Hugh Crandall twice
no, three times, today" I said by way
of beginning, "and have found out
how Rouser went when he left the
postofice"
eyes," he said absent-mindedly.
whats more" cried impatiently,
II know who had lock box II. know
what was done with the mail that
came to that address"
Davis, without answering me, reach
ed for another cigarette, lighting 1t
from the butt he had been smoking.
His nonchalant indifference grated on
my nerves and I lost my temper.
"Confound it, Kent" he said with
considerable asperity, II was 80 busy
thinking out something really didn't
hear what you said Sit down and
tell me all about it."
Notified by his apology, sat down
on the foot of the bed and told him
the STORY Of my day, how had seen
a man going into the Parrish home
and had recognized him later as Hugh
CrandalI, or at least as the man who
/ had registered at the hotel as Cook;
how l had been barred from the
house; how had discovered another
yellow letter suicide in the park;
how, when I returned to the Parrish
home after Crandall had left, Louise
had told me of the theft Of the scrap
of yellow paper from her desk; how
she had left me to go off in her auto
mobile after insisting that I drop the
! Investigation; how I had seen her
again, crossing the ferry with Crandall