Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-09

dear LOuise's voice and fastened
eagerly to ask after her welfare. Her
voice seemed strong and cheerful, |
though she admitted that she had slept
little the night before. I apologized
for not having called up before. She
told me that while her fathers condi-
ton was unchanged, the doctor thought
he was in no immediate danger, and
that Katharine was much improved.
The doctor believed now that she
could live. She was conscious, but
very weak, and Louise had been forbid
den to speak to her and was allowed
in the room only for minute at
time. I hastily sketched for her the
events of the morning.
ooh, Mr.. Kent" said Louise's voice
how wished she would call me by
my first name-"who do you suppose
called up?"
"Who?"
Hugh Crandall.'
Whats that?" I exclaimed, hardly
believing my ears.
Hugh Crandall," she repeated a|
little louder and more distinctly. HE
asked for Katharine. and the maid
called me to the telephone. told him
my sister was i'll and could not come
to the telephone. He seemed greatly
agitated and insisted on knowing what
the matter was. He was so agitated
and persistent I finally told him she
had met with an accident. He was
silent for so long thought he had left
the telephone, but all of sudden he
asked, Did she shoot herself?' and be.
fore thought / answered Yes Then
he cried out, ooh, my God!' or some
thing like that and asked II she was
fatally injured. told him that she
was alive but unconscious, and then
Harding, he asked if had seen any
thing of yellow letter. I thought
had better tell him nothing about that,
so l answered No. and then he rang
off,"
THAT was right said. Where
did he call up from?"
II have no idea"
when was it? How long ago."
mot very long-within the hour"
Hastily explained to Louise that
man that I believed was Crandall was
here in the hotel with me and that I
would find him at once and make him
explain the mystery. Before left the
booth / got the Ardway central again
and from her learned what ! had
begun to suspect-that "O141 Madf
son" had been called from the very
booth in which l stood, not over an
hour before. There was no longer any
doubt about 1t in my mind-Cook was
Crandall. He evidently had gone
straight to the telephone booth after
slipping out of the room as had asked
the question about the yellow letter.
hn hn n T
he must have been suspecting that
Katharine would try suicide Why
else had he asked if she had shot her
self? He must have known her mo-
tive. He surely could explain the dark
mystery that burdened her father and
herself.
even il had to have him arrested on
some pretext, or II ] had to use phys !;
cal force, to make him disgorge all
sure that the revolver Davis had given
me was there, and hurried back to the
office.
Have you seen anything Of Cook?"
I asked, trying to mask the eagerness
with which sought him.
mot since early this morning" the
landlord volunteered. II guess you
saw him after did The coroner told
me you saw him leaving the room dur
ing the inquest"
Il seen him." volunteered the clerk.
Where? When?" asked excitedly.
About an hour ago. driving past
here lickety-split with the black mare
from Jones' livery stable"
(Which direction did he go?" cried
all excitement at the thought that
Crandall was escaping just at thejvery
moment when I. for the first time,
had made sure Of his identity.
He must be followed and found at
once" I said, turning to the landlord.
Don't his actions look to you like
those of guilty man? The minute
he hears me ask about yellow letter
he disappears from the hotel. There
is no train by which he can escape.
So desperate is he that he hires a
horse and tries to get away cross
country"
l had hoped by my eagerness to stir
in the landlord something of my own
feeling in regard to Crandall's guilt,
but these country yokels are hard to
move.
What do you suspect him Off" he
inquired calmly. "Why should he want
to escape from you? Have you got
a warrant for)him?'
l was not yet ready to divulge my
reason for wanting Crandall captured.
Even if we had him, what definite
crime was there of which could ac-
cuse him? was morally certain that
the yellow letter or letters emanated
from him, yet how could prove It? A
new thought came to me.
Where is his baggage?" asked
"He only had a hand-satchel with
him." said Mr.. Williams, "and guess
that is up in his room"
Suppose we go look for 1t" I sug-
gested.
"You don't do no such thing as that
in my hotel" said the landlord deci-
sively, mot unless you've got a war
rant. He's paid for his room for a
week in advance. and there amt no
law to prevent his going and coming
as he pleases, so long as there amt
no warrant out for him. If he wants