Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16
YELLOW LETTER.
AFascipattpg Mystery Story
ByWlLLlAM JOHNSTON
COPYRIGHT ,el-rnt eoeBs- MERRILL co.

her she would explain everything sat
isfactorily. 1t was toward Crandall
that all my wrath was directed. Feel
ing as did, sure that he was respon-
sible for Katharine's attempted sui
eide and for her poor fathers plight,
| l feared that his visit to the house
BODIED ill for Louise. Undoubtedly his
malign influence had persuaded her to
bid me drop my efforts to solve the
mystery. He must have realized that
was close on his trail, SO dangerous
| ~ close that with the effrontery of the
daring criminal he had ventured to
come to the house in one last effort to
thwart my plans for his exposure.
! AS became calmer resolved on
course Of action. Louises strange re-
quest to me over the telephone must
have been made because she was DOM
mated by the fear Of this villain who
had brought disaster on her father
and sister. Perhaps she feared that
some evil might befall me if I persist
ed In trying to run him to earth.
, Possibly she was afraid that still
greater evil might come to those she
loved. felt that for her own happi-
ness it was necessary that l should
continue my course.
I would 60 on with my investigation
and once for all free her from the
crushing thrall of this hidden evil.
would wait where I was until Crandall
had left the house, then would insist
on seeing her and telling her my re-
solve, nor would l permit her to dis
Suade me from 1t. III
| On the corner was drug store.
, Sheltered by it's awning I took my
stand TO wait until Crandall left the
house. I could see the Parrish door,
yet my presence there under the avn
ing would hardly be noticed. I had
not long to wait. In about five min
utes the door opened and the caller
emerged. This time had an oppor-
tunity to get good look at him. /
was right. His face was that of the
man who had been registered in the
Ardway hotel as Henry Cook, who had
SO abruptly left the room when the
inquest was being held as l had begun
to ask questions about the yellow let
ter, who had driven from the town be-
hind the fastest horse obtainable.
He came swinging down the street
past where stood. AS he came clos
er was amazed to note that his face
was not the unnatural color of the
morphine users that l expected, but
ruddy with health. His eyes, however,
wore a strained expression and his
brow was knotted with wrinkles.
was strongly tempted to spring out
from where stood as he passed, to
seize him by the throat and to make
him tell me all wished to know about
the hideous msytery.~ Yet better
judgment withheld my hand. After
all, the evidence had against him was
not Of the tangible sort that would
convict. Even though I knew Of his
telephoning Katharine just before she
shot herself, even though General
Parrish had learned something about
him that barred him from the house.
even though we had found in his
rooms a hypodermic syringe and the
address in New, Jersey where the third
suicide had taken place, even though
myself had noted his suspicious &C.
lions there, there was nothing definite
enough to warrant selling him as yet.
I watched him as far down the avenue
as my eye could follow and then turn
ed toward the Parrish house. This
time I was admitted without delay.
Apparently the maid had new instruc-
tons. 49,, s...
"Pll tell Miss Louise you are here"
she said as she showed me into the
reception room.
AS waited l tried to think how
should greet Louise. While there was
much that might reproach her for,
felt that surely Mt had not been her
fault I knew she must be acting un-
der compulsion. was determined,
though, TO let her know that knew
that Hugh Crandall had been in the
house: ..' Sets
Suddenly 1 heard a smothered
scream upstairs and second later.
Louise burst into the room. There
was terror in her face as she ran to
me. -.. g.
"Oh, Harding she gasped, cts
gone-stolen!"
What do you mean? What's stol.
en?" ! cried, Selling her hands tight
in my own.
She was trembling all over and her
breath came in quick, short jerks. She
was dressed in an automobile hat and
coat but even through the thick folds
Of her coat could see the palpitating
of her heart. The new mystery, what
ever it was, had been too much for her
already overstrained nerves. She was
in condition closely bordering on
hysteria.
''Tell me about it, what was it,"
said. -
"The yellow letter-it's gone, stol-
EN-"
"Where was it, r.
l had taken it with me the morning
1 went down to Inspector Davis office,
but after he had compared 1t with the
Elser fragment he had returned it to
me. l had restored it to Louise when
Davis and l called on her after our
visit to Mrs. Trask's boarding house.
| I had not seen it since then. My last
recollection of 1t was placing it in her
hand as Davis and left the house.
| LET me think" she said, trying
hard to regain her composure. when
| YOU and Mr.. Davis were here the other
day you gave it back to me. took it
upstairs and put it in a drawer in a
[ little desk in my room. I locked the
desk and hid the key in vase on the