The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-11-15
CHAPTER Ill.-(contlnued.)

CHAPTER IiI.-(contInued.)
glanced quickly at Davis. | fully
expected to see in his face something
Of the same establishment had felt. |
vas disappointed With casual
glance at the envelope he turned to
Dowd as If waiting for him TO go on.
IT'S evidence in the Elser case" the
detective went on, turned in by the
man on post who reported the suicide.
He was that old party that was found
dead In his room up on West Twenty
third street. To my mind. It's just
plain case Of suicide-an old man tired
Of living. The poison bottle was there
On the floor beside him. | don't See
nothing suspicious about II, but the
chief has taken notion that there
something behind II and wants TO
know where this letter came from. We
searched the room. but this torn en-
yelope was all We could find. The
postmark's torn through, but he
thought maybe you could trace it any
how.'
I'll see what l can do and I'll let
Iou know in the morning. said the
Inspector calmly, dismissing the de-
tective with a nod. From his matter
1f-face tone and apparent lack OF in
terest would not have been surprised
I he had refused this undertaking.
100, as he had mine. though ii seemed
70 me that the two bits of yellow pa
per connected the two suicides at the
same hour as something decisively
more than a mere coincidence.
As soon, however, as the detective
lad left the room the inspectors whole
manner changed. With the glitter Of
excitement in his alert eyes he turned
TO me and explosiyely said:
Quick, let me see that yellow
scrap"
had placed It carefully in my wal
let after he had refused my request
As drew II out now he almost
.snatched II from my hand. Putting it
on his desk beside the torn envelope
he picked up a reading glass and
studied both pieces carefully. His in
spection lasted for several minutes.
and meanwhile. ]. too. studied the torn
envelope.
Both in color and texture the paper
so closely resembied the scrap that
vas positive that they were Of the
same lot. The envelope bore the ad
dress of Andrew Elser, IN West TWEEN
ty.third street. Part OF the postmark
most OF II. in fact-had been de
L.,
# the letter with the finger. All that
VAS decipherable was capital A
and part OF another letter that might
have been either an IN" or an "R." In
the lower part of the circle was frag
ment OF a letter that looked as II Il
might have been an ~. - noticed,
100. that the stamp had been stuck on
rather carelessly. in lopsided man.
nor.
Ny friend. his inspection completed,
turned TO me apologetieally
y beg your pardon. Harding Kent"
10 said. you were entirely right
These two bits of paper are key-notes
in an important mystery, one that il is
y ell worth my While TO try 10 solve. "
What made you change your mind
50 suddenly" l asked, for though
quite agreed with him, his manner
had puzzled me not little.
He leaned back il hts chair and
turned il so that he faced me. He had
sharp, explosive way OF speaking.
biting of his worGs almost before he
had completely euunciated them
Cant you see One footprint leads
nowhere. Two footprints start path.
When you brought that yellow scrap
10 ME you were merely guessing that
II might have something 10 do with
he strange happenings in the Parrish
home There was no way in which
you could have positive knowledge.
nor could !. You We're only guessing 3"
Indeed, wasn't exclaimed in
dlgnanIly. What drew my attention
10 It was General Farrish's eIclama-
ion Of terror at the sight OF It just BE-
lore he fell. peralyzed
Davis SHOCK his head determinedly.
THAT meant muoh-or nothing. Il
may have been mere senile hysteria
superirdUced b. the great shock. At
some time in his life he may have had
some unpleasant experience which
MAS associated In his subconsci0us
memory with s yellow document.
Wrought up as re was BY the news Of
his daughters attempt 70 kill herself.
he brain cells called into action We're
those that had recorded other disturb
ing experiences. perhaps a month ago.
perhaps forty years ago. No impress
sions In the brain records are ever
est. The sight OF the yellow paper
probably recalled some other yellow
lsper Elers WAS then no evidence