Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-26

most or It, N Tact--had' '6Sen de-
ssroyed, as IL IN the careless opening
Of the letter with the finger. All that
was deciDherable was capital "A"
and part OF another letter that might
have been either en- IN" or ar r." In
the lower part CO the circle was frag-
ment OF q letter that locked as If It
might have been an IN" noticed,
too, that the stamp had been stuck on
rather carelessly, il lopsided man,
ner.
Ny friend, his inspection completed
turned to ne apologetically.
u beg your pardon, Harding Kent,
re said, you were entirely right
These two bits of paper are key-notes
in an important mystery, one that II IS
well worth my while to try 10 solve. ;
What made you change your mind
so suddenly" / asked, for though
quite agreed with him, his manner
had puzzled me not little.
He leaned back in his chair and
turned it so that he faced me. He had
sharp, explosive way OF speaking,
biting off his words almost before he
had completely enunciated them.
Cant you see? One footprint leads
nowhere Two footprints start q path.
When you brought that yellow scrap
to me you were merely guessing that
it might have something to do with
the strange happenings in the Farllsh
home. There was no way in which
YOU. could have positive knowledge,
nor could I. You were only guessing.
Indeed, 1 wasn't" 1 exclaimed in
dignantly. What drew my attention
to it was General Farrish's exc!ama'
ton of terror at the sight Of it just be
fore he fell, paralyzed."
Davis shook his head determinedly.
"That meant mucn-or nothing. Il
may have been mere senile hysterla
supernduced by the great shock. al
some time in his life he may have had
some unpleasant experience which
was associated in his subconscious
memory with & yellow document.
Wrought UP as he was by the news OF
his daughters attempt TO xii! herself,
the brain cells called into action were
those that had recorded other disturb
inn experiences, perhaps month ago,
perhaps forty years ago. NO lmpres'
sions in the brain records are ever
lost. The sight Of the yellow paper
probably recalled some other yellow
paper. There was then 10 evidence
whatever that it was this particular
piece Of paper that SO agitat&d him..
"But you think SO now" l suggested
"The situation has entirely changed
There was nothing 10 show that this
piece OF paper had ever come through
the mail. There was nothing TO cor
meet it with suicide. Dowd comes il
here with similar pieca OF paper that
plainly has been mailed. We now
have not one footprint, but tWo-th6
beginning OF path. Once started or
the path, we can solve the mystery.
Then you think there is some con
nection between the TWO bits Of pa
noren
90 ~ brow, +ioro isn said Davis
..-r,,,,sn 49,, NJ vs1,oIy napor are OF the
eomn o1alitv end teyture-to al ap
,,sa,.,,cas tho same Daper. Two per
sors in y,hoea nossession they were
ottor,,t ericida ~; the same day. This
-. mo I,n-sor ~ ar Jaast the same type
,yr;ter vro+n bcfb the address or tn.
anvnIona ard he contents OF the let
.,ar This o,yelope came from a coun
-. nos..oryi~a in either New York O.
ve,y Iorsnv within . montn-gomc
,,o.t-orf.o tha rar,a If which begins
With .Ar nv, An, There are not many
,,,ral Offices that will fit in ali par
,irrlors In two davs or sooner. I can
,aII ,.o, nvoct1v from what office they
,..'ro mailed"
"I,ottors-vop tbipl, there were two?
1;inht rrt this he the envelope il
v.h;ch tb;c nonor came?"
.,rI.+ nrasunposas an acquaintance
ho+-.ng~ rIeor and Miss Parrish, al
sc ,,o,,,. .or- nid