Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-10-31
CHAPTER III-fcontinued.)

Cf1FNF En- III COHtlHA
glanced quickly at Davis. I fully
expected to see in his face something
Of the same establishment I had felt. I
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
ST living The poison bottle was there
on the floor beside him I don't see
nothing suspicious about it, but the
chief has taken a notion that there's
something behind it and wants to
know where this letter came from. We
searched the room, but this torn en-
-.Ope was all we could find The
DOstmark's torn through, but he
thought maybe you could trace it any
how"
aTIl see what I can do and I'll let
you know in the morning" said the
Inspector calmly, dismissing the de
tactive with a nod From his matter
of-face tone and apparent lack of in
tarest / would not have been surprised
If he had refused this undertaking,
too, as he had mine, though it seemed
10 me hat the two bits of yellow pa
PEI. col nected the two suicides at the
same hour as something decisiyely
more than a mere coincidence.
As soon. however, as the detective
had left the room the inspectors whole
manner changed. With the glitter Of
excitement in his alert eyes he turned
TO LIE and explosiyely said:
Quick. let me see that yellow
scrap"
had placed it carefully in my wal
lei after he had refused my request.
AS I drew il out now he almost
5uatched it from my hand Putting it
pa his desk beside the torn envelope,
he picked up a reading-glass and
studied both pieces carefully. His in
spection lasted for several minutes.
md meanwhile, /, too, studied the torn
envelope.
Both in color and texture the paper
so closely resembled the scrap that I
vas positive that they We're of the
a1ne lot. The envelope bore the ad-
dress of Andrew Elser, in West Tween
third street. Part Of the p0stmark
most Of it, in fact-had been de
lroyed, as if in the careless opening
SC the letter with the finger. All that
vas decipherable was a capital A.
and part of another letter that might
have been either an N or an r." In
The lower part Of the circle was a frag-
ment Of a letter that looked as if it
light have been an IN" / noticed.
90. that the stamp had been stuck on
ather careIessly, in a Iopsided man
-er.
My friend, his inspection completed,
turned to me apologetiCally.
Il beg your pardon, Harding Kent"
he said, you were entirely right.
These two bits of paper are key-notes
in an important mystery, one that it is
Well worth my while to try to solve"
What made you change your mind
so suddenly" I asked, for though I
quite agreed with him, his manner
had puzzled me not q little
He leaned back in his chair and
turned 1t so that he faced me. He had
q sharp, explosive way of speaking,
biting of his words almost before he
had completely enunciated them.
Cant you see? One footprint leads
nowhere Two footprints start a 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 Parrish
home. There was no way in which
you could have positive knowledge,
nor could I. You were only guessing. "
Indeed, I wasn't" I exclaimed in
digRantly What drew my attention
to it was General Farrishs exclama-
ton Of terror at the sight Of it just be
fore he fell. paralyzed."
Davis shook his head deterrsInedly
That meant much-or nod ing. II
may have been mere senilc hysteria
superinduced by the great shock At
some time in his life he may nave had
some unpleasant experience which
was associated in his suDconscious
memory with yellow document
Wrought UP as he was By ne news of
his daughters attempt to Kill herself
the brain cells called into action were
those that had recorded ether disturb.
. ing experiences, perhaps a month ago
perhaps forty years agG, No impress.
sious in the brain records are ever
lost The sight Of thu yellow paper
probably recalled sore other yellow
parer. There was then no evidence