Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-02
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without a word CT apology or tXplana
ton to the others and fastened 10 the
telephone booth ! had observed in the
! hall.
"Give me O141 Madison I demand
ed of central.
whats the NATTER" she repeated
with surprise in her tone. which struck
me peculiarly until l considered thai
long-distance calls from Ardway must
be such rarity as TO surprise even
the operator.
II want ng-distance-New York
II explained, enunciating distinctly,
"O141 Madison"
again" central replied, fiippantly
Fit appeared to me.
I repeated the number, more than
annoyed by her response. ooh, I've
| got your number all right by this
time"
II was good thing for her that she
tried no more POPULARITY with me. o.
the rules Of the company against pro,
family would have been shattered
There was wait of several minutes,
filled with the usual false alarms of
long-distance telephoning, during
which | stood and fumeG. At last
heard my dear LCuise's voice and has
tened eagerly to ask after her wei.
fare. Her voice seemed strong and
cheerful, though she admitted that she
had slept little the night before.
iapoloGized for not having called Up be.
fore. She told ME that while her IA.
theirs condition was unchanged, the
doctor thought he was in no immcdi.
ate danger, and that Katharine was
much improved. The doctor believed
now that she could live. SIZE WAS con-
scious, but very weak. and Louise had
been forbidden to speak to her anG
was allowed In the room only for c
minute at time. hastily sketched
Cor her the events of the morning.
"Oh. Mr.. Kent" said Louises voice
how wished she would call nc by
my first nanre-"who do you suppose
called up?"
"Who?"
'Hugh Crandall."
Whats that?" I exclaimed, hardly
Haliaving my ears.
Hugh Crandall," she repeated ill.
Ito louder and more distinctly. "Ft
asked for Katharine, and the maid
called me 10 the telephone. told hin
my sister was i'll and could not come
;C the telephone. He seemed greatly
efttatad and insisted on knowing Wha'
nc matter was. He was so aGitatcC
and persistent I finally told him she
1ed met with an accident. He was
allen. for so long | thought lie haG
Left chu telephone, but all Of sudden
sc asked, Did she shoot herself?' anG
before I thought | answered Yes.
Then he cried out, oh, my Gcd.' 0,
something like that and asked if sht
was fatally injured. | told him thai
She Ta1 alive but unconscious. ant
th1s Harding, be asked ii l had seci
enything Of q yellow letter. thought
I had better tell him nothing about
that, so l answered No. and then he
rang of"
"That was right" I said. ':Where
did he call up from?"
ri have no idea"
tWhen was it? How long ago?'
mot very long-within the hour"
Hastily I explained to Louise that a
man that believed was CrandaN was
here in the hotel with ME and that /
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 l had be.
gun to suspect-that "O14t Madison
had been called from the very booth
in which stood, not over an hour be
fore. There was no longer any doubt
about it in my mind-CoOk was Gran
dali. He evidently had gone straight
to the telephone booth after slipping
out of the room as I had asked the
question about the yellow letter. From
the questions he put to Louise, he
must have been suspecting that Kath'
arine would try suicide. Why else
had he asked If she had shot herself:
He must have known her motive. Ec
surely could explain the dark mystery
that burdened her father and herself.
resolved to seek him ut once and
even if / had TO have him arrested o!
some pretext, or if had to use physi
cal force, to make him disgorge all h(
knew. 1 felt in my pocket 10 MAKE
sure that the revolver Davis had civ
en- me waa there, and hurried back tt
the Office.
Have you seen anything of Cook
! I asked, trying 10 mask the eaSeraes!
with which I sought him.
"Not since this morning" the land
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