The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-09-28
asked you last night If you would not
cease your inquiries at once"

tNopC youi dl OHIc.
'But-but-" | protestingly began
81 asked you to do what ! requested
without any questions. You have told
me that you loved me. If that is the
case | know you will do what l ask
without trying to force my confidence.
Isn't it enough for you to know that
I wish you to do it?'
Louise, dear" I said firmly, "a mys-
FERROUS trail of hidden evil in some
way has crossed your home 1t has
stricken your sister and your father.
You yourself asked me to try to find
the secret and | vowed that I would
| don't know what your motive Is In
making this strange request, but
can't believe you are doing it of your
own volition. / am certain that you
are influenced by fear-fear lest some
greater evil will befall, II my efforts
to unmask the criminal are success
full. Is it not SOP"
Don't ask ME, Harding" she begged
piteously. II can't tell you. 1t is not
my secret. I can tell you nothing.
Please don't ask me-"
More than ever now | was convinced
that fear of Crandall dominated her.
Quickly following on his telephone
message he had come to the house
and had cast over her the same mys-
FERROUS spell as had fallen on her SIS
ter. More than ever was l determined
to follow the trail of mystery to Its
end, no matter where 1t lay or what 1t
cost. What was life to me il the wom-
an | loved was to be for ever under
a shadow, In the power OF some hid
den criminal who might prey on her
as he had done on the other members
of her family? felt it my duty toward
her to go on and. If | could. compel
her to divulgc something of what she
was holding back from me.
why did you want that bit of the
yellow letter? What were you going
to do with 1t ?'
Il can't tell you. Please don't ask
me-"
why do you want me to stop my In
quiries?"
Il can't tell you. Please don't ask"
What was Hugh Crandall doing
here this morning."
The question, direct and blunt as l
put it, had almost the same effect as
If l had fred bullet at her. She
caught her breath quickly and her
face turned pale. l thought that she
was going to faint. With great ef-
fort she recovered. and looking me
straight in The eve, she answered soft
iy: Mr.. Crandal1 was not here this
VAST"
did not try to conceal the open
eyed amazement with which | stared
1T her as she gave ne this unequiyo.
cal reply. What could it mean? !
could not, would not believe that this
high principled. honorable girl would
Wilfully deceive me, vet | was as SURE
as hat l was standing there tina
Hugh Crandan had been in the hous.
that morning. Could 1t have been tina
he had entered without her know
4 edge? Was it possible that one of tn,
l maids in the Parrish home was il
his pay and had permitted him to en-
ter without Louise's knowledge? That
mieht explain the ri1ing of the locked
0tSh lie ltIdiu might kHOW VI I<Ou-
ise's habit of hiding the key in a vase.
It began to look as if had a solution
Of this new mystery. Yet it could
hardly be possible for Crandall to
have been in the house for fully half
an hour without Louise knowing it..
Furthermore, why had admittanee
been denied me when first called?
81 saw Hugh Crandall leaving this
house not ten minutes ago." | said
Really"
Her tone was cold. hard, forced.
though she tried to make 1t sound nat
ural
ut was he who broke open your
desk" | cried. "He wanted to regain
possession of that scrap Of paper and
thus remove all evidence of his guilt"
Il am afraid" said Louise with the
manner of offended dignity. that you
are entirely mistaken. | was not
aware that you knew Mr.. Crandall oy
sight"
"If that wasn't Hugh Crandsll vhe
came out Of your house Just now, who
was IT." l asked, my anger. at this
man whom i believed responsible for
the chain OF evil getting the better
Of me. Il don't know Crandall, but ]
know the evil he is responsible for,
for the tragedy of your sister. the
plight of your father, the suicide of
old Andrew Elser, the suicide Of that
poor woman out in Ardway. Why. not
an hour ago | helped drag from the
park lake a fifth victim, poor young
girl, driven to death by another Of his
accursed yellow letters. l found the
fragments of it, water-soaked and illeg.
ible, in the lake"
"Mr. Kent" interrupted Louise, "you
were kind enough TO undertake mis-
sion on my behalf and I appreciate 1t
greatly. Certain circumstances have
arisen that have entirely altered mat.
ters. l called you up last night and
asked you to drop all investigations
You have said that you love me. BY
hat love you say you hold for me
now ask you, n0-mOre-1 order yOu