Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16

who feared that it might be used
against him."
There was silence while we both
pondered the situation.
"You remember" said Louise sud-
denly, "the agitation my father show
ed at sight of that paper. If he were
not lying paralyzed upstairs I think
he would have tried to gain possession
of it.
How is your father, and your sis
ter?" l asked, suddenly recalling that
II had asked after neither of them.
Katharine is much BETTER said
Louise. "Ghe is entirely conscious,
though very weak, but the doctor says
that she will in all probability recover
quickly. My fathers condition re-
mains the same, though he seems to
have regained the use of his right
hand. He wrote some brief directions
today about his business"
Are you sure of all the servants?"
l asked.
"All of them have peen with us for
years; all but one, ever since before
my mothers death. / would not think
of distrusting any of them"
care you certain the house has not
been entered in the night?"
l was asking these questions with
view of convincing her that it was i'm
possible for any one but Crandall to
have taken the yellow scrap-for any
one else to have even a motive for
taking it.
"That would be impossible" she
said. "All the doors and windows
are protected by burglar alarms and
know they are In working order or
would have heard about it,
There is or there must have BEEN"
I said slowly, some traitor in the
house, some thief, some one who had
an object getting hold of that
paper"
There has been no one here" said
Louise with a painful effort, mo one
answering that description"
How did you come to look for the
paper in your desk?"
Il wanted she stopped short
"Mr Kent" she said, her entire
manner toward me stiffening as she
withdrew her hands from mine, Il
asked you last night If you would not
cease your inquiries at once"
"But-but-" l protestingly began.
81 asked you to do what I requested
without any questions. You have
told me you loved me. If that is the
case I know you will do what / ask,
without trying to force my confidence.
Isn't it enough for you to know that
l wish you to do it," y
"Louise, DEAR" I said firmly, "a
mysterious trail of hidden evil in some
way has crossed your home It has
stricken your sister and your father.
You yourself asked me to try to find
the secret and vowed that l would.
don't know what your motive is in
making this strange request, but l
can't believe you are doing 1t of your
own volition. am certain that you
are Influenced by fear--fear lest some
greater evil will befall, if my efforts
to unmask the criminal are successful.
Is it not SOP" .s5. Il
Don't ask me- Harding she beg
ged piteously II can't tell you. It is
not my secret. can tell you moth
ing. 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 mysterious
spell as had fallen on her sister. More
than ever was I determined to follow
the trail of mystery to it's end, no mat
ter where 1t lay or what it cost. What
was life to me If the woman I loved
was to be forever under shadow, in
the power of some hidden 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 I could, compel her to divulge
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 it,"
81 can't tell you. Please don't ask
me-"
"Why do you want me to stop my
inquiries?" -.
II can't tell you. Please don't ask"
what was Hugh Crandall doing
here this morning."
The question, direct and blunt as l
nut it, had almost the same effect as
lii l had fired bullet at her. She
caught her breath quickly and her face
turned pale. 1 thought that she was
going to faint With a great effort she
recovered and, looking me straight in
the eye, she answered slowly: "Mr.
Crandall was not here this morning.
What made you think he was?"
did not try to conceal the open
eyed amazement with which I stared
at her as she gave me this unequivoc-
al reply. What could it mean?
could not would not believe that this
high principled, honorable girl would
wilfully deceive me. yet l was as sure
as that was standing there that Hugh
Crandall had been in the house that
morning. Could it have been that he
had entered without her knowledge?
Was it possible that one Of the maids
in the Parrish home was in his pay
and had permitted him to enter with
out Louise's knowledge? That might
explain the rifling of the locked desk.
The maid might know of Louise's
habit of hiding the key in a vase. 1t
began to look as If had a solution
of this new mystery. Yet it could
hardly be possible for Cra1dall to have
been in the house for fully half an
hour without Louise knowing it. Futh-
ermore WHY had admittance been