Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-25

belonged. l might Try 10 trace MIN
through the taaicab, which he had
probably called from the University
ClGb near by, but that could wait until
later Just now l felt it my duty TO
hasten back 70 Louise and tell her OF
this new development.
IS | turned from the door a news
boy with an armful of evening extras"
thrust one at me. Impatiently /
waved him away.
All about The suicide" he bawled
as lie darteL OH after another passer-
by.
Quietly / pursued him and fairly
snatched one Of his papers from him.
Had the reporters, after all, learned OF
the tragedy in tie Parrish home? Doc
Tor Wilcox and | had discussed the
matter OF notifying the police and the
coroner. We both felt that it would
be wiser not 10 communicate with
them. for such course would newt
ably bring publicity.
There was enough agony III the Far
IRISH home without having this sorrow
ful secret blazoned to curious world
IL thr2c-inch type, without having a
horde u reporters and camera men
constantly surrounding the house. Be-
sides, if Katharine recovered. sooner
or later she would be sure to learn
what the papers mad. said. The knowl-
edge that her foolish crime against
herself had been thus senSatlonaliy
proclaimed would be blow from
which the sensitive girl-hitherto
jealousy shielded-would never re-
cover. II she should not recover--Doc-
.or Wilcox and l We're trusting to
chance TO find a way of explaining her
death. The servants--all OF them
trustworthy and long in scrvice-had
been cautioned not 10 talk 10 anyone
about the afternoons events. The
doctors aides and nurses. Of course,
had been silent. This is part OF their
business. How, then, had the papers
obtained the news so quickly?
could think Of but one possible way.
More than likely some telephone girl
who had heard Louise calling Doctor
Wilcox had given it TO the press. Even
in the half-darkngss OF the middle or
The block where / stood | could read
he word "S-UI-C-ID-E stretched
across the page in letters Of red.
FASTENED 10 the corner where the G0u-
bic globes sled down q brilliant light,
anxious yet dreading to read what the
paper said At the first glance
breathed 4 sigh OF relief. The article
vas not about Katharine Parrish.
had not thought OF The possibility OF
there having been another suicide that
day, but there It was:
Mystery in Sclf.Murccr of Aged Law
yer.
Ordinarily ] pay little attention 10
stories of crime But the afternoon
had given me q new and bitter appre.
citation OF the meaning OF suicide.
Standing there under the light OF &
Fifth avenue corner | read the hastily
written article word By word.
Andrew Elser. the article explained,
-
Twenty-thIrd street clearinghouse
Little was known about him tGcrC Q:
cept that he was q lawyer. Several
years ago he had given up his down
town office Most Of his income was
derived from his fees as custodian OF
IN orphan boys estate. About four
O'Clock in the afternoon the landiady
had heard a noise IN his room like that
of body falling On entering she
had found him l!feiess on the floor.
She had called a policeman, who sent
for an ambulance. The ambulance
doctor found that Mr.. Elser had taken
poison.
It struck me as peculiar coinci-
deace that two persons so far apart III
the social scale as Katharine Farrlsh
and Andrew Elserrshould have chosen
the same hour of the same day to seek
death. Was there something in as
trology after all? Had the stars de-
creed that both should die? Had
some conjunction % the planets, some
evil aspect in Inc Zodiac driven both
of them-the young heiress, in the
bloom of joyous youth, and the aged
lawyer, in his deCrepit poyerty-re-
lentlessly, hclplessly, to self-destruc.
ton?
So deep was the impression made on
me by the coincidence that took the
paper with me and read the account OF
Elser's suicide 10 Louise. Even as
read it aloud. this ineyplicable thought
came TO me with startling force:
Suppose that these two suicides at
the same hour were more than a mere
coincidence. Was it possible that the
same shadow had fallen On both these
lives? Had the same mystery driven
them 10 Il death-pact?
It seemed absurd. 1t was unlikely
that Katharine Parrish had ever heard
of Andrew Elser. If the family had
known him Louise would have men
toned it. And yet-why had these