The Forrest City times., 1912-11-22
CHAPTER VI.-fContinucd).

cious of a Henry Cook" A woman commits suicide at the Ardway Hotel.
 CHAPTER Vi.-fContnucd)
 was thoroughly disgusted with the drivelling way in which the proceed ings Were being carried on. 1 could see little hope of any discovery that would establish connection with the similar events in New York turned from listening to the witness to study Ing the face of the man Cook Could 1t be possible he was Hugh Crandall? saw that he was watching the testi- mony with eager interest Against my will l had to confess that his face was one that attracted rather than repelled me. While there was shrewdness about the eyes, the chin was square and firm and the skull well-balanced. l tried to read in the shape of the mouth or the curve of the ears some sign of the criminal. such as l expected to find written on he countenanee of Crandall. but it was not there
 She was sitting there crying"
 A sentence of the maids testimony suddenly thrust itself forward from my subconsciousness as if demand tng my attention and I listened in- tently to what she was saying.
 That was the way 1t happened that dldnt make up the room the day be- lore. When went in to do it she was sitting there crying and tearing letter to bits
 A letter! It came on me in a flash that here was the clue, that this was the connecting link with the other two cases.
 pushed my way forward into the room, determined to learn all there was about this new phase of the case The proceedings stopped abruptly at the hustle my movement made, and everybody, coroner. jurors and spec tators, gaped at me
 "I am a lawyer" I said. May I ask the witness one or two questions ?"
 Still the coroner gaped and I wait ed no longer for his permission.
 Was 1t yellow letter." I asked
 Now that you speak of 1t l kind of remember that 1t was"
 
 She was tearing it in pieces"
 Where are the pieces?"
 The eyes of everybody present be. gan rowing about the room. as if in answer to my question. The con. stable instituted a nasty search, in which l myself, the coroner and the jurors joined l felt that If We could only find those pieces, the mystery might be solved. While the room was being ransacked l kept my eye on COOK. As l asked the question about the letters color l noticed that he looked startled. I was amazed now to see him edging toward the door 1 was tempted to demand that he be re- strained and searched felt almost sure that If the pieces of the yellow letter were to be found anywhere it would be in his pocket. Yet second thought advised against such rash ac- ton. l had no positive proof that Cook was Crandall. Until had, sure ly it would be unwise to accuse him l remembered that there was no train by which he could leave the town un. til late in the afternoon, so there was little prospect that he could escape me
 How did you know 1t was a yellow letter." the coroner asked me sus piciousiy. parsing suddenly in his search.
 It was an awkward question. realized that my impetuosity had placed me in a predicament I was by no means ready to tell him the whole story, and yet the fact that 1 knew or suspected the color of the letter that she was tearing up certain y indicated that l knew something about the woman.
 "I didn't know it.
 Well. what'd you ask the question about 1t for?" he repeated. his sus. pieion of me rapidly increasing.
 l was thinking quickly what I could say that would divert his thoughts. I noticed with annoyance that the eyes of every one in the room were on me and that they were curiously await | Ing an answer. l assumed an air of 1 mystery and drew the coroner to one side. T am perfectly willing to tell you ' everything" l said. T am out here l on another matter that is something | of a mystery in which a yellow letter | figures. The letter has disappeared | bevey saw or heard of this old woman