The Springdale news., 1912-09-20

the suicide had taken place. at least such of them as had not adjourned to the bar to talk 1t over, so that we were alone in the office.
 MT. Williams" said, what do you know about this man Cook. who Ia stopping here In the hotel?"
 No more than I know about you." said he, "and not as much, in fact, for he didn't ask no peculiar questions at the inquest. Speaking about that let. ter"
 How long has this man Cook been In the house?' interrupted, deter mined not to let either him or the coroner annoy me with questions
 The hotelkeeper, plainly provoked at my attitude. stared thoughtfully at me for minute and finally decided to answer my question as the only hope or getting me to answer his.
 He came just the night before you did-got In on the seven-two train"
 His answer settled everything in my mind. Cook was Crandall. The ar. rival of Cook In the village coincided with the departure of Crandall from New York. The haste in which he had departed was applicable by the ar rival of the old woman on that train. Evidently he wanted for some reason to arrive in the village at the same time that she did. What had been his motive was still mystery to me. It flashed across my mind that per haps. after all. her death might not have been suicide. A clever criminal might easily arrange things to look as though she had hung herself I deter mined to make an investigation to see If there was any evidence to prove this, but l said nothing of my sus. picions as yet. l already regretted my precipitancy in asking about the yel. low letter. The questions of the land lord and the coroner might be deferred for a while. but sooner or later l would have to make some explanation, and l had none to give
 What is Cooks business?" asked the landlord hastily, anticipating question l saw forming on his lips.
 T don't know. He kind of looked to me like a traveling-man-o a lawyer. What was"
 The return of the constable from telephoning saved my answering the question he was about to ask.
 There ain't no woman missing from Bridgeport that the police know anything about" he said sententi- ously.
 Did ye tell them her name?" asked the coroner
 Yep. They say there's only three families of Teilers in the telephone book and only four in the directory, and they are going to look them up and telephone inside of an hour"
 Maybe her name wasn't Teller" suggested the hotelkeeper. "I recol- lect seeing her kind of hesitate as she went to write in the register"
 That's just what was thinking" I cried, glad to divert his attention once more. Let us go and look at the register and then examine her clothing. Maybe there are some marks on 1t"
 That's a good idea" said the coro-
 
 before"
 The hotel register showed us little save the name Mary Jane Teller" in the tremulous old-fashioned hand little used to handling the pen. There was perhaps little more space between the last two names than after the first as If she hesitated a moment while deciding what name to use or perhaps with an honest woman's natural aver sion to assuming any other name than her own.
 Let's look at the clothing" I sug- gested, eager for an opportunity to see whether there were any indications that would point to anything other than suicide
 The four of us hastened to the room