Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-21
'sYELL0W LETTER.
A Fascinating Mystery Story
ByWlLLlAM JOHNSTON
CHAPTER XII. (Continued.)
COPYRIGHT ,elI-rnE eoees- r1eRR,Ll co.

a COPYRIGHT 9ll-ThE 6O6Bs
CHAPTER XII. (Continued.)
AS Dodds CLICKED to the horse
leaned down beside Davis and asked:
What did you find?"
"Just what I expected. The automo-
bile is somewhere ahead OF u.s."
Whose is it," 40
II don't know yet"
My curiosity would be denied no
longer. Hitherto had kept silent, mop
ing that Davis would confide IN. me
object of our strange journey.
Whom are we coming out mere
after?" asked. N."
"The postmaster and his. accom-
plice, of course"
"Who is his accomplice?"
"I'ms afraid l misstated the case,
said Davis with grim chuckle. The
! postmaster is the accomplice. The
other Is the master criminal
"Who is the other?' persisted. rs
it Hugh Crandall?"
He was silent for a moment before
answering. attributed 1t to hesitation
in admitting that he had been wrong
and I right, and 1t was with consider
able satisfaction that I finally made
him answer: Il should not be sur
prised If we found Crandaii some
where in the vicinity"
He continued to peer down into the
road as the horse struggled up the MI,
till we came to comparatively leVel
plateau.
"stop here" he called out authori-
tatiyely.
"The deserted cottage is at least a
mile farther on" volunteered the
constable.
"We'll walk it," said Davis. I'VE can
i not take any chances of the wheels
being heard"
Dodds pulled off the road and fast-
ened the horse to a tree Again taking
the lantern Davis made a search Oh
the road, finally returning the lantern
to it's place, after carefully extlneulsh-
! ing it. ,.+,,, :.
"Come on this way, as quietly as
you can" he directed.
eve got this" said, showing MIN
the little pocket electric light WIN
| which I had explored the posto11lce.
do you want it?"
keep it in your pocket. We may
need it, but it is better not to snow
light if we can avoid It," =
I put it back in my pocket and look
the precaution of placing the revolver
Davis had given me in the side pocket
of nv coat where it would be more
easily available. Davis moved OH
soundlessly through the clearing with
the constable, close at his heeis
There was more light. here than there
had been on the shaded road, but even
SO we could see hardly twenty feet
ahead of US.
"This amt the direction Of the cot
tage," whispered Dodds.
"I know, I want to find something
else first" Davis explained, keeping
straight on through the darkness like
hound on fresh scent.
| He moved rapidly forward for a
hundred and fifty yards and then
brought us up short with a sharp
"Hist," AS we strained our eyes into
blackness we made out the shape OF
an automobile just ahead. It's lights
had been evtinguished and its engine
was dead.
"Wait here" Davis again com
q! manded as he crept silently toward II
to make sure the tonneau was unoccu'
MED. He was back with US In min
ute. ..- .
LET me have that lamp Of yours
Kent" he whispered, at the same Time
lighting cigarette.
ais that safe?" I exclaimed in sur
| prise. amazed that he would dare to
smoke when he had been taking such
precautions against our being dlscov
cred.
Sure" he replied laconically. who
ever was in that automobile is at least
half a mile away by now. The glass on
the front lamps is nearly cold. | want
to see the number, though We may
find it useful"
Taking my little electric lamp he
advanced toward the machine again
flashing the light for second on the
number, and then peering by it's light
into the tonneau. exclaiming as he
Strengthened up: II thought So
If it was safe for him to smoke, the
constable and I felt that 1t was safe
for US, too, to relax our precautions
and together we had advanced until
we were beside him.
sWhat did you find - I asked, won
dering at his exclamation.
what I expected" he replied enig
matically.,
The manner of his answer provoked
me. and determined then and there
to have it out with him.
! Look here. Davis" l said: 81
brought you into this case and do not
like the way you have acted about it
have freely told you everything
have discovered and have aided you In
every way I can. Before 60 a step
farther on this trip want to know
more about it,
what is it you wish to know he
asked. The constable edged nearer for
fear he might miss something of our
conversation.
! "First. where are we going?"
| ITO what is known as the deserted
cottage, about half mile farther on
at the edge of this clearing, a shack
that was built for shelter for lum
bermen or quarrymen- which was it.
Dodds?"
Quilt for one and used by t'other,'