The Washington herald., 1912-04-07

OF any family shame. For many years
her relation toward her younger sister
had been almost that of mother One
thing that puzzled me was why she and
Crandall should have thought il neces-
sary for Louise to accompany him, and,
even with this explained, there was still
the greater mystery of the chain of sui
eides that centered at Ardway, bound
together by fragmentary bits Of yellow
letters.
'Why," I asked Louise, "do you sup
pose that he and Katharine insisted on
you coming out here? Why could not
Crandall himself have recovered the
document and restored it to Katharine"
Il asked him that He told me that
the man who held it had made the con-
dition that il should be received by
either my father or Katharine. They
did not wish il known that my fa-what
had happened, and as they were certain
this man knew neither Katharine nor
me, was to go with him and imperson-
ate my sister"
did you get the document?"
mo, we failed" said Louise, "and l
do not know what in the world / am
fto tell Katharine. We came out here
in the afternoon Crandall thought it
advisable to find the place by daylight.
We ran the automobile UP the lane
that leads to this place and crept through
the thicket until we came in sight of the
cottage. There, were two men moving
about in the cottage, Young and an
other man whom Mr.. Crandall told me
was the postmaster at Ardway He
seemed surprised at the presence of the
postmaster. We watched for half an
hour and then took the automobile back
to little hotel about three miles away
from Ardway. For some reason, Mr..
Crandall did not want TO stop in Ard
day"
Il guess | was the reason" l replied.
"But when did you return here?
''We had dinner at the little hotel, and
as soon as it was dark sfarted back for
the cottage. When we arrived we found
a light in the window and saw Young
there in stupor just as you see him.
The other man was nowhere around.
After trying to awaken Young, without
success, Mr.. Crandall searched his
clothes, but there was nothing in any
of his pockets. He even felt all the
seams, and took off his shoes in search
of the paper we wanted, but it was no
where on him. He ransacked the cot
tage as we'll as was possible in this dim
light, but could not find any suggestion
of hiding place Out in the little shed
that serves as kitchen he found slip
on which was written a list Of eatables
bread. milk. eggs, and such things.
We decided from this that the other
man-Rouser, think Mr.. Crandall had
said his name was-had gone to some
neighboring farmhouse or store to lay
in supplies and probably would soon re-
turn. Mr.. Crandall suggested our hid
ing in the bushes until his arrival, and
we did so. We had hardly taken our
place behind the bushes before we heard
him coming Mr.. Crandall stepped out,
and the rest is so mixed up don't know
just what happened l heard shots and
felt pain in my arm, and l think
screamed and then / don't remember
any more until found you bending over
me-"
"To think that it was my bullet that
hit your cried. Il might have killed
YOU"
"Ifs only the lightest sort of scratch"
she protested. at doesn't even hurt any
more. II does not bother me half so
much as TO know how to tell Katharine
that we failed in our mission"
"Tell her." said |. shat one of the
conspirators is dead and that the other
is safe in the hands of Inspector Davis
and myself Tell her that any docu-
ment either of us finds that in any way
relates to her father will be placed in
her hands at once. Tell her that will
not leave the prisoners side until l
have it safe and that my honor is
pledged both for Davis and myself that
no word affecting her father will ever
become public. Crandal is out there
now talking with Davis, and | think
you will find that he, too, will tell her
the same thing"
As il in corroboration of my words,
the three of them, Crandall, Davis, and
the constable, returned just at this mo-
ment
Come, Miss Parrish said Crandall,
81 think it time | was starting home
with you, if you fee. able to travel l
have run the car up just outside the cot
tage. think we can safely leave the
completion of our mission to the in
spector and Mr. Kent"
II wish Mr.. Kent was coming back