The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-07-27

The governments most trusted secret
agents. His rise in the serYiee ha<'
been phenomenally rapid. The rof
berry of the post.office where he Wa
employed had given him his start. A
little later, with the mcrest thread to
follow, he had run 10 earth sklfui
band of stamp counterfeiters, and
three of its members were now serv
ing long terms. Only a year ago, wher
All the other inspectors had failed Il
find the flaw in the registry service
! that permitted a rcd=striped sack wit,
two hundred thousand dollars wera
of registered mail to disappear, =
Wis, putting his keen, analytical mi
on the case. within week had di
/ covered the flaw in the system ar
only a few days later had arrested III
cx-conYiet who had profted by it.
With the natrrpl interest Of an Of,
friend | had followed his career an
was familiar V III nest of his brilliant
achievements. Even though the seral
which was pulling me had no Ell
yelope and bore no postmark, 50 conf
| dent was in his far=redehing powers
i NDulu HdtdtN lid - uttIl diiGLSil IL y
had told me al about it as soon as
showed it % him. Imagine. then. my
disappointment at his absolute refuse
to take up the matter at all.
Don't you see how important it is p
! cried This little scrap is the KEY
to the whole mystery
He was sitting with his hack to tire
I,
/ these days, so that they can see your
I face in full light, while you have diffi
Guilty in reading theirs-yet from his
tone | felt that he WAS inWardly
amused at my anxiety.
I'm afraid you overrate my detect
i've ability and my powers as a post
office inspector" he said. while am
inclined to agree with you that this bill
of paper may have some bearing oil
the case, there is nothing to show from
What post office 1t came, through whose
hands it passed, or by whom il Was re-
ceived. 1t may not have come through
the mail at all. More than likely some
messenger brought it. Before | could
undertake an investigation | would
have to know, first, that it had come
through the mail; second, that there
was some evidence that the mails were
being used for an unlawful purpose;
and third | would want to be certain
before | begin the investigation, that
would win out That's the secret, ,
! cid chap, of my success, of every
body's success. Don't tackle things
you can't do. then you never fail.
Davis refusal vas greater blow to
me than I cared 10 admit. Louise and
] in our final conference the night be
fore hfd decided that there were three
steps that would take us far into the
light.
First, | was to try at once to find
Hugh Crandall. ] was to ask him to
explain the rupture with Katharine.
the attitude of General Parrish toward
him. his knowledge of the yellow lei
ter, aud why he had called Katharine
on the telephone the afternoon before.
Second. falling to find Grandall. !
was to make some pretext for visiting
his rooms. His sudden departure and
his cautioning the janttor to admit no
one had a suspicious look. While
neither Louise nor | had discussed
what might be there to explain the
mystery, was thinking that in ali
proba bility | would find q bundle OF
letters from Katharine. some of which
might furnish clue.
Third, ! was TO ask 1nspe ctor Davis
TO help me trace the yellow letter
! had anticipated little difficulty Ii
6seertaining Crandalls Whereabouts.
A broker of standing does not vanieh
overnight without Informing his bust
ness partners. Before coming 10 the
inspector | had telephoned to tran
dall's office. Great WAS my amazoment
TO learn from one of his partners that
they were as much puzzled as over
his sudden going away. They had
merely received a telegram saying
that he had been called out of town
Unexpectedly and did not know when
he would return. The telegram had
been sent from an office near his rooms
the night before There Was no bust
ness affair that would take him away,
so they supposed that it was some
urgent personal matter.
While ] chattcd for a moment with
Davis over our boyhood days | was
thinking what step should take next.
The problems of learning Crandall's
whereabouts and gaining access TO his
rooms did moi seem so simple as they
had the night before. A clerk entered
with card for Davis, and l rose to
go.
Don't go yet" he said. Its only a
man from police headquarters. His
errand will probably take only min
ute"
As resumed my scat Detective
Dowd was ushpred into the room. lie
was the lyrical police sleutf. thick of
head and foot, ready to suspect the
suspicious and to see the obvious. In
appearance, in speech. in manner of
thought. he and the inspector were al
most exact opposites. One WAS a grit
zled, blear-eyed man of fifty whom
even the clumsicst criminal could not
have mistaken for anything but what
he was; the other, young looking for