The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-05-09
Johnston
NZAah0wM XRaz1e5

eide and for her pOOr fathers plight.
| feared that his visit to the house
BODIED Ill for Louise. Undoubtedly hts
malign influence had persuaded her
to bid me drop my efforts to solve the
mystery. He must have realized that
l was close on his trail, SO danger
ously close that with the effrontery Of
the daring criminal he had ventured TO
come to the house in n last effort
As l became calmer I resolved on a
course OF action. Louise's strange re-
quest to me over the telephone must
have been made because she was dom
mated by the fear of this villain who
had brought disaster On her father and
sister. Perhaps she feared that some
evil might befall me IL l persisted In
trying to run him to earth. Possibly
she was afraid that still greater evil
might come to those she loved. l felt
that for her own happiness 1t was nee
essary that l should continue my
course. would 60 on with my inves-
tigation and once for all free her from
the crushing thrall of this hidden evil.
| would wait where l was until Gran
dali had left the house, then l would
insist on seeing her and telling her
my resolve. nor would | permit her
to dissuade me from 1t.
On the corner was a drugstore.
Sheltered by its awning l took my
stand to walt until Crandall left the
house, l could see the Parrish door,
yet my presence there under the avn
ing would hardly be noticed. l had
o long to wait. In about five min
utes the door opened and the caller
emerged. This time l had an opportu-
right. His face was that Of the mar
who had been registered in the Ard
way hotel az Henry Cook, who had so
abruptly left the room when the in
quest was being held as | had begun
to ask questions about the yellow let
ter, who had driver from the town be-
hind the fastest horse obtainable.
He came swinging down the street
past where / stood. As he came closer
| was amazed to note that his face
was not the unnatural color of the
morphine users that | expected. but
rudy with health. His eyes, however.
wore a strained expression and his
brow was knotted with wrinkles. |
was strongly tempted to spring out
from where | stool as he passed. 10
CnivA him hv tha fArnof orl -, ~oclo
him tell me all l wished to know about
the hideous myster-. Yet better judg-
ment withheld my hand. After all,
the evidence l haf against him was
not Of the tangible sort that would
convict. Even thorgh l knew OF his
Katharine just before she
shot herself, even though General
had learner something about
him that barred hin from the house,
though we lad found In his
a hypoderm!c syringe and the
in New jersey where the third
suicide had taken place, even though
l myself had note6 his suspicious ac-
items there, there was nothing definite
enough to warrant yeizing him az yet.
l watched him al Far down the ave-
nue. as my eye could follow and then
toward the Parrish house. This
time / was admitted without delay.
Apparently the maid had new instruc-
tiohs.
I'll tell Miss Lo Use you are here"
she said as she slowed me into the
reception-room.
As | waited l treed to think how ]
should greet Louise While there was
much that ] might reproach her for,
l felt that surely i had not been her
fault. l knew she must be acting un-
der compulsion. was determined,
though, to let her know that / knew
Hugh Crandall had been in the
house.
Suddenly l heard q smothered
upstairs and a second later
burst into the room. There
as terror in her face as she ran to
me-.
"Oh. Harding" she gasped, its
gone-stolen!"
What do you mean? What's sto-
l cried, selling her hands tightly
in my own.
She was trembling all over and her
breath came in quick. short jerks.
She was dressed In an automobile hat
and coat, but even through the thick
folds of her Goa l could feel the pal
of her heart. The new mys-
whatever it was, had been too
much for her already overstrained
She was in q condition Close
y bordering or hysteria.
Tell me about 1t. what was it," l
said.
The yellow letter-it's gone, sto-
Where was it,"
had taken 1t with me the morn
lng l went down to Inspector Davis
ofice. but after ho had compared 1t
with the Elser fragment he had re-
:urned it to me. I ha/ restored It to
when Davis and I called on her
after u visit to Mrs. Trask's board
ng-houss. l had not seen 1t since
hen. My last recollection Of It was
1t In her hand - Davis and
left the house.
Let mo think" she said. trying
apA - r>~~f~ 49, ~n-~~ne~~ ssWrA>.