The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-02-01
cHAPrER vIll-tcontInued.)

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CHAPTER viil.-(continued.)
The dry, matter-of-fact way in which
he recited the facts he had learned
added to the value of his narrative,
More and more ] marveled at the
mans detective ability. | was over
whelmed with sense of my own IN
capacity All day long the coroner,
the constable and ! had been trying
to ferret out the mystery of the unfor-
tunate woman's identity with prac-
tically the same properties to draw
deductions from. the inspector in
very few minutes had not only learned
her identity, but many other impor-
tant facts about her. Nor did II oc-
cur to me to doubt the truth of his
information The assurance with
which he spoke was in itself suf-
hcient guarantee.
How on earth did you learn all
this 80 quickly?" l asked in amaze
ment.
He smiled with that grim tantaliz-
ing smile Of his that had seen be-
fore. His cigarette had burned itself
TO q stub as he spoke. He turned 1T
carefully in his fingers. inspecting It
81 II to see whether he could extract
another puff before throwing 1t away.
He finally decided that he could not,
and drew forth his cigarette papers
and tobacco. preparatory to rolling a
new one. Meanwhile / awaited his
answer In suspense.
go on" l continued. Tell me
about It. / must know how you did
It."
THE principal part Of magician's
art" he said as he lighted his new
cigarette, Ties in what Is called mis-
direction With a glance from his
eyes, with d sudden movement Of his
hand he attracts your attention to
his right side. Meanwhile his left is
doing the trick. Now, misdirection. in
my business. has Just the opposite ef
feet. Amateurs, In investigating
crime, examine the evidence and see
clues pointing In some direction. They
follow those clues and find themselves
Doundering. They have the right
clues, but they so in the wrong direc
ton You read the evidence Alright
ss to Miss Sackett coming from
Bridgeport, but all your efforts to 10
cate her as Mary Jane Teller were
stmply a waste of time. In he
clothes she left behind her was hsl
real name"
Look here" | said. you can
etring me In that fashion. / mysel
examined those garments closely
There was no name In them and Their.
NO marks by which she could be iden
tiled"
casm in hts tone.
And not only that, even If / ovel
looked any marks that might hav
been there, the landlord. the coroner
the constable and half dozen other
examined them closely. If there wer
any marks. some one of US surel
would have discovered them"
For answer he got up leisurely an
walked across to a chair where tn
garments were still lying. He pickle
mp the skirt and held it by the lowe
hem.
Look closely at It," he commando
~Do you see nothing there
/ scanned the dusty cloth intent
and shook my head. He picked up ii
caat and offered It gravely for my 1
sSection, even turning 1t inside on
ssseves and ALL
well, what Of it," ! exclaimed IL
patiently. II can't see anything the
either" *
( Cant you?" he asked over-pleasar
~. That's where ! found the woI
au's name"
Again I took up both garments al
studied them. but | was positive tn
there was no name of any sort or an
thing to indicate a name. felt tn
he must be simply jesting with me.
lyon cant fool me. Exclaimed.
would wager you a thousand dollars
nve hundred that coat and skirt
not differ any in the slightest frc
hundreds OF other coats and ski
worn BY hundreds Of other women.
. "You lsse." he responded terse
with one finger ne began to trace
AlmcSi invisible line on the goe