Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-04-02

tuhN loI nSI own happiness IL was hNN-
eBsary that ! should continue my
course. l would so on with my inves-
tigation and once for all free her from
the crushing thrall Of this hidden evil.
] would wait where | was until Gran
dali had left the house, then ! would
insist on seeing her and telling her
my resolve, nor would | permit her
TO dissuade me from II.
On the corner was drugstore. |
Sheltered by its awning took my
stand to wait until Crandall left the
house ] could see the Parrish door, |
yet my presence there under the avn
Ing would hardly be noticed. / had
not long to wait. In about FIVE min
utes the door opened and the caller
emerged. This time had an opportu-
nifty to get a good look at him. was
right. His face was that Of the man
who had been registered in the Ard
way hotel as Henry Cook, who had so
abruptly left the room when the In
quest was being held as l had begun
to ask questions about the yellow let
ter, who had driven 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 l expected, but
ruddy with health. His eyes, however,
wore a strained expression and his
brow was knotted with wrinkles. /
was strongly tempted to spring out
from where stood as he passed. to
seize him by the throat and to make
him tell me all wished to know about
the hideous mystery. Yet better judg-
ment withheld my hand. After all,
the evidence | had against him was
not OF the tangible sort that would
convict. Even though l knew OF his
telephoning Katharine just before she
shot herself, even though General
Parrish had learned something about
him that barred him from the house,
even though We had found in his
rooms a hypodermic syringe and the
address in New Jersey where the third
suicide had taken place, even though
I myself had noted his suspicious &C
lions there, there was nothing definite
enough to warrant selling him as yet
l watched him as far down the ave
nue. as my eye could follow and then
turned toward the Parrish house. This
time l was admitted without delay.
Apparently the maid had new instruc-
tons
III tell Miss Louise you are here"
she said as she showed me into the
reception-room.
AS waited tried to think how l
should greet Louise. While there was
much that l might reproach her for,
I felt that surely 1t had not been her
fault. ! knew she must be acting un-
der compulsion. l was determined
though, to let her know that knew
that Hugh Crandall had been in the
house.
Suddenly heard smothered
scream upstairs and a second later
Louise burst into the room. There
was terror in her face as she ran tc
me.
"Oh, Harding" she gasped. ats
gone-stolen!"
What do you mean? What's sto
LEM" cried, selling her hands tightly
in my own.
She was trembling all over and he
breath came in quick, short jerks
She was dressed in an automobile ha
, and coat, but even through the thicl
, folds Of her coat could feel the pal
, plating Of her heart. The new mys
, terry, whatever 1t was, had been to-
!, much for her already overstrainet
; nerves. She was in a condition close
ly bordering on ,hysteria.
= Tell me about 1t, what was it?"
a said.
THE yellow letter-its gone, ste
len!"
Where was it?"
had taken 1t with me the morn
ing / went down to Inspector Davi
office, but after he had compared
with the Elser fragment he had r,
t, turned 1t to me. had restored It I
Il Louise when Davis and called on he
9 after our visit to Mrs Trask's boar
e ing-house. had not seen 1t sine
Il then. My last recollection Of 1t we
3 placing It in her hand as Davis an
q / left the house.
t. Let me think" she said, tryin
70 hard to regain her composure. "Whe
G you and Mr.. Davis were here the oth'
3 day you gave 1t back to me. toe
h 1t upstairs and put It in a draw'
h in little desk in my room. / locke
It the desk and hid the key in val
g, on the mantel. went to the des
sr just now to get It and It was gone"
10 WAS the deck lockedT"
She nodded.
1t who could have taken it?" aske
a Even as l framed the question the
ID came to me the thought of Crandall
20 visit. He had been in the hotel
t. Ardway where the woman committt
III suicide after reading yellow lett
IL and tearing It up. The scraps Of tn
n letter had disappeared. More like
IL he had come here just to get IN
It, scrap Of yellow paper lest its eviden
Sc might bring home his crimes.
is who has been in the houseT
er mo one but the doctors and nurs
be and the servants" said Louise, fus
at ing uneasily as she spoke.
~ waited. expecting her to menti
of Crandalls visit. but though she he
TO tated for q second she said nothi
1T Of It.
e. Il wonder who could have taken It
q she said after an awkward pause.