The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-02-07
CHAPTER XIII-Continued

uOI one IN mere.
''She used to have one, In silver
frame" | said. looked around and
saw the frame lying face down on the
mantei. | picked IL up. An old faded
picture of Sam and Margarita In their
wedding toys confronted me-
When | had shown il to Miss Mac.
Donald she took IL and carried II to
the window
1.-The glass has been washed. care
fully" she said, "since the picture
was put in here"
She pressed on the purple velvet
back and took the picture from the
frame. Across the bottom of the pic
ture, where the wide silver frame had
hidden it. written In Gaby's bold hand.
writing, were these words.
'My one deadly enemy"
"My word !" said Miss Macdonald.
Are you certain" she questioned
next, that the girls mother Is not
iiving?"
Don't ask me to be certain of any
thing" said, and locked for chair
TO sit down in.
She came and put one of her capable
hands on my shoulders. "You
shouldn't lei this trouble you," she
said. sit is more than likely that
Gabrielle Canneziano had nothing to
do with it | must verify the hand
writing"
In the next instant she certainly
gave me q fine turn. Her eyes went
big and round, her cheeks blaZed with
bushes, and she clapped her hands
TO them and stood staring at me as If
i were the original human horror.
q" she gasped out, "a have made q
mistake"
felt like rising and giving her q
good shaking. "Lands'' snapped
"Who hasn't?
81 would discharge one of my as
sistants like that" she snapped her
fingers, "for such mistake. Crime
analyst! COMPOUNDED asst Cenceited
amateuri OH" She went running
out of the room, leaving me sitting
there to do what | liked with that
talk of hers.
She was back I'm two minutes. She
had Gaby's late note 70 Danny In her
hands. 81 have been assuming" she
said, and her cheeks famed up again.
"that Gabrielle Canneziano wrote this
note. ! have had pleasant little as.
sumption. Now | will get some facts.
j must find a sample of her hand
writing"
She began to search through Gaby's
desk. helped her. Gaby had made
q thorough job of her burning. There
was not scratch Of her writing to be
found.
Danny will have something" said.
''I'll see whether she is in her room"
Danny was in her room, sitting at
her own desk, writing out checks and
addressing envelopes. told her l
had come to ask her for a sample of
Gaby's handwriting.
Il am sorry, Mary" she said, as she
finished addressing an envelope, sealed
1t, and looked for stamp In the
stamp box, 'but | haven't anything,
except, of course. the last note she
wrote to me, and Miss Macdonald Is
keeping that"
She addressed another envelope, and
added II to the pile beside her. 1T
isn't" she said, noticing my reluc.
lance to leave, "that | am not inter.
ested, Mary. II Is only that | know
that | haven't a scrap of her writing"
| turned to go. | had reached the
door when she called to me and asked
me to take her letters downstairs for
the mailbag. when | went downstairs
returned to Miss Macdonald with
my Information.
Dear mel" she said. If only they
would work with me, Mary, instead of
by themselves, or-against me. At
any rate" she put aside the photo
graph, ruler-like thing, and her
magnifying glass, "the note to DanielIe
CannezianO, and the writing on the
photograph were done by the same
person. What are the letters you
have there, In your hand. Mrs. Magin?"
told her they were some that
Danny mad asked me to take down
stairs. She held out her hand for
them. had to allow her to have
them. But first I read the addresses
They were the names of mail-order
stores in Portland. Ore, and in San
Francisco, Calf.
Miss Macdonald looked at them
closely. Then she took up fiat paper
knife. from Gaby's desk, and DELHI
erately opened the envelope by lifting
the flap.
"She surely does not seal her letters
carefully" she said. and took out a
check, nothing else, from the en-
velope.
at is dated today. the thirteenth
of july" she said.
"Of course 1t IS" answered, tartly,
not liking any Of this. "She was writ
ing them Just now. while ] was In
there"
Ibid you see her writing them7"
she asked.
81 certainly did"
She sighed and moved her head
with an impatient gesture. rather like
Johns worried gestures. "Then that
is that" she said. and returned the
= check to the envelope. sealed the en-
velope, and gave 1t, with the others.
back TO me.
"Now for the code letter." she said.
and sat down In front of the type
writer left her there. and went to
look for Sam.