sheet of paper, partly filled with writing. Chan perused the missive carefully, and handed it to Eden. The letter was written in a man’s strong hand. “It’s dated last Wednesday night,” Eden remarked to Holley. He read:
"DEAR EVELYN:
“I want you to know of certain developments here at the ranch. As I’ve told you before, Martin Thorn and I have been on very bad terms for the past year. This afternoon the big blow-off finally arrived, and I dismissed him from my service. Tomorrow morning I’m going with him to Pasadena, and when we get there, we part for all time. Of course he knows a lot of things I wish he didn’t—otherwise I’d have scrapped him a year ago. He may make trouble, and I am warning you in case he shows up in Denver. I’m going to take this letter in town myself and mail it tonight, as I don’t want Thorn to know anything about it—”
The letter stopped abruptly at that point.
“Better and better,” said Holley. “Another sidelight on what happened here last Wednesday night. We can picture the scene for ourselves. Madden is sitting at his desk, writing that letter to his daughter. The door opens—some one comes in. Say it’s Delaney—Delaney, the man P.J.’s feared for years. Madden hastily slips the letter between the leaves of the blotter. He gets to his feet, knowing that he’s in for it now. A quarrel ensues, and by the time it’s over, they’ve got into Thorn’s room somehow and Delaney is dead on the floor. Then—the problem of what to do with the body, not solved until morning. Madden comes back to the ranch tired and worn, realizing that he can’t dismiss Thorn now. He must make his peace with the secretary. Thorn knows too much. How about it, Charlie?”
