cide or to revert to
the headache powders, which would have meant the asylum again. Anything
to put him out of the way, or to make his testimony incompetent for the
will contest. So, when the ex-lunatic returned from Europe a year ago,
our friend Honeywell here, in some way located him at the Caronia. He
matured his little scheme. Through a letter broker who deals with the
rag and refuse collectors, he got all the second-hand mail from the
Caronia. Meantime, William Honeywell Robinson had moved away, and as
chance would have it, William Hunter Robinson moved in, receiving the
pinprick letters which, had they reached their goal, would probably have
produced the desired effect."

"If they drove a sane man nearly crazy, what wouldn't they have done to
one whose mind wasn't quite right!" cried the wronged Robinson.

"But since Mr. Honeywell is blind," said Bertram, "how could he see to
erase the cancellations?"

"Ah! That's what I asked myself. Obviously, he couldn't. He'd have
to get that done for him. Presumably he'd get some stranger to do it.
That's why I advertised for a professional eraser who was experienced,
judging that it would fetch the person who had done Honeywell's work."

"Is there any such thing as a professional envelope eraser?" asked
Bertram.

"No. So a person of experience in this line would be almost unique. I
was sure to find the right one, if he or she saw my advertisement. As a
matter of fact, it turned out to be an unimaginative young woman who has
told me all about her former employment with Mr. Honeywell, apparently
with no thought that there was anything strange in erasing cancellations
from hundreds of envelopes--for Honeywell was cautious enough not to
confine her to the Robinson mail alone--and then pasting on stamps to
remail them."

"You appear to have followed out my moves with some degree of acumen,
Mr.--er--Jones," said the blind schemer suavely.

"Yet I might not have solved your processes easily if you had not made
one rather--if you will pardon me, stupid mistake."

For the first time, the man's bloated lips shook. His evil pride of
intellectuality was stung.

"You lie!" he said hastily. "I do not make mistakes."

"No? Well, have it as you will. The point that you are to sign here a
statement, which I shall read to you before these witnesses, announcing
for publication the withdrawal of your contest for the Honeywell
millions."

"And if I decline?"

"The painful necessi