_The_ THIRTEENTH LETTER THE THIRTEENTH LETTER By NATALIE SUMNER LINCOLN AUTHOR OF "The Cat's Paw," "The Meredith Mystery," "The Red Seal," "The Unseen Ear," etc. A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by arrangement with D. Appleton & Company Printed in U. S. A. COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY Copyright, 1923, 1924, by The Constructive Publishing Corporation PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO HARRIET BROWNSON HUSSEY The _Thirteenth Letter_ is affectionately inscribed in memory of many happy hours together The author desires to express to ALAIN CAMPBELL WHITE of LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT, her sincere appreciation of his cleverly devised stamp code utilized in _The Thirteenth Letter_. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE EVENTS OF A NIGHT 1 II. CAUGHT IN THE WEB 13 III. COMPLICATIONS 23 IV. THE BLACK CREST 38 V. SHERIFF TRENHOLM ASKS QUESTIONS 55 VI. THE THIRD HAND 68 VII. CURIOUS QUESTIONS AND EVASIVE ANSWERS 81 VIII. BLACKMAIL 95 IX. THE DENIAL 106 X. SKIRMISHING 119 XI. THE FOLDED NOTE 132 XII. THE HUMAN EYE 146 XIII. THE SPIDER AND THE FLY 160 XIV. THE WILL OF HATE 175 XV. THREE BEEHIVES 188 XVI. THE THIRTEENTH LETTER 205 XVII. CHERCHEZ LA FEMME 221 XVIII. THE DEATH CLUTCH 234 XIX. WHICH? 252 XX. THE RULING PASSION 271 _The_ THIRTEENTH LETTER CHAPTER I THE EVENTS OF A NIGHT THE white-capped nurse dropped the curtains in place so that they completely shut out the night and equally prevented any ray of artificial light penetrating the outer darkness. Her eyes, blinded by her steadfast gaze into the whirling snow storm, were slow in adjusting themselves to the lamp lighted room and for some minutes she saw as in a blur the spare form of the physician standing by her patient's bed. Doctor Roberts turned at her approach and removed his finger from about the man's wrist. He met her glance with a negative shake of his head as he replaced his watch. "Abbott!" he called softly, bending over the patient: "Rouse yourself and take some nourishment. You will never get your strength back if you don't eat." Slowly, languidly Abbott's dark eyes opened and regarded the two figures by his bedside. They lingered in some curiosity on the trim figure of the trained nurse and then passed on to the physician. "I'll eat later," he mumbled. "Leave me alone, now,"--and the heavy lids closed again over the eyes under which dark circles of pain testified to hours of suffering.