“Where is the envelope?”

Grace handed it to Larry.  An inspection of the post-mark showed that it had been mailed in New York in the vicinity of sub-station Y, which was on the East Side.  It might have been dropped in one of the many street boxes from which collections were made for that particular office, or it might have been mailed in the station itself.

“Not much to trace him by,” said Larry.  He looked at the envelope again and saw that there was a small ink blot on the lower left-hand corner, and that the corner where the stamp was affixed was smeared as if with some sticky substance.

“Any one would think you were a detective,” said Grace, as she watched Larry examining the envelope.  “What does it matter now?  We are sure father is alive, for that note was posted yesterday.  That has made mother and me happy.  Of course we want to find him, but I don’t see how you can by that letter.  I thought you’d like to know about it to make a little item for the paper, and I wanted to repay you for your kindness to mother and me.”

“I haven’t done anything,” Larry replied.  “I am only too glad to be of service to you.  But I may be able to find out something by this envelope.”

“I don’t see how.”

“Will you let me take it to the sub-station?”

“Of course.  But what good will that do?”

“I want to ask the sorters and clerks in charge if they remember having handled it.  I may find the carrier who brought it in from the box, and he can tell in what locality it was.”

“But how can they remember when they must handle thousands of letters every day?”

“Perhaps they cannot, but it is worth trying.  You see in that section of the city are mostly foreigners, who write a peculiar hand, and use stationery anything but clean or of this quality.  This envelope and paper are of an expensive kind.”

“Yes, they are some father had made to order for his private correspondence.  I did not know he took any to Europe with him, but he must have.”

“It may be that a letter carrier or mail sorter took enough notice of the envelope to remember it,” Larry went on.  “Besides there is a small blot on it, and the way in which the stamp is put on shows that some glue or paste was applied to the envelope.  Probably he used an old stamp which had no mucilage on.  To make it fast to the envelope your father, or whoever posted the letter, would have had to use some sticky substance, and, in doing so, he has put it on a little too thick.  Some spread out from under the stamp and soiled the envelope.

“Of course the sorters and carriers don’t pay much attention to the pieces of mail, except to see that they are properly stamped and addressed, but it’s worth trying.  This envelope would attract attention if anything would.”

“And you are going to use that for a clue?”

“I’m going to try.  It may be useless.  If we can find in what particular locality it was mailed we can have the police keep a watch for your father.  He may mail other letters there.”