The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-04-14

my Godl what can have become o
herr he groaned
! In fact, it certainly was q very pecu
! liar case, and coupled with my previou
observation OF the strange shortening o
the woman's stature it seemed to me tx
partake almost Of the supernatural.
MAY she not have gone on deck last
night and fallen overboardT' inquired
one Of the passengers.
"Impossible!' answered. ut wa.
clear moonlight. | was on deck all
night, and besides, had good lookouts
posted about the ship. The thing could
not have happened unknown to us"
, We looked to see il we might not find
q note or something explanatory, but in
vain.
Then ordered a thorough search to
be made throughout the ship. This was
done; but no, she was not to be found,
though every nook and corner was looked
into.
\ Then it occurred to me to speak to the
detective about it, and as soon as could
do so unobserved | knocked at his door
He cautiously opened it, but on seeing
who was there he invited me in.
| told him what had happened, not
even emitting to mention the sudden
change | had previously noticed in the
young lady's height. As proceeded
observed that his keen eyes seemed to
grow larger, while the thick beard that
covered the face of this singular man
kept twitching, as if every hair was in
stinct with life.
"Give me time" he said solemnly,
when had finished, "and ! will solve
this mystery. In a few days | may be
able to do it-perhaps not for week"
left him and went on deck. Tom
was there, looking so downcast and for
lorn that l resolved to acquaint him with
the presence of the detective, and tell
him what be said, and so, perhaps,
brighten him up little.
Ibid 80, but my words had an effect
had not expected. Rejecting moment,
he cried out: Father, | believe that man
is a humbug! But whether he be de-
tective or not, now suspect that he is
thief and a murderer; that he knew of
Miss Merwin's having that 81, 900 bond,
and that in order to possess himself of it
he has killed her and thrown her body
overboardr
stared at him in amazement, and
told him feared that his grief had dis
turbed his reason. How wasi it possible,
asked him, that the man could have
got the body overheard without our
knowing it? n
"He could have choked her to death,
carried her to one of the open cabin win
dows, and dropped her through that"
he replied, a..4
impossible" answered, without
the splash being overheard by the man
at the wheel, or by some one on deck.
Besides, ! doubt if he could have
squeezed the body through either of our
cabin windows, which, you know, are
very small"
Tom, however, seemed to think it
could have been done, owing to Miss
Merwin being SO slender, and in spite Of
all my efforts, ! could not entirely rid
his mind of that horrible idea.
Days passed, for we had beadwinds,
which kept us off our course; but as yet
the detective had nothing to tell me,
though he said he soon might be able to
explain the whole affair.
A strange affair enough. Never before
had | such an experience, or anything
approaching to it, in any craft | com
manded. The passengers were equally
puzzled; it was the talk of all aboard
the ship. As for Tom, he grew paler,
thinner, wilder every day. AT last, one
afternoon, when we had entered st.
Georges channel, he came up to me and
said, in husky voice: "Itis as thought!
Quick! | have something to show you!
Make no noise!"
! followed him. We both wore light
slippers, and without noise entered the |
room Miss Merwin had occupied. He
pointed to crevice, which he had evi-
IDENTIFY made in the partition, and look
ing through it | saw the detective in the
next apartment, kneeling by his open
carpet bag, from which now protruded
the identical buskins-I could not mis-
take them--which Miss Merwin had
worn. Spread out before him he held a
$1,000 bond-evidently the one which
my son had given to the young ladyl
"You see," he whispered. "Was | not
right? He has murdered and robbed
her!" @4
Low as the whisper was the man evil
IDENTIFY heard it, for he pushed the bus
kins, and after them the bond, hastily
down into the bag, which he then closed.
Before ! could hinder him Tom rushed