Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-08-02
BY CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER vII-(Cont,nuedA

1hey would be likely to agree ON
SOME meeting place beforehand" re-
marked Holmes.
80 1t proved. 1 spent the whole of
yesterday evening in making inouir,os
entirely without avail This morn;n
l began very early, and at 8 O'Clock /
reached Halliday's Private Hotel, In
Ll'te George street. On my inquiry
US 10 whether Mr.. ~Stangerson was liy.
ing there, they at once answered me in
the affirmative.
NO doubt you are the gentleman
whom he was expecting" they said
he mas been waiting for q gentleman
for two days
Where is he now I asked.
lie Is up stairs in bed. He wished
to be called at o.
I said.
1t seemed to me that my sudden
appearance might shake his nerves and
lead him to say SOM >thing u1guarded
The Boots volunteered to show me the
room; 1t was on the second floor, and
there was a small corridor leading I'M
To 1t. The Boots pointed out the door
10 Inc, and was about to go downstairs
again when l saw something that made
me feel sickish, in spite of my twenty
years experience. From under the
door there curled a little red ribbon Of
blood, which had meandered across
the passage and formed a little pool
along the skirting at the other side. l
gave a cry which brought the Boots
back. He nearly tainted when he saw
1t. The door was locked on the inside,
but we put our shoulders to it and
knocked ii in. The window Of the
room was open, and beside the window,
all huddled up, the body of a man in
his night dress. He was quite dead,
and had been for some time, for his
limbs were rigid and cold. When we
turned him over the Boots recognized
him at once as being the same gentle
man who had engaged the room under
the nam Of Joseph Stangerson. The
cause Of death was a deep stab in the
left side, which must have penetrated
the heart. And now comes the strang-
| est part Of the affair. What do you
suppose was above the murdered
man."
The word RACHE, written in letters
Of blood" he said.
That was it," said Lestradc, in an
awe-struck voice; and we were all ST.
lent for a while.
There was something so methodical
and incomprehensible about the deeds
Of this unknown assassin, that impart-
, ed a fresh ghastliness to his crimes.
Ny nerves, which were steady enough
on the field of battle, tingled as /
thought of it.
"The man was seem" continued Les
trade. "A milk-bo passing on his way
to the dairy, happened to walk down
to the lane which leads from the news
at the back of the hotel. He noticed
that a ladder which usually lay uheEe,
was raised against n OF the
OF the second floor, which was wide
omen. After passing, he looked back,
and saw q man descend the iadde
He came down so quietly and openly
that the boy imagined him to be some
c~Irpeuter or joiner at work III ne
hotel. He took no particular nonc
of him. beyond thinking in his W
mind that it was early for him to be at
work. He has an impression that lhe
nan was tall, had = reddish face, ana
was dressed in a long, coat.
He must have stayed in the room
some little time after the murder, Tor
we found blood-stained water IN the
basin. where he had washed his
and marks on the sheets where he hau
deliberately wiped his knite.
| glanced at Holmes on nearing .ie
description of the murderer, Whcm tal-
lied so exactly with his own. !nele
was. however, no trace or eXultauon Vi
satisfaction upon his race.
did you find nothing in the room
which could furnish a clue TO the muir
. derer!" he asked.
"Nothing. Stangerson had Drebbers
nurse in his pocket, but 1t seems uhat
his was usual. as he did all the pay
tho Their was eighty odd pounds IN
II. hut nothing had been taken. what
over the motives of these extraordinary
crimes. robbery Is certainly not one
~ them There was no papers or mem
, orando in the murdered mans pocket,
excnnt n single telegram, dated from
| Ciovalanl about a month ago, n con.
taininp the words, j. H. is in Europe
rrhnrn was no name appended TO thls
message. ,oo,
And there was nothing else!'
Holmes asked. Tho
0Notbine of n Importance. me
mans novel. with which he mao reau
himself 70 sleep, was lying upon the
he'd and his pipe was on a chalr De
side him. There was a glass Oh Mas Ur
/ on the table, and on h windoW Sill
a small chip ointment box, containing Il
couple of pills ..ou b,s
sherlock Holmes sprang from MS
ono;r With an exclamation of delight;
..Tbe last link" he cried, eXul'ai n.y.
INV ease is complete"
,rbe two detectives stared at Hill III
amazement.
.I hove now in my hands," my com
nonion said confidently, "ah one
ttbrnads which have formed suci @ ~
oIa There are, of course, detaiis 10 pe
ssiicd in, but / am certain OF ali snr
mtain facts, from the time thai Drepoea
ma from Stangerson at the stauoh
pn r. the discovery Of the BODY Oh une
Iatter, ms if / had seen them Will ~
nu,n ayes I will give you a prool va
U wr knowledge. Could you lay !oui
hand upon those pills! ,ro-
no .I have them" said Lestrade' pro,
drcIpc n small white box; Il took en-
oud the purse and the teiegraihs' 90
ending to have them put IN u Gta' uos
soSotv nj the police station, ~ hose
saletS OF chance. my taking these