Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-07-26
BY CONAN DOYLE.

viii tell you all, sir. Do not imagine
that my agitation on behalf of my
son arises from any fear lest he should
have had n baud in the terrible affair.
He is utterly innocent of it. My dread
is, however, that in your eyes, and the
eyes of others, he may appear to be
compromised. His high character, his
profession, his antecadents, would all
forbid it,"
Your best way is to make a clean
breast of the facts / answered. De
pend upon 1T, if your son is innocent he
will be none the worse
Perhaps, Alice, you had better
leave us together she said, and her
daughter withdrew. Now, sir she con-
tinued, Il had no intention Of telling
you al this. but since INV BOA daugh-
Tel has disclosed 1t, I have no alterna
tive. Having nce DECIDED 10 speak,
l will tell you all without emitting
any particular
at is your wisest course said l..
Mr.. Drebber has been with us near
: three. weeks. He and his secretary,
L. S~tangerson, had been travelling on
re continent. i noticed a 'Copenha-
gen" label upon each of their trunks,
showing that that had been their last
stopping place. Stangerson vas a
quiet, reserved man, but his employer,
l am sorry to say, was far otherwise.
He was coarse in his habits and brut-
ish in his ways. The very night of
his arrival he became very much the
worse for drink, and, indeed, after II
o'clock in the day he could hardly ever
be said to be sober. His manner to-
ward the maid servants was disgusting
ly free and familiar. Worst of all, he
speedily assumed the same attitude to-
ward my daughter, Alice, and spoke TO
her more than once in a way which,
fortunately, she is too innocent
to understand. On one occasion he ac-
tually seized her in his arms and en-
braced her-an outrage which caused
his own secretary to reproach him for
his unmanly conduct
But why did you stand all this?'
| asked. L suppose that you can get
rid of your boardcrs when you wish
" Mrs. Charnenticr blusbed at my
pertinent question. Would to God shat
| had given him notice on the very
day that he came she said. But it
was n sore temptation. They were
paying fl a day each-f14 Il week,
and this is the slack season. / am a
widow and my boy in the navy has
cost me much. l grudged to lose the
money. l acted for the best. This last
Was too much, however, and l gave
him notice 10 leave on account {, it.
That was the reason of his going
" My heart grew light when / saw
bin drive away. My O Is on leave
Just now, but I did not tell him any
ts,lr - hit, foy III, ~oy, to x;nIon%
and he is passionatcly fond OF his SIS
ter. When ! closed the door behind
them a load seemed u be lifted from
my mind. Alas. in less than AZ hour,
there was 4 ring at the bell, and l
learned that Mr.. Drebbcr had return
ed. He was much excited and evil
IDENTITY the worse for drink. He fore
ed his way into the room, where /
vas sitting with my daughter, and
made some incoherent remark about
having missed his train. He then turn
ed to Alice and, before my very face,
proposed to her that she should fly
with him. you are OF age" he said,
land there is no law to stop you. !
have money enough and TO spare. New
err mind the old girl here, but OH
along with me now straight away.
lou SIdH 1--WE axe IL pEiuCtSS. bOE
Alice was so frightened that she
shrunk away from him, but he caught
her by the wrist and ~endeavored to
draw her toward the door. / screamed,
and at that moment my son Arthur
came into the room. What happened
then | do not know. | heard Oaths
and the confused sounds Of a scutfie.
l was too terrified to raise my head.
JIrho- n l~nlynJ an r Cayy ArrhYr cto nd
ing in the doorway laughing, with a
stick in his hand. II don't think that
fellow will trouble us again." he said.
II will just go after him and see what
he does with himself" With those
words he took his hat and started off
down the street. The next morning
we heard of Mr.. Drebber's mysterious
death"
'"This statement came from Mrs.
Carpenters lips with many gasps
and pauses. AT times she spoke so
low that / could hardly catch the
words. I made short hand notes of all
that she said, however, so that there
would be no possibility of a mistake"
Its quite exciting" said Sherlock
Holmes with a yawn. What happen
ed nextT'
When Mrs. Carpenter paused" the
detective continued, II saw that the
whole case hung upon n point. Fix
ing her with my eye In a way which /
always found effective with women, /
asked her at what hour her son re-
turned"
q" L do not know she answered.
Not known
".No; he has a latch key, and he let
himself in
After you went to bedT
Yes
I" When did you go to bedy
:" About eleven
/" so your son was gone at least
two hours?
" Yes
Possibly four Or five?
Yes
I" What was he doing during that
timer
/" I do not know" she answered,
turning white to her very lips.
"Of course after that there was
nothing more to be done. / found out
where Lieutenant Charpentier was,
took two officers with me, and arrest
ed him. When l touched him on tho
shoulder and warned him to come
quietly with US. be answered us as
hold az brass. x % you are ar