Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-03-14

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Your best way Is to make clean
breast of tho facts, answered. De
pend upon it, if your son is innocent, he
will he none the worse.
'Perhans, Alice, you had better
leave us together she said, and her
daughter withdrew. Now, sir, she con-
tinued. i bad 10 intention of telling
you all this, but since my poor daughter
has disclosed it / have no alternative.
Having onco decided to speak, will
tell you all without emitting any par
ticular.
Z" 1t is your wisest course, said I.
"'Mr. Drebber has been with us near
ly three weeks. He and his secretary,
Mr.. Stangerson, had been travelling OIL
the continent. / noticed "Copenha-
gen" label upon each of their trunks,
showing that that had been their last
stopping place. Stangerson was aquiet,
reserved man, but his employer, am
sorry to say, was far otherwise. He was
coarse in his habits and british in his
ways. The very night of his arrival he
became very much the worse for drink,
and indeed after 12 o'clock in the day
he could hardly ever be said to be sober.
His manners toward the maidservants
were disgustingly free and familiar.
Worst of all, he speedily assumed the
same attitude toward my daughter,
Alice, and spoke to her more than once
in way which, fortunately, she is toe
innocent to understand. On one occa-
sion no actually seized her in his arms
and embraced her-an outrage which
caused his own secretary to reproach
him for his unmanly conduct.
" But why did you stand all this?' l
asked. L suppose that you can get rid
of your boarders when you wish.
Mrs. Charpentier blushed at my per-
tinent question. Would to God that I
had given him notice on the very day he
came, she said. But it was a sore
temptation. They were paying pound
a day each, ETA a week, and this is q
slack season. l am q widow, and my
boy in the navy has cost me much. I
grudged to lose the money. acted for
the best This last was too much, how
ever, and I gave him notice to leave on
account of it. That was the reason Of
his going.
"'Well?'
"'My heart grew light when / saw
him drive away. My son is on leave just
now, but did not tell him anything of
this, for his temper is violent, and he is
passionately fond Of his sister. When |
closed the door behind them, load
seemed to be lifted from my mind. Alas!
in less than an hour there was ring at
the bell, and learned that Mr.. Drebber
had returned. He was much excited
and evidently the worse for drink. He
forced his way into tho room where I
was sitting with my daughter and made
some inooherent remark about having
missed his train. He then turned to
Alice, and before my very face proposed
to her that she should fly with him.
"You are of age" he said, "and there
is no law to stop you. l have money
enough and to spare. Never mind the
old girl here, but come along with me
now straight away. You shall live like
princess. Poor Alice was 30 fright
ened that she shrunk away from him,
but he caught her by the wrist and en-
deavored to draw her toward the door.
I screamed, and at that moment my son
Arthur came into the room. What hap
pened then do not know. Iheard oaths
and the confused sounds of a souffle. I
was too terrified to raise my head. When
I did look up, I saw Arthur standing in
the doorway laughing, with a stick in
his hand II don't think that fine fell
low 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.
Charpentier's lips with many gasps and
pauses. At times she spoke so low that
I could hardly catch the words. ! made
shorthand notes of all that she said,
however, so that there should be no pos
sibility Of a mistake. ~
"It's quite exciting" said Holmes,
with yawn. "What happened next?"
"When Mrs. Charpentier paused, "
the detective continued, II saw that the
whole case hung upon one point. Fixing
her with my eye in way which l al
ways found effective with women,
asked her at what hour her son returned.
"T do not know she answered.
Not know%
"'No; he has latchkey and let him
self in.
"'After you went to bed?'
"'Yes.
"'When did you 60 to bed?'
"'About H.
$50 your son was gone at least two
hours?'
"'Yes.
Possibly four or five?'
eyes.
"What was he doing during that
timer
"Td do not know, she answered, turn
ing white to her very lips
"Of course after that there was moth
ing moro to be done. / found out where
Lieutenant Charpentier was, took two
officers with me and arrested him
When touched him on the shoulder
and warned him to come quietly witt
us, he answered us as bold as brass, :.
suppose you are arresting me for being
concerned in the death Of that scoundre
Drebber, he said. We had said nothing
to him about it, so that his alluding t.
it had a most suspicious aspect.
"Very," said Holmes.
HE still carried the heavy stick whicl
the mother described him as having
with him when he followed Drebber. I
was a stout oak cudgel."
"What is your theory, then?"
2 HWe1l INV thenrv ia that he followed