The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-03-08
CHAPTER 1v.-CoxrrSuED.

iheiress entered, followed by her aunt.
Miss Huntington opened the letter
and handed it to the detective.
Even at distance of several feet, and in
the dim sensuous glow made by the
light striking through the ruby-colored
globes, the doctor saw Hendricks eyes
fash as they fixed themselves on the
sheet of paper, and noted the eager
flush of his face which betokened dis
covered clew. The letter ran as follows:
ls'My Dear Miss Huntingdon: How can
lever hope to get your forgiveness for run
ming away from New York so suddenly
without acduainting you with my plans?
However, this will reach you in time to
iinclose the tickets for the Horse Show,
am sure Count Bantinni will see TO your
pleasure and comfort. I am here since
three days, and have every dny-nay, every
,hour-been occupied with pressing busi-
mess Hoping soon to see you again and
rendering my best regards to Mrs. Win
fret, believe me. Yours sincerely,
WELDON CARUTHERS."
Silence filed the room as Hendricks
read and reread the letter, his eyes
dwelling on the lower part of the page,
sIAFpkin thought, with eager fixity.
Does Mr.. Caruthers speak French
fuehtly?" was the first question he di-
rected to Miss Huntington.
"He does not speak it at all, replied
that young lady.
.0r German?"
/ 'That language neither"
HAS he command of any other
tongue except English?"
-sNp, am positive that he has not ?
answered Miss Huntington, authorita-
lively. X, JAZZ h n.f
aThen he did not write this" said
Hendricks, in a certain tone of satisfac+
ition peculiar to man who has found
himself correct in conclusion derived
from slight evidence.
"Surely you must be mistaken" be-
gan the young lady, but the detective
LEANED forward, pointing to line on
the paper.
"The person who wrote or dictated
.,this communication is accustomed to
speaking foreign languages. The let
Ter. as al whole. is correct English, but
OF one point the writer made Slip
See, he says: II am here since three
days Now that is one of the idioms
which are discarded last by foreigners
in their efforts to acquire our language.
You know we say: 4 have been here
etc"
"You certainly are most obseryant,"
granted Miss Huntington, with an in
credulous smile, shut happen to know
that Mr.. Carhthers often dictated his
correspondence to stenographers at
hotels during his travels, and on this
occasion he may have employed type
writer whose one weak point may be
the very idiom you mention"
Il thought of that before l spoke,"I
said the detective. "But typewriters
in this country usually are English
speaking men and women. Moreover,
i see by the inequality of the strokes
that this was done by hand new at
the business"
Miss Huntington's face fell, and then
a nervous, worried expression came
into II.
"Tell me frankly,sshe said, ''what all
this is about"
Hendricks drew himself up.
II wonder" he said, "if you would OBJ
ject to speaking to my friend and my
self alone. II is a little matter that
perhaps Mrs. Winfret may not be ex-
aetly interested in"
The heiress threw a perplexed glance
at Mrs. Winfret, and for moment
seemed not to be able to formulate a
reply. Her aInt's intuition, however,
had been sharpened by the nervous
strain upon ner. re-
Something has gone wrong with Mr.,
Caruthers," she burst forth. "You
think am too excitable to hear it, but
am not: What has bappened?"
''You may speak before her," said
Miss Huntington, slowly paling. "In
great trials She is as strong as the
strongest"
I'VE have vital reasons for believing
Mr.. Caruthers has been foully dealt
with" said Hendricks. He studied their
edt faces for an instant and then con-.
cliided: "The truth is, he was murdered
10 his apartments on the night he was
Said to have left"
5+Ohl" simultaneously burst from
both ladies', and then dead silence filled
the room. There was no sound without
except the dull rumble of a passing
stage.
Murdered" came from the lips of
the young lady.
Hendricks nodded.
"But think we had better not go into
the details Tonight. The pupers will
be full of 1t in the morning"
"But you must--you must have come
to me for a purpose" said Miss Hunt
ington, helplessly.
1T was because, IL you viii pardon
the allusion, seem to see the shadow
Of motive for the murder in the fact
that your Uncle had stipulated in his
will that your inheritance from him de-
pended .op-"
"My marriage to Mr.. Caruthers," In
terrupted the girl. ayes, that is true"
5fAlso," added the detective, ''your ac-
quiring the fortune without marrying
hlmwas not possible except in the case
OF his death"
~Ah. ! see what you meant" exclaimed
Miss Huntington.
! II have no one 10 view quickly re-
I red Hehdrieks; "but you must know
sreh a ~ fortune, and the hope