Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-04-28


flight" And he piloted them to the
stairs behind the cloakroom. you'll
find the apartments just as Mr.. Caruth-
ers left them. His valet said that his
master had written him that the room
must not be disturbed by anyone"
Hendricks paused on the stair.
did Mr.. Caruthers not inform his
man that he was going away?" he
asked.
married and lives on the west side.
He happened to have a day off and did
not know what had become of his mas
ter till he got the letter."
II see," remarked Hendricks, and he
started on again.
Reaching the door opening into
! Caruthers' apartments, the clerk I'M
locked it and led them in. The first
chamber was private sitting-room,
the dainty pieces of French furniture,
draperies and rugs being in perfect
order.
THE gas is burning" observed Hen
bricks, looking up at the cut-glass
globes.
AS l said, no one has been in the
rooms since Mr.. Caruthers went away"
Not even his valet?" asked the de-
tective.
1T looks so, or surely he would have
extinguished the gas. It seems to be
burning in the next room too"
This chamber was large luxurious
bedroom, and as they entered it Lamp
kin's imagination prepared itself for
horrible spectacle. To his great re-
lief, however, everything here was also
in perfect order. The white lace COW
erlet lay as smoothly as newly fallen
snow, and the sheets and pillows looked
as If they had never been used. The
clerk now with a look of growing curl
osity, if not of incipient horror,
stopped down and looked under the
bed ...~
Nothing there" he said. Then his
attitude grew more serious, as he went
to the large closets one by one and
opened the doors. "There is the bath
room yet" he remarked, with a shud-
der, his mind perhaps busy with bit
of French history or some recent Amer
lean horror. Its getting mighty COM
mon nowadays to commit bloody
crimes In bathrooms. Do you suspect
foul play, sir?"
"You are going entirely too FAST"
said Hendricks, in a curt tone. Every
matter choose to investigate need not
necessarily be a bloody one" He
smiled and added to Lampkin: my
reputation among the people is as red
as cranberry sauce"
The clerk bore the reproof with be-
coming humility. He made no reply
and hung back till the detective had
opened the door leading to the bath
room. Here the gas was burning also,
and the small chamber, with it's pol
ished tiled floor and glistening porce-
lain walls, revealed no hint of blood
shed.
The face of the clerk fell; his appetite
occasion.
What time did Mr.. Caruthers leave
the hotel the night he left?" Hendricks
asked him.
II really don't know, sir" said the
clerk. II am pretty sure he did not
mention it at the Office, and that is Gus
tomary among our guests. That is why
l thought there might have been some
underhand-"
leave your pass key with me- in
terrupted the detective, coldly. MY
friend and I want to have a little pri-
vate talk. When you go down, don't
mention our being here"
The clerk reluctantly laid the key on
a table.
"P]l not give it away, sir" He moved
slowly towards the door: IF you want
anything, ring. TIL be on the lookout,
and will run up myself"
Good" said Hendricks, you are very
kind"
The detective followed him to the
outer door and closed it after him.
Then he came back into the bedroom.
II hope this is only hoax, after ALL"
observed the doctor. "What are you
going to do next?"
Hendricks shrugged his broad shout
ders; it amounted to shudder
I'VE are going to look through those
trunks-for trunk and the rest
us it really so bad as that?'
my blasted remonition-which fac
ulty in my makeup has always been a
mystery to me-has hold of me with
its four claws,' said Hendricks. II
can't explain it, doctor, but the min
ute I entered that door and saw the
gas burning so brightly I felt murder
In the air. Sometimes on q day like
this-at crisis like this-I imagine
that the spirit of the murdered man lin
gers, round the spot where he lost his
life to try to give me clew."
Lampkin shuddered as the detective
laid hold of the nearest steamer-trunk
and began to unstrap it.. It was empty
save for some clothing in the bottom.
The next trunk was q large square one,
and it's lock for several minute resisted
the efforts Of the detective to unfasten
it. Finally, however, aided by a key of
his own, and no little experience in
such matters, Hendricks released, the
brass hasp and it fell down with
sharp click