Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-02-17
CHAPTER 1.

HAS Mr.. Hendricks returned from
Boston,"
''Just this minute, sir" replied the
Office boy. Hes in the back room get
ting his mail"
DIR. Lampl1ir entered the Office and
sat down in one of the soft leather-cov-
cred chairs.
A moment later the detective entered,
a package of unopened letters in his
hand.
''Oh!" he CALCULATED. Hello, glad to
see you'll"
I've been wondering what had be-
come of you," said the doctor as he rose
and shook the disengaged hand of his
friend. Every time L dropped in your
Office boy told me he was expecting you
on the very next train"
Delayed from hour to hour for near
~ two weeks" frowned Hendricks.
Then he laughed. 1.-The joke is on me,
old man. 1 had really plumed myself
on the reputation 1 was going to make
over there to get even with the Boston
papers for sneering at New York's big
detective as they called me, but 10
and behold! just as 1 was about to stir
up the phlegmatic old village by show
ing my hand, my man made a clean
breast and gave himself up to the po-
lice. Die you ever hear of such luck?'
Lampkin laughed as he took cigar
from the detectives box.
Anything on hand here?''
.Not blessed thing. I might forget
my awful humiliation if could plunge
into work heels over head"
AS the doctor smoked, Hendricks be-
gan to open his letters. He had cast
aside three and was beginning on the
fourth when his visitor saw him start,
grasp his beard and pull on it excitedly.
by Jove!" he cried, and his big gray
eyes seemed to expand as they stared
at the sheet before them.
whats up now?'' questioned the
doctor, leaning forward.
The detective seemed not to hear. He
folded the letter, leaned back in his re-
volving chair, and made clumsy at
tempt to prop his feet up on the edge
of his willow waste basket, but the
frai1 thing turned oyer and his heavy
heels struck the fopr with a hollow
sound.
Lampl>in studied the strong features
of his companion with pleasurable
curiosity. He was almost sure that he
had detected just the faintest sugges-
ton of horror in his friends express
sion, which was indeed rare thing.
Then Hendricks shrugged his shoulders,
gave half defiant logged laugh and
proceeded to open another letter.
He had scarcely drawn it from it's en-
velope, however, when he dropped It
and musingly took upthe other again
There was silence while he perused it.
Then he asked: s
''Lampllin, have you ever heard the
name of Weldon Caruthers?"
Haven't your" returned the doctor,
a note of surprise in his voice.
1T seems familiar to me, and yet 1
can't exactly place it,
"He is one of the ultra swell set" re-
piled Lampkin. 81 met him once; he is
very well-to-do, a thoroughsociety man
member of the Van DerNenter club
and all that sort of thing. flsnow lot
of interesting gossip about him.
Hendricks fixed the speaker with his
sharp eyes.
ST presume you hearrfs of.Shis being
murdered in cold bloods;"' said the:de-
tective. tentatively. IS s.,
Murdered? Surely you don fn g
it," 3
"Yes, let me see." Hsndrickssdeiib-
erately consulted the date of the letter
in his hand and even mare slowly ex-
amined the postmark on the envelope.
''Yes, this writer informs me that the
crime was committed in Carnthers'
apartments in the Palace hotel Just a
week ago tonight"
''Oh, it's a hoax-a mistake" he
said, in relief. 81 noticed in this morn
ing's paper that Caruthers waAin his
box at the Horse Show last night. 1
was running over the list of men who
had the most conspicuous places and re-
member seeing his name"
what paper did you see it in?''
Lampkin thought he. noticed the pc
culiar twitching about the corners of
the detectives mouth which usually
indicated suppressed excitement.
1.-The World, think, yes. I'm positive.
/ was looking over it al breakfast"
Hendricks features seemed to settle
into rigidity.
Are you quite sure?'' he said, me-
chanicalty. and he leaned forward and
tapped the bell on his desk. Lampkin
saw that his thoughts were thousand
miles away, nevertheless he answered.:
''As sure as / could be of anything;
besides, you don't suppose man of
Caruthers' prominence could have been
murdered in the SWEETEST hotel in New
York without its being known for n
week."
at does look that way" acaniesced
fhe detective h,lt tbera xxshS Sfiil q re-
serve in his manner and tone that puz-
lied his friend.
The Office boy came in and stood at
the end of the desk.
Bring me this mornings World"