The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-02-22
drioks. look1ng up At the cut-glass

bricks, looking up at the cut-glass
globes. 5n4 alfe IN
"As said, no one has been in the
rooms since Mr.. Caruthers went away"
"Not even his valet?" asked the de-
tectiye.
at looks so, or surely he would have
extinguished the gas. 1t 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 bis 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 look Of growing Curl
osity, if not of incipient horror,
stopped down and looked under the
bed. - N
"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 shud-
der, his mind perhaps busy with bit
of French history or some recent Amer
lean horror. "It's 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 curt tone. Every
matter choose to investigate need not
necessarily be 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 its pol
ished tiled floor and glistening porce-
lain walls, revealed no hint of blood
shed.
The face of the clerk fell; his appetite
for sensation was not to be fed on this
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. "I am pretty sure he did not
mention it at the Office, and that is Gus
tomary among our guests. That's why
I thought there might have been some
underhand-"
"Leaye your pass key with me-" in
terrupted the detective, coldly. "My
friend and 1 want to have little pri-
vate talk. When you go down, don't
mention our being here"
The clerk reluctantly laid the key on
table.
"I'll not give it away, SIR" He moved
slowly towards the door. "If you want
anything, ring. I'll 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 shoul
ders; it amounted to a shudder.
1--WE are going to look through those
trrnks-for trunk and the rest"
"Is it really so bad as that?"
"My blasted premonition-which fac
ulty in my makeup has always been ;
mystery to me-has hold of me will
its four claws" said Hendricks. I"
can't explain it, doctor, but the min
ute I entered that door and saw tn,
gas burning so brightly felt murder
in the air. Sometimes on day lik,
this-at crisis like this-I imagin,
that the spirit of the murdered man lin
gers round the spot where he lost hi
life to try to give me clew."
Lampkin shuddered as the detectiv
laid hold Of the nearest steamer-trunl
and began to unstrap it. 1t was empt
save for some clothing in the bottom
The next trunk was large square one
and its lock for several minutes resiste,
the efforts of the detective to unfastel
it. Finally, however, aided by key o
his own, and no little experience il
such matters, Hendricks released tn
brass hasp and it fell down with
sharp click. t.. q
This trunk, also, contained nothing
of suspicious nature, and the same re
suits were produced by careful ex
animation of two other trunks store,
in the bathroom and dress-suit cas-
of heavy leather which WAS found in on
of the closets.
"Ah, i certainly feel BETTER" erie
Lampkin, triumphant ring in hi
voice.
81 don't" calculated Hendricks, wit
one of his massive frowns, which a
ways made his great brow resemble
miniature jutting crag.
N"And why?" s,, a.If.
Because my anonymous correspond
ent says 1 shall find the remains G
, Weldon Caruthers in these apartment
and 1 believe on my soul he meant wha
he said"
"But that man downstairs said C;
ruthers' valet has received commun
cation from his master in Philade
phia."
"I'll bet my life it was forged"
Lampkin started, and then he gaze