The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-09-12

| The door was locked on the INSIDE, DuL
we put our shoulders to it and knocked
| it In. The window of the room was
open, and beside the window, all hud-
died up, lay the body Of man In his
night-dress. He was quite dead, and
had been for some time, for his limbs
were rigid and cold. When we turned
him over the Boots recognized him at
once as being the same gentleman
who had engaged the room under the
name Of James Stangerson. The cause
of death was deep stab in the left
side, which must have penetrated the
heart. And now comes the strangest
part Of the affair. What do you sup
pose was above the murdered man?"
l felt creeping Of flesh and pre-
sentiment of coming horror, even be-
fore Sherlock Holmes answered.
'The word sRache," written in let
ters of blood" he said.
"That was IT," said Lestrade, in an
awstruck voice; and we were all
silent for while.
There was something so methodical
and so incomprehensible about the
deeds Of this unknown assassin, that
it impaired fresh ghastliness to his
crimes.
My nerves, which were steady
enough on the field of battle, tingled as
thought of 1t.
"The man was seen," continued Les
trade. "A milkboy, passing on his way
to the dairy, happened to walk down
the lane which leads from the news
at the back of the hotel. He noticed
that ladder, which usually lay there,
was raised against one of the windows
of the second floor, which was wide
open After passing, he looked back
land saw man descend the ladder. He
came down so quietly and openly that
the boy imagined him to be some car
penter or joiner at work in the hotel.
He took no particular notice of him,
beyond thinking in his own mind that
Ii was early for him to be at work. He
has an impression that the man was
tall, had a reddish face, and thought
it was early for him to be at work. He
must have stayed in the room some
little time after the murder, for we
found blood-stained water In the basin,
where he had washed his hands, and
marks on the sheet, where he had de-
llberately wiped his knife"
i glanced at Holmes on hearing the
description of the murderer which tai
LIED so exactly with his own.
There was, however, no trace Of exul-
tation or satisfaction upon his face.
"Did you find nothing in the room
which could furnish clew to the MUIR
derer?" he asked.
Nothing. Stangerson had Drebber's
purse in his pocket, but 1t seems that
this was usual, as he did all the pay
ing. There was eighty-odd pounds In
1t, but nothing had been taken. What
lever the motives of these extraordinary
crimes, robbery is certainly not one OF
them. There were no papers or mem
loranda in the murdered mans pockets,
except a single telegram, dated from
Cleveland about month ago, and con-
tanning the words, j. H. is In Europe
There was no name appended to this
message"
"And there was nothing elseg"
Holmes asked.
Nothing Of any Importance. The
mans novel with which he had read
himself to sleep, was lying upon the
bed, and his pipe was on a chair be-
side him. There was a glass OF water
on the table and on the window sill a
ksmalI chip ointment box containing a
couple of pills"
Sherlock Holmes sprang from his
chair with an exclamation Of delight.
"The last link" he cried, exultantly.
"Mv case Is COMPLETE"
The two detectives stared at him In
amaZement.
81 have now in my hands," my COM
panion said confidently, 'all the threads
which have formed such a tangle.
There are, of course, details to be filed
in. but | am certain Of all the main
facts, from the time that Drebber part
ed from Stangerson at the station, up
to the discovery of the body of the
latter as II I had seen them with my
own eyes. will give you proof Of my
knowledge. Could you lay your hands
upon those pills?"
81 have them" said Lestrade, pro-
ducing a small white box: 81 took them
and the purse and the telegram, In
tending to have them put in a place
of safety at the police station. 1t was
the merest chance my taking these
pills, for am bound to say that do
not attach any importance to them"
Give them here" said Holmes.
Now, DOCTOR" turning to me, ARE
those ordinary pills?"
They certainly were not. They were
of a pearly gray color, small, round,
and almost transparent against the
light.
From their lightness and transpar-
ency, I should imagine that they are
soluble in water" remarked.
Precisely So" answered Holmes.
Now, would you mind going down and
fetching that poor little devil of a ter
rier which has been bad SO long, and
which the landlady wanted you to put
out Of its pain yesterday"
/ went downstairs and carried the
dog upstairs in my arms. It's labored
breathing and glazing eye showed that
it was not far from its end.
Indeed, its snow white muzzle pro.
claimed that It had already exceeded
the usual term of canine existence. l
placed It upon a cushion on the rug.
'T will now cut one Of these pills In
two" said Holmes, and drawing his
penknife, he suited the action to the
word "One half we return into the
box for future purposes. The other half
| will place in this wine glass, in which
Is a teaspoonful of water. You per.
ceive that our friend. the doctor, is
right, and that it readily dissolves."
This may be very interesting" said
Lestrade, in the injured tone Of one
who suspects that he Is being laughed
at. 'T can not see, however, what 1t
has TO do with the death OF Mr.. Joseph
Stangerson,"
Patience, my friend, patience. You
will find in time that is has everything
to do with 1t. | shall now add little
milk to make the mixture palatable,
and on presenting II to the dog you will
find that he laps II up readily enough.
As he spoke he turned the contents
Of the wine glass into a saucer and
placed II in front of the TERROR, who
: speedily licked 1t dry.
Sherlock Holmes earnest demeanor
had so far convinced rs that we all sat