The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-10-09

among the countless
cases in which I have
N770 been associated with
Carlton Clarke the one
~ that will best make q
" story. At the time of
winch this story deals his fame as an
untangler of mysteries had gone far
and wide and our Oak street quarters
o1ten presented regular procession
OF clients as early and az late as
Clarke was willing to receive them.
Many Of my readers doubtless will
recall when the city was shocked by
the mysterious murder of the Honor
able Algernon Sydney Hoppington
Such was the sensation at the time
that 1t seems almost unnecessary now
to go into the details The crime, for
crime 1t was upon the face, was dis
covered about four o'clock in the
morning, and SO great was the figure
that the Honorable Algernon Sydney
mad cut during his three years resi-
dence In Chicago, where he had come
from England to claim the fortune
running we'll into the millions gra-
ciously founded there by great
uncle, that the newspapers held on
their entire mechanical force for a
double-column extra.
l opened the door to admit our old
friend, late Inspector, now Chief,
Shipp. It was not his first call at
our humble quarters, for he had long
since discovered where to come for a
quiet tip that demanded none of the
official credit in return, and many a
stubborn case had he laid before
Clarke
We had him back into the dining
room. Clarke merely nodded and con-
t1nued to sip his coffee and puff at his
cigarette, while he watched the chief
and waited for him to speak.
We'll, Mr.. Wizard, suppose you
know what I'm here for before l tell
you," began the chief.
Yes, l should say it is the Hop
pington case. l am afraid l will have
to revise the estimate of the affair l
was just delivering to Mr.. Sexton,
here. Not so simple as it looked then.
Tell us about it. Haven't the servants
put you on the right track?"
Not within thousand miles Of the
track. They don't know anything.
Hoppington was writing in his library
at eleven o'clock. He called the but
Ter, Biff1n, to get him bottle of wine.
Half an hour later he came out to the
dining room, where Biffin was with
BrysOn, the other man servant, and
handed them the bottle one-fourth full
and told them to finish it. They did
and that is the last they remember
Dragged, l suppose. l have the bottle
with the few drops that were left and
will have them analysed. The three
maids had been entertaining company
kitchen. They had just let them Out
:he back way and had gone into the
buffers pantry to get bite to eat be
fore going up to bed when the door
slammed and they heard the bolt shot
and they were locked in. About an
hour afterward, as near as l car
gather from their hysterical memory
of what happened, they heard a pierc
ing female scream ring through the
house
And look here! Found it on the
lower step of the stoop," and the CHIEF
drew from his pocket a bundle and or
unrc ling it displayed tiny white
satin slipper, a No. A. 1t was liter
ally soaked in blood.
"A voman's work, you think?
queriei Clarke
At the Hoppington number we fount
one of those square red stone man
sions typical of the period immediate
ly following the fire.
"Ah, he was fancier of orchids,
see," remarked Clarke.
'Humph!" snorted the chief. I'm
sure l don't know what you are talk
ing about, but If you're looking To-
clews there are the knife and the slip
per, that are worth more than all YOU
old orchids put together for my pur
poses"
Once out of the house Clarke ex
claimed:
"Quick, Sexton, a cab. Well bea
the chief at that little game" ..
hailed passing hanson an,
Clarke directed the driver to get to tn
Auditorium hotel in the quickest pos
sible time. !.
And can you really lay your hand
ON the couple within an hour?"
ooh, of course it is always well t
make these things strong when tall
ing to one of the chiefs caliber, bu
here is the case as see it. It ma,
need several revisings before we com
to the end. I admit, when confronte
with the evidence of the knife througl
the table, the blood-stained slipper an
the mysterious telephone call, to So
nothing Of the drugged wine and TIL
servants carefully rendered hors
combat, couldn't ace sa4ray of Igh
from them. 1t was evident Hopping
ton had been entertaining man an
woman; that either he disposed g
the servants himself in order to carr