Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-02-15
CHAPTER xII-(contlnued.)

And the door at the head of the
stairs which leads from here into the
kitchen, was that disturbed" I asked
her as my first sensations faded. She
was painting from excitement and the
haste Of her movements.
mo, the door was locked and Just
as I left it last night with the key
still on the inside. He could not
have gone up higher than the head
of the basement stair [ Just hap
pened to remember that ! had left a
broom down here yesterday, and when
came down after it I noticed this
door right away. Who on earth do
you suppose could have done it," She
was wringing her hands weakly, the
perspiraion of nervousness popping
from her forehead.
Being in total darkness myself, I
made no attempt to enIighten her as
I carefully examined the place. Out
side of the scanty supply of coal that
remained from last winters supply
the basement contained little save an
accumulation of odds and ends and
an old chest of mine that contained
articles that I had stored away years
before. However, I still retained the
key to it, and l now opened it and
made careful inspection of it's in
terror So far as I could discover by
a minute scrutiny the articles within
It had remained untouched since had
last placed them there, and satisfied
on that point I shut and locked it
again without having as yer received
the faintest ray Of iigEt to assist
my search. I must have spent at least
half an hour in my examination of the
place and my questions of the house
keeper, but at the end Of that time
was compelled to give up with abso-
lutely nothing learned that I had not
known to start with. Another thing
that perpleXed me somewhat was as
TO whether or not / should inform my
uncle of this new crime. I did net
see that anything would be. gained by
telling him, while it would most GER
tainly agitate him and lead to further
0utbursts; therefore | decided to
leave him in ignorance of it and re
quested Mrs. Tebbets to do the same.
7 also decided to see LeDuc and get
his opinion on the matter, and repair
ing the outraged doors as best could
with hammer, boards and nails. and
soothing the housekeeper by my as
surances that the incident was a triv-
ialty to which she need pay no further
attention, I went upstairs and sat
down to my breakfast with Uncle Alb
ner as usual. But an hour later when
I had reached my Office I telephoned
the detective with the request that he
meet me at the noon hour. He readily
assented and I then went about my
daily work
He met me at luncheon and I ex-
planned the matter to him without
prelude He looked serious minded
as finished What do you think of
it," I asked In his abstraction he
delayed his reply for perhaps 80 sec
onds.
Tt seems peculiar. But I am more
inclined to consider it as a separate
and distinct offence rather than as
an aftermath Of the original happen
ing Further than that I don't be
Heve l have any theory to advance as
yet. However, it may all come out in
the final solution. provided there is
one, and in the meantime I would dis
miss it from my mind if were you.
If you find that difficult, you may
look upon it in this light. If I re
member, We had a sharp shower last
night-the thunder aWoke me II is
not unreasonable to assume that some
baCk-yards prowler caught in the
storm may have forced his way in
merely to secure a dry nest in which
to sleep" While I did not take much
stock i'm that explanation and so in
formed him, | added that being in a
receptive mood I would file it in my
mind for future reference. and then
began iuterrogating him as to his own
movements since We had last fore
gathered. But when it came to that
he had little to say and at first
seemed disincHned to part with even
that. Later on as we ate, however,
he became a tride more communi-
cative. Under the warming influence
OF tobacco and coffee he began to
make more satisfactory replies to my
outings, but if he had learned any
thing Of Importance he did not betray
it. Since the day upon which he had