The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-07-26


we viii find that he laps 1t readily
enough"
As he spoke he turned the contents
of the wine glass into saucer and
placed 1t in front of the terrier, who
speedily licked 1t dry. Sherlock
Holiness earnest demeanor had SO far
convinced us that we all sat in silence,
watching the animal intently, and ex-
pecting some startling effect. None
such appeared, however. The dog con-
tinued to lie stretched upon the cush-
ion, breathing in labored way, but
apparently neither the better nor the
worse for it's draught.
Holmes had taken out his watch,
and as minute followed minute without
result, an expression of the utmost
chagrin and disappointment appeared
upon his features. He gnawed his
lip, drummed his fingers upon the ta-
BILE, and showed every other symptom
of acute impotence. So great was his
emotion that / felt sincerely sorry for
him, while the two detectives smiled
derisively, by no means displeased at
this check which he had met
1T can't be coincidence" he cried
at last, springing up from his chair,
and pacing wildly UP and down the
room; lit is impossible that 1t should
be mere coincidence. The very pills
which / suspected in the case of Dreb-
Der are actually found after the death
of Stangerson. And yet they are inert
What can it mean? Surely my whole
chain of reasoning cannot have been
false. 1t is impossible! And vet this
wretched dog is none the worse. Ali,
/ have it! / have itr' With perfect
shrek of delight he rushed to the box,
cut the other pill in two, dissolved it,
added milk, and presented it to the ter
rier. The unfortunate creatures ton
que seemed hardly to have been mois-
tened in it before it gave a convulsive
shiver in every limb, and lay as rigid
and lifeless as if it had been struck
by lightning
Sherlock Holmes drew Il long breath
and wiped the perspiration from his
forehead. Il should have more faith
he said; Il ought to know by this time
that when fact appears to be opposed
to long train of deductions, it iuvaria-
bly, proves to be capable of bearing
some other Interpretation. OF the two
pills in the box one was of the most
deadly poison and the other was entire
ly harmless. l ought to have known
that before / ever saw the box at ALL"
This last statement appeared to me
to be so startling that l could hardly
believe that he was in his sober senses.
There was the dead dog however, to
prove that his conjecture had been cor
rect. 1t seemed to me that the mists
in my own mind were gradually clear
ing away, and / began to have a dim,
vague perception of the truth,
"All this seems strange to you," con-
tinued Holmes, because you failed at
the beginning of the inquiry to grasp
the Importance of the single real clew
which was presented to you. ] had tile
good fortune to seize upon that, and
everything which has occurred since
then has served to confirm my original
superstition, and, indeed, was the logi-
cal sequence Of it. Hence things which
have perpleXed you and made the case
more obscure have served to enlighten
me and to strengthen my conclusions.
1t lisa mistake to confound strangeneSs
with mystery. The most commenpiace
crime is often the most mysterious be-
cause it presents no new or special
features from which deductions may be
drawn. This murder would have been
infinitely more difficult to unravel had
the body of the victim been simply
found lying in the roadway without
any Of those outre and sensational ac-
compartments which have rendered it
remarkable. These strange details, far
from making the case more difficult
have really had the effect of making it
less so.'
Mr.. Gregson who had listened to the
address with considerable Impotence,
could contain himself no longer Look
here, Mr.. Sherlock Holiness" he said,
1--WE are ready to acknowledge that
you are a smart man, and that you
have your methods of working. We
want something more than mere
theory and preaching now though. 1t
is a case of taking the man. l have
made my case out, and it seems was
wrong. Young Charpentier could not
have been engaged in this second af-
fair. Lestrade went after his man,
Stangerson, and it appears that he was
wrong, too. You have thrown out
hints here, and hints there, and seem
to know more than we do, but the time
has cone when we feel that we have
Fight ia ask YOU straight how much
you do know of this business. Can you
name the man who did it,"
81 cannot help feeling that Gregson
is right, sir" remarked Lestrade We
have both tried, and we have both
failed. You have remarked more than
once since / have been in the room
that you had all the evidence which
you require Surely you will not with
hold it any longer"
''Any delay in arresting the assas-
SIM l observed, might give him time
to- pcrpetrate some fresh atrocity.'''.
Thus pressed by all of us. Holmes
showed signs of irresolution lie con-
tinued to walk up and down the room
with his head sunk on his chest and
his brows drawn down as was his ha-
biz When lost in thought
There will be no more murders" he
said at last, stopping abruptly and
facing us. you can put that con-
sidcration out OF the question You
have asked ME IL ! know the name
Of the assassin. do. The mere know
ing of the name is a small thing how
ever. compared with the power of lay
ing our hands upon him. This / ex-
pect very shortly to do. i have good
hopes Of managing it through my own
arrangements; but it is IL thing which
needs delicate handling for we have q
shrewd and desperate man to deal with
with, who is supported, as lave occa-
sion to prove, by another who is rs
cIeaar rs himself, AS long as this
man has no idea that any one cgn
have clew there Is a chance Of Sc
curing him; but il he had the slightest
sur icion, he would change his name
and vanish in an instant among the
four million inhabitants of this great
city. Without meaning to hurt either
of your feelings. ] IN: bound to say
that [ e9nsfdef these men to be more
than . match fof thG official fofae,, hhd
that is why ! have not asked your as..
sisfance, If | fail ! shall, of course,
incur oil tho blame due to this omls-
sion; but that | nm prepared for. At
present am ready to promise That tho
instant that / can communicate with
You without endangering my own COM
hinations, / shall do SOL
Gregson and Lestpade seemed to be