Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-06-21
CHAPTER IiL-CoSrINuEp.
BY y. CONAN DOYLE.

CHAPTER. 1iL-CoNTINUED
"N,,y, that's true, SIR he said;
though how you came to know it,
Heaven only knows. Ye see, when 1
got up to the door, it was SO still and
SO lonesome that / thought I'd be none
the worse for some one with me- 1
amt afeared of anything on this side
of the grave: but thought that maybe
it was him that died o. the typhoid in
specting the drains what killed him.
The thought gave me a kind o. turn,
and l walked back to the gate to see if
could sec M1rcher's lantern. but there
wasn't no sign of him nor of anyone
else"
There was no one in the street?"
Not livin' soul, sir, nor as much as
a dog. Then pulled myself together
and went hack and pushed the door
open. All was quiet inside, SO l went
into the room where the light was
Albumin. There was n candle flicllerin'
on the mantlc-piece-a red wax one
and by its light saw
Yes, l know all that you saw. You
walked round the room several times.
and you bnelt down by the body. and
then you walked through and tried the
| kitchen door, and then
John Rance sprang to his feet with a
| frightened face and suspicion in his
eyes. "Where was you hid to see all
| that?" he cried. 1T seems to me that
you knows a deal more than you
| should"
Holmes laughed. and threw his card
across the table to the constable.
Don't get arresting me for the muir
der" he said. Il am one of the hounds
and not the wolf; Mr.. Gregson or Mr..
Lestrade will answer for that. Go on,
though. What did you do next?''
Rance resumed his seat, without,
however, losing his mystified express
sion. Il went back to the gate and
sounded my whistle. That brought
Murcher and two more to the spot
''Was the street empty then?'
We'll, it was. as far as anybody that
could be OF any good goes"
What do you mean?"
| The conStable'S features broadened
| into grin. I've seen many a drunk
| chap in my time" he said, but never
| anyone SO cryin' drunk as that cove.
He was at the gate when l came out,
a-leanin' up ag'n the railin's and
| a-singin' at the pitch of his lungs
about Columbine's new-fangled ban
ner, or some such stuff. He couldn t
| stand, far less help"
| what sort of man was hep" asked
| Sherlock Holmes.
John Rance appeared to be sorD>-
| what irritated at this DEPRESSION. He
| was an uncommon drunk sort o man.
| he said. He'd ha' found hisself in the
| l-.&
His face-his dress-didn't You no.
| tice them?" Holmes broke in, impa-
tiently.
Il should think 1 did notice them.
seeing that had to prop him up-me
and Murcher between us. He was a
long chap. with red face. the lower
part mutfied round
That will do cried Holmes. what
became of him?''
"We'd enough to do without lool1in'
aggrieved voice. iii wager he found
his way home all right
''How was he dressed?"
"a brown overcoat."
Had he whip in his hand?"
ga whip-no."
''He must have left it behind" NUT
tered my companion. You didn't hap
pen to see or hear a cab after that?"
No"
There's half sovereign for you
my companion said, standing up and
taking his hat. Il am afraid, Rance,
that you will never rise in the force.
| That head of yours should be for use
! as well as ornament. You might have
| gained your sergeant's stripes last
srh WIN 1a1 -,
| your hands is the man who holds the
clew of this mystery, and whom we
are seeking. There is no use of argu-
| ing about it now; 1 tell you that it is
SO. Come along, DOCTOR
We started off for the cab together,
leaving our informant incredulous, but
| obviously uncomfortable.
1.-The laundering fool.'' Holmes said.
bitterly, as we drove back to our Iodg-
ings. "Just to think of his having
such an Incompatible bit of good luck,
and not taking advantage of it."
| 81 am rather in the dark still. 1t is
true that the description of this man
tallies with your idea of the second
party in this mystery. But why
should he come back to the house after
leaving it? This is not the way of
| criminals"
1.-The ring, man, the ring: that was
| what he came back for. If we have
no other way of catching him we can
always bait our line with the ring.
shall have him, doctor, III lay you two
| to one that 1 have him. 1 must thank
you for it all. might not have gone but
for you. ard SO have missed the finest
study l ever came across; study in
scarlet, eh? Why shouldn't we use a
little art jargon? There's the scarlet
thread of murder running through the
colorless skein of life, and our duty
is to unravel it, and isolate it, and ex-
pose every inch of it. And now for
lunch, and then for Norman Neruda.
Her attack and her bowling are SPLEEN
did. What's that little thing of Chopin's
| she plays so magnifcently: Tra-la-la-
lira-lira-lay."
| Leaning back in the cab, this anna
teur bloodhound caroled away like a
lark, while l medithted upon the many
sidedness of the human mind.
| CHAPTER V.
| OUR ADVERTISEMENT BRINGS A VISITOR
| Our mornings exertions had been
200 much for my weak health, and
was tired out in the afternoon. After
Holmes departure for the concert, /
lay down upon the sofa and endeav-
| ored to ret a connie of hours sleep. 1t