Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-10-11
BY CONAN DOYLE.
Get your hat" he said.


do A minute later we We're both in
a hanson, driving furiously for the
Brixton Road.
1t was foggy, cloudy morning and
a dun colored veil hung over the house
tops, looking like the reflections of the
mud-colored streets beneath. My COM
panion was in the best of spirits, and
prattled away about Cremona tiddles.
and the difference between Stradi-
varius and an Amati. AS for myself. I
was silent, for the dull weather and the
melancholy business upon which we
We're engaged depressed my spirits"
You don't seem to give some thought
to the matter in hand" l said at last.
interrupting Holiness musical DISGUST
NO data yet" he answered. 1T is
a capital mistake to theorize before
you have all the evidence. 1t bases
the judgment"
You will have your data soon,"
remarked. pointing with my finger;
this is the Brixton Road, and that is
the house, if l am not very much mis-
taken"
so it is. Stop. driver. stop" We
were still hundred yards or SO from it,
but he insisted upon our alghting, and
we finished our journey on foot
Number 3 Lauriston Gardens wore
an ill-omened and minatory look. 1t
was one Of our four Which stood back
some little way from the street. two be-
ing occupied and two being empty.
The latter looked out with three tiers
of vacant. melancholy windows. which
We're blank and dreary. save that here
and there ITO Let" card had develop
ed like Il cataract upon the bleared
panes a small garden sprinkled over
with a scattered eruption Of sickly
plants separated each Of these houses
from the street. and was trayersed by
narrow pathway. yellowish in color,
and consisting apparently of L mixture
of clay and OF gravel The whole place
was very sloppy from the rain which
had fallen through the night. The gar
den vas bounded by a three-foot brick
wall with Il fringe of wood rails upon
the top, and against this wall was lean
ing a stalwart police constable. sur
rounded by small knot Of loafers.
who craned their Eccks and strained
their eyes in the vain hope Of catching
some glimpse of the proceedings with
in.
l had imagined that Sherlock Holmes
would at once have hurried into the
house and plunged into study of the
mystery. Nothing appeared to be fur
ther from his intention. With an air Of
nonchalance which. under the circum-
stances, seemed to ME to border upon
affectation, he lounged up and down
the pavement and gazed vacantly at
the ground, the sky. the opposite
houses. and the lines of ratings. Hav
ing finished his scrutiny, he proceeded
slowly down the path, or rather down
the fringe of grass which tlanked the
path. keeping his eye riveted upon the
ground. Twice he stopped and once 1
saw him smile. and heard him utter All
exclamation OF satisfaction. There
we're many marks Of footsteps upon the
wet. clayey soil, but since the police had
henn comino and going over it, l was
unable to see how my companion could
hope to learn anything from it. Still I
had had such extraordinary evidence of
the quickNoss of his perceptive facul-
iies that had no doubt that he could
see q great deal which WAS hidden
from me.
At the door Of the house we We're met
by tall, whitc-faccd f1axen- haired
man. with q note book in his hand, who
rushed forward and wrung my COM
panon's hand with efusion. cit is in
deed kind of you to come" he said; II
have lad everything left untouched
Except that! my friend answered,
pointing to the pathway IF herd Of
buffaloes had passed along there could
not be a greater mess. No uouDt now
ever, you had drawn your own conclu-
sions. Gregson, before you permitted
this
Il have had SO much to do inside the
house, the detective said, evasively.
''AIy colleague. Mr.. Lestrade. is here
/ had relied upon him to look after
this"
Holmes glanced at me, and raised his
eyebrows sardoEically. with two
such men as yourself and Lcstrade
upon the ground there will not be much
for third party to find out" lie said
Gregson rubbed his hands in self
satisfied way Il think we have done
all that can be done" he answered;
Its a queer case, though. AID knew
your taste for such things"
You did not come here in a cab?"
asked Sherlock Holmes.
mo, SIR"
"Nor Lestrade?'
mo, sir"
''Then let us go and look at the
ROOM" With which inconselupnt re-
ozark he strobe on into tho house, fol-
lowed by Gregson. whose textures cx-
pressed his establishment.
A short passage. bare p1anked and
dusty. led to the kitchen and offices.
Two doors opened out Of it to the left
and to the right. One of these had OBJ
viously been closed for many weeks.
The other belonged to the dining room,
which was the apartment in which the
mysterious affair had occurred Holmes
walked in. and I followed him with that
subdued feeling ut my heart which the
presence Of death inspires
1t was a large square room, looking
all the larger from the absence Of all
furniture A vulgar, fa1ing paper
adorned the walls. but it was blotched
in places with mildew, and here and
there great strips had become detached
and hung down, exposing the yellow
plaster beneath. Opposite the door was
q snowy fireplace. surmounted by
mantel-piece Of imitation white marble.
On one corner Of this was stuck the
q RvNN