The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-04
"a 1890 ;ex
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CHAPTER III-CoSTINUED.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

Though how you came to know it,
Heaven only knows! Ye see, when
got up to the door, it was so still and
so lonesome that 1 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
1t was him that died o. the typhoid in
specting the drains what killed him.
The thought gave me kind o. turn,
and / walked back to the gate to see II
could see Murcher's lantern, but there
wasn't no sign of him nor of anyone
else"
There was no one in the street,"
mot livin' soul, sir, nor as much as
dog. Then pulled myself together
and went back and pushed the door
open. All was quiet inside, so | went
into the room where the light was
Albumin. There was a candle f1icllerin'
on the mantle-piece-a red wax one
and by its light saw"
"Yes, know all that you saw. You
walked round the room several times,
and Won knelt down by the body, and
then you walked through and tried the
kitchen door, and then"
John Rance sprang to his feet with
frightened face and suspicion in his
eyes. "Where was you hid to see all
that?" he cried. at 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. 60 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 them
well, 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 nv time he said, but never
anyone so erwin drunk as that cove.
He was at the gate when / 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 a man was he?" asked
Sherlock Holmes.
John Rance appeared to be some
wbst irritated at this depression. He
was an uncommon drunk sort o man, :"
he said. He'd ha' found hisself in the
station if we hadn't been so took up. g"
His face-his dress-didn't you no.
tice them?" Holmes broke in, impa-
tiently
Il should think I 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 muffied round"
THAT will do" cried Holmes. What
became of him?"
"We'd enough to do without lookin'
after him., the policeman said, in an
aggrieved voice. iii wager he found
his way home all right"
''How was he dressed?"
"A brown overcoat."
Had he a whip in his hand?"
"A whip-no."
He must have left it behind" NUT
tered my companion. You didn't hap
pen to see or hear cab after that?"
No"
There's half sovereign for YOU
my companion said, standing up and
taking his hat. I 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
night. The man whom you held in
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 lodg-
ings. Just to think of his having
such an incompatible bit of good luck,
and not taking advantage of it"
Il 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 alter
leaving it? This is not the way of
criminals"
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, I'll lay you two
to one that have him. must thank
YOU for ii all. Knight not have gone but
for you. and so have missed the finest
study ever came across; a study in
scarlet. Ell? Why shouldn't we use a
little art iargon? 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 splen-
did. What that little thing of Chopin's
she PLAYS so magnifcently: Tra-la-la-
iira-lira-lay."
Leaning back in the cab. this anna
teur bloodhound caroled away like a
lark. while meditated upon the many
sidedness of the human mind.
CHAPTER Y.
OUR ADVERTISEMENT BRINGS VISITOR.
Our mornings eXertions had been
too much for my weak health, and l
was tired out in the afternoon After
Holmes departure for the concert, l
lay down upon the sofa and endeav-
-ored to get couple OF hours sleep 1t
was useless attempt My mind had
been too much excited by all that had
occurred. and the strangest fancies