Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-06-28

prattled away about Cremona fddles.
ana the difference between a Stradi-
Varlus d an Amati. AS for myself. I
was silent, for the duh weather and the
melancholy business upon which we
were engaged depressed my spirits"
You don't to give some thought
TO the matter in hand" / said at last,
i~nterrupting Holiness musical dlsauisi.
NO data yet" ne answered. TT Ia
q capital mistake to theorize before
you have all the evidence. Ii bases
the judgment"
You will have your data SOON" I
remarked, pointing with my finger;
this is the Brixton Road. and that is
the house, II l am not very much mis-
taken"
5 1t is. Stop, driver, Stop We
were still a hundred yards or so from II.
but he insisted upon our alighting, and
we finished u journey on foot
Number ) LauristOn Gardens wore
an ill-omened and minatory look. 1t
was n 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
were blank and dreary, save that here
and there a ITO Let" card had develop
ed like a 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 traverSeG by a
narrow pathway, yellOwish in color,
and consisting apparently Of a mixture
of clay and Of gravel. The whole place
was very sloppy from the rain which
had fallen through the night. The gar
den was bounded by a ~three-foOt brick
wall with a fringe of wood rails upon
the top, and against this wall was lean
ing a Stalwart police constable. sur
rounded by a small knot Of loafers,
who craned their necks and strained
their eyes in the vain hope Of catching
some glimpse Of the proceedings with
in.
| had imagined that Sherlock Holmes
would at nee have hurried into the
house and plunged into a study Of the
mystery. Nothing appeared to be fur
Their 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 thanked the
path, keeping his eye riveted upon the
ground. Twice he stopped and once l
saw him smile, and heard him utter an
exclamation Of satisfaction. There
were many marks Of footsteps upon the
wet, clayey soil, but since the police had
been coming 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 quickness of his perceptive facul-
ties that l had no doubt that he could
see n great deal which was hidden
from me.
At the door of the house we were met
by a tall, white-faoed fiaXen-haired
man, with a note book in his hand, who
rushed forward and wrung my COM
panion's hand with effusion. 1T Is in
deed kind Of you to come" he said; Il
have had everything left untouched"
Except that!' my friend answered,
pointing to the pathway. IF a herd of
buffaloes had passed along there could
not be a greater mess. No doubt how
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.
MY colleague, Mr.. Lestrade, is here.
1 had relied upon him to look after
this"
Holmes glanced at me, and raised his
eyebrows sardonically. With two
such men as yourself and Lestrade
upon the ground there will not be much
for a third party to find out" he said.
Gregson rubbed his hands In a self
satisfied way. II think we have done
all that can be DONE" he answered.;
It's a queer case, though, and / knew
your taste for such things"
You did not come here in a cabT'
asked Sherlock Holmes.
mo, sir"
Nor Lestrade!"
"No, sir"
Then let us 60 and look at the
room" With which inconsequent re-
mark he strobe On into the house, fol-
lowed by Gregson, whose features TX.
pressed his establishment.
ITO he COntinuel0