The Press., 1895-03-07

that when a fact appears t posed to a long train of deductio 1.iyari-. ably proves to be capable bearing some other interpretation. aRs two pills in that box one was the 6kt dead ly poison, and the other was entirely harmless 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 be. lieye that he was in his sober senses. There was the dead dog, however, to prove that his conjecture had been cor rect. It seemed to me that the nlists in. my own mind were gradually clearing away, and began to have 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 singlc real clew which was presented to y0u.. I had the good fortune to seize upon that, and ey- erything which has occurred since then has served to confirm my original sup- position and indeed was the logical see quence of it. Hence things which have perplexed you and made the case more obscure have served to enlighten niA and to strengthen my conclusions. It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery. The most commonplace crime is often the most mysterious becaase it presents no new or special features from which deductions may bestlrawn. This murder would have been infinitely more difficult to unravel had the body Of the victim heen simply found lyingfin the roadway without any of those outre and sensational accompaniments which have rendered it remarkable These strange details, far from making -tlle case moro difficult, have really had the effect of making it less so. ''
 MT. Gregson, who had listened to this address with considerable impatience, could contain himself no longer Look here, MT. Sherlock Holmes, ; he said, i've are all ready to acknowledge that you are smart man, and that you have your own methods of working. We want something more than mere theory and preaching now, though. It. is a case of taking the man. have made my case out, and it seems l was wrong. Young Charpentier could not hays been engaged in this second affair Lestrade went after his man, Stangerson, and it appears that he was wrong too. You have thrown out hints here anll hints there and seem to know moro than we do, but the time has come when we feel that we have right to ask you straight how much you do know of the business Can you name the man who did it?''
 II cannot help feeling that Gregson is right, sir, ' remarked Lestrade. x 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 withhold it any. lon- ger. .$e.
 "Any delay in arresting the assassin, D observed, might give him time to perpetrate some fresh atrocity.'
 Thus pressed by us all, Holmesshowed signs of irresolution. He continued to walk up and down the room with his head sunk on his chest and his browa drawn down, as was his habit when lost in thought.
 
 said at last, stopping abruptly and facing us. ''You can put that consideration ous of the question. You have asked me if ] know the name of the assassin. I do. The mere knowing of his name is g small thing, however. compared with the power of laying our hands upon him. This expect very shortly ta do. have good hopes of managing il through my own arrangel itgs bpt it ia thing which needs delic1t8 Handldng, for we have shreMd, and .desp man to deal with, Yhois supported n have had occasion to prove, By si tlIeEEs wh,e is as clever as himse1f Aa lnzag as this man has no idea that any olla .ear have 8 clew there is some chan5 If securing him, but if he had the asli snsDicion he would change his naIne and ynmiah in an instant among tho IT. habitants of this great oit thonl meaning to hurt either cg y0IlE fsSjinyl am bound to say that l c0nsideE ' men to be more than . amatcll f0I the official force, and that is why ! have mol asked your assistance. If If fail, Isl1all q course incur all the blame due to this omission. but that am prepaTed for. At present am ready to promiaef that the instant that I can communioat with you without endangering my own com binations shall do so.
 Gregson and Lestrale seemed sfo be far from satisfied by this assuraIace or by the depretiating allusion to the de. tective police. The former had flushed up to the roots of his daxen hair, while the other s beady eyes glistened with cu' riosity and resentment. Neither of them had time to speak, however, before there was tap at the door and the tspokasnan of the street arabs, young Wiggihs, in troduced his insignificant and unsavory