Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-05-14


90 | arm the most incurably lazy devil
that ever stood in shoe leather-that is,
when the flt is ON me. for can be spry
enough at times.
why. 1t is Just such chance as yor
have been longing for. Z"
my dear fellow. what does it mat
ter to me9 Supposing | unravel the
whole matter. you may DO sure thai
Gregson, Lestrade & Co will pocket al
the credit That comes of being an un
official personage
But no begs you to help him. F"
"Yes He knows that | am his supe
rior and acknowledges it to me. but ht
would cut his tongue out before he would
own it to any third person. However.
we may MS we'll 60 and have look
shall work it out on my own hook
may have .augh at them. II ] have
nothing else Come onP'
He hustled on his overcoat and bus.
tied about In q way that showed that m
energetic fit had superseded the apathet
10 one
"Get your hat, he said.
You wish me 10 conner"
Yes, IL you have nothing better tt
do 4" A minute later we were both In
hanson, driving furiously for the Brix
ton road
II was n foggy. cloudy morning. and
q dun colored veil hung over the house
tops. looking like tho reflection of th'
mud colorcd streets beneath Ny com
pauion was In the best of spirits anc
prattled away about Crcmons hddle'
and the difference between q stradiys
rius and an Amati As for myself.
was silent, for the dull weather and tn
melancholy business upon which W.
were engaged depressed my spirits
"You don . seem 20 give much though
10 the matter In hand" said at last
interrupting Holmes musical disquisi
ton
mo data yet. " he answered 1T Il {
capital mistake 10 theorike before yOS
have all the evidence IL biases the judg
ment
You will have your data soon. 70
marked. pointing with my finger "Thii
IL the Brixton road. and that Il th'
house. II am not very much mistaken
80 IL Is Stop. driver. stopr" W.
were still a hundred yards or 80 from IT,
but he insisted upon our alighting. and
We finished our journey upon foot
No 3 Lauriston Gardens wore an IL
omened aud minatory look IL was on'
OF four which stood back some littl,
way from the street. two being occupied
and two empty The latter looked out
with three tiers Of vacant, melancholy
windows, which were blank and dreary,
save that hero and there ITO let
card had developed like cataract upor
the bleared panes A small garden,
sprinkled over with a scattered eruption
of sickly plants. separated each OF thes'
houses from the street and was traverse6
by narrow pathway. yellowish in col
or and consisting apparently OF a mix
ture Of clay and gravel
The whole place was very sloppy frou
the rain which had fallen through tn,
night The garden was bounded by
three foot brick wall. with fringe o
wood rails upon the top and agains
this wall was leaning a stalwart polic'
constable. surrounded by a small kno
Of loafers, who craned their necks anc
strained their eyes in the vain hope o.
catching some glimpse Of the proceed
ings within
had imagined that Sherlock Holmes
| would at once have hurried into the
house and plunged into study of thu
mystery Nothing appeared to be farther
from his intention. With an air o
nonchalance, which, under the circum
stances, seemed to mo to border upor
affectation. he lounged up and dowI
the pavement and gazed vacantly at the
ground, the sky. the opposite houses anf
the line of railings. Having finished
his scrutiny. he proceeded slowly dowr
the path, or rather down the fringe o
grass which fanked the path, keeping
his eyes riveted upon the ground. Twice
he stopped, and once l saw him smile
and heard him utter an exclamation oi
satisfaction. There were many marks
Of footsteps upon the Wet clayey SOIL
but since the police had been coming
and going over it was unable to see how
my companion could hope to learn any
thing from it. Still had had such ex
traordinary evidence Of the quickness n
his perceptive faculties that ] had NJ
doubt that he could see great dea
which was hidden from me.
At the door Of the house we were met
by tall, white faced. flaxen haired
man, with O notebook in his hand. whc
rushed forward and wrung my compan
ions hand with effusion. 1t is in
deed kind Of you to come" 4" he said. 90
have had everything left untouched" "
Except that!' my friend answered.
pointing to the pathway. If a hero
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 evasive
~ MY colleague. Mr. Lestrade, Ii
here l had relied upon him to lool
after this.
Holmes glanced at me and raised hi
eyebrows sardonically.
with two such men as yourself an'
Lestrade upon the ground there will no
be much for third party to find ont. ;
he said
Gregson rubbed his hands in sell
satisfied way 81 think we have done
all that can be done," he answered
Its a queer case. though, and knew
your taste for such things" f"
"You did not come here in cab?
asked Sherlock Holme&
"No sir.
Nor Lestrade?"
mo, sir. +"
"Then let Us 60 and look at tn
room" With which inconsequent re
mark he strobe ON into the house. fol
lowed by Gregson, whose features ex
pressed his astonishment
A short passage, bare planked ant
dusty, led to the kitchen and offices
Two doors opened out Of 1t to the lef
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 tn
mysterious affair had occurred. Holme
walked In, and ! followed him will
that subdued feeling at my heart whicl
the presence Of death inspires.
It was o large, square room. looking
all the larger for the absence Of all fur