The Press., 1895-05-23

 makes him restless" I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but was myself somewhat uneasy when, through the long night, still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread and knew how his keen spirit was chatlng against this involuntary inaCtlOn.
 At breakfast time he looked worn and haggard, with little flock of feverish color upon either check.
 You are knocking yourself up, old man," remarked. T heard you march ing about in tho night"
 No; l could not sleep" he answered. "This informal problem is consuming me. It is too much to be baked by so petty an obstacle when all else had heen overcome. I know the men, the launch--everything and yet can get no news. l have set other agencies at work and used every means at my disposal. The whole river has been searched on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs. Smith heard of her husband. I shall come to the conclu- sion soon that they hAve scuttled the craft. But there are ob bjectiOns to that"
 'Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent.
 No; l think that may be dismissed. had inquiries mades and there is launch of that description"
 "Could it have gone up the riverf"
 II have considered that possibility, too, and there is a search party who will work up as far as Richmond. Ifno news comes today, shall start off myself tomorrow and go for the men rather than the boat. But surely, surely, we shall hear some thing"
 We did not, however. Not word came to us either from Wiggins or from the
  most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Shol- to- No fresh details were to be found, however, in any of them save that an in quest was to be held upon the following day. l walked over oCamberwelI in the evening to report our ill success to the la dies, and on my return 1 found Holmes dejectCd and somewhat morOse. He would hardly reply to my questions and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chem ical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment. Up to the small hours of the morning l could hear the clinking of his test tubes, which told mo that he was still engaged in his malodor- l ous experiment.
 In the early dawn I woke with start and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside clad in a rude sailor dress, with a peajacket and 8 coarse red scarf round his neck.
 II am off down the river, Watson, '' | said ho. II have been turning it over in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it. It is worth trying, at all events."
 Surely l can come with you, then?'' said I.
 No; you can be much more useful if you will remain hero as my representative. I am lOath tog go, for it is quite on the cards that some message may come during | the day, though Wiggins was Respondent | about it last night. l want you to open 1 all notes and telcgrams and to act on your own judgment if any news should come. | Can rely upon you?'
 Most certainly"
 II am afraid that you will not be able | to wire to mo, for I can hardly tell yet where may find myself. If I am in luck, however, may not Dc gOne so very long. l shall have news of sOme sort or other before get back. .''
 I had heard nothing of him by break fast time. On opening The Standard, however, found that there was fresh allusion to the business. With reference
 
 | marked, we have reason to believe that | the matter promises to be even more cOms | pleX and mysterious than was originally | supposed. Fresh evidence has shown that 1 it is quite Impossible that MT. Thaddcus | ShOltO could have been ill any way con- l Cerned in the matter. He and the house | keeper, Mrs. Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening. It is believed, how ever, that the police have clew as to the real culprits, and that it is being prose cutcd by MT. Athelney Jones of Scotland | Yard with all his we'll known energy and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected | at any moment"
 That is satisfactory, so far as it goes, J thought I. Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate. wonder what the frosh clcw may be, though it seems to be stereotyped form whenever the police have made g blundcr."
 I tossed tho paper down upon the table | but at that moment my eye caught an ad vertiscment ill the agony column. It rar this way:
 ''Lust.-Whcrcas Mordccai Smith, boat man, and his son Jim, left Smiths whar at or about o'clock last Tuesday morn | ing in the steam launch Aurora black | with two rcd stripes, funnel black with { | white band, tho sum of 45 will be paid tt any ono who can givo information to Mrs Smith, at Smith s wharf, or ab 221b Baker street, us to tho whereabouts of tho saiC Mordocai SIaith and tic laInch Aurora. ;
 This was clearly Holmct doing. The Baker street address was. enough o,provt that. At struck mo as rather ingenious because it might be read by tho fugitive! withou: their seeing in it more than tho natural anxiety of wife for her missing 1 husband.
 It was long day. Every time that { knock came to tho door or a sharp steI passed ill the street imagined that it wa: either Holmes returning or an answer tC