Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-19

InG OppSE NOTNOOa IEuESNY, IC~ marked, we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more com plex and mysterious than was originally supposed. Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossible that Mir. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way con- 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 a crew ns to the real culprits, and that 1t Is being prose cuted by Mir. Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard with all his well known energy and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected at any moment"
 That is satisfactory, so far as it goes, '' thought l, Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate. I wonder what the fresh clew may be, though it seems to be n stercotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder.'
 I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that moment my cyo caught an ad- vcrtiSement in the agony column. It ran this way:
 ''Lost. W hcreas Mordecai Smith, boat. man, and his son Jim, left Smiths wharf at or about o'clock last Tuesday morn ing in the steam launch Aprora, black with two red stripes, funnel black with a white band, the sum of 25 will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs. Smith, at Smiths wharf, or at 22Ib Baker street, as to the whereabouts of the said Mordcoai smith and the launch Aurora. y YhiS was clearly Holmes doing. The Baker street address was enough to prove that. It struck inc rather ingenious, because it might be read by the fugitivcs without their seeing in it more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing husband
 It was long day. Every time that a knock came to the door or a sharp step passed in the street imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his adVUrtisemcnt. l tried to read, but my thoughts would wander of to our strange quest and to the ill assorted and Villainous pair whom we were pursuing Could there br, 1 wondered, some radical flaw in my companion $ reasoning? Might he bc suffering from some huge self dc CPptiCn! Was it not possible that his him. blc and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty prCmiscst l had never known him 10 he wrong, and yet the hCCnCst rUasonCr may occasionally be deceived. He was likely, 1 thought, to fall into error through the OvCrreiincment of his logic-his preferencc for a subtle and bizarrC explanation when a plaineS | and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand. Net. Ur the other hand, had | myself st Cn th,' evidence, and had heard the reasons fNr his tl"luctions. When looked back u,i the long chain of curious circumstances, mary of them trivial in themselves, but all tending in the samo | direction, l could nUt disguise from my self that even if Holmes explanation were incorrect the true theory must be equally | outrc and startling.
 At o'clock in tho afternoon therc was a loud peal at tho Erll, an authoritative voice in hc-hall and, 10 my surprise, no less person than MT Athelncy Jones was shown up th mo Very different he | was, however, from the bruSquo and mas | tcrful professor of common sense who had | taken ever tho case so confidently at Up per Norwood. His expression was down ! cast and his bearing meek and even apol- ogctic.
 Good day, sir, good day" said he. Mir. ShCrlock Holmes is out. under. stand.
 "YrS, and ] cannot he sure whom he will be back. But perhaps you would carC to wait. Take that chair and try one oi | these cigars"
 Thank you. don't mind if do, ' said he, mopping lis faco with red han danna handkerchief.
 And a whisky and suda>' | Well. half glass. It is very hot ful the time of year. and I hayc had good deal to worry and try me. You know my 1 theory about this NOrwood casc:' T remember that You expressed one" | Well, 1 have been obliged to reconsider il. had my net drawn tightly round MT ! Sholto. sir, when, pop! he went through q | hole in the middle of it. He was able tc prove an al!Li which could not bO shaken | From tho time that Le left his brother. room AH W. NcNCr out of sight Of soma one or UIhlr. 50 it could not be he who | climbed ever roofs and through trapdoors It is a very dark case and my profcssiona 1 credit Is at stake. l should he very elat | of a little assistance
 | We all need help sometimes, " said | | Your friend, Mir. Sherlock Holmes, is wonderful man, sir," said hc in n husk! 1 and confidential voice. Hes n man wht | is not 10 be beat. I Ihave known that young man go into q good many cases. but | never saw the case yet that he could no
 throw light upon. He is irregular il
 his methods and little quick perhaps 1T | jumping at theories; but, on the whole,
 think he would have made n most promis
 :nE officer, and don carc who knows it
 l have had q wire from him this morning 1 by which I understand that ho has go somo clcw to this Sholto business Her l is hi, r csSagC."
 Hr the telegram out of his pocket n -dcd if 10 mo. It was dated iron at 12 o'clock. Go to Baker stree
 at CI.,C, it said. ' If have not returned
 wait for mo. I am close on the track c
 the Sholto gang. You can come with u
 tonight If you want to Do in at the finish.
 This sounds well. Ho has evidcntl,
 picked up the scent again, said l.
 An, then he has been at fault, too
 exclaimed Jones, with evident satisfaction
 "Evcn the best of Us arc thrown off some
 times. Of course this may prove to bc
 false alarm, but it is my duty as an office
 of the law to allow no chance to slip. Bu
 there is some ono at tho door Pcrhap
 this is he
 4 heavy step was heard ascending tn
 stairs, with great wheezing and rattling
 as from a man who was sorely put to i
 for breath. Oncc or twice he stopped, q
 though the climb were too much for him
 but at last he made his way to our Cloo
 and entered. His appearance corresponds
 to the sounds which we had heard. H
 was an aged man, clad in n seafaring garh
 with an old peajacket buttoned up to hi throat. His back was bowed, his knee were shaky. and his breathing was pain
 fully asthmatic. As he leaned upon
 thick oakcn cudGcl his shoulders hcavcd i
 the effort to draw tho air into his lung:
 He had a colorcd scarf round his chin, an could see little of his face save pair ( keen dark cycs, ovcrhung by bushy whit brows, and his long gray side whiskerS Altogether ho gave me the impression of respectable mastnr mariner who had falle
 into years and poverty.
 What is it, my man!" asked
 He looked about him in the slow, method ical fashion of old age
 "Is MT. Sherlock Holmes here!" said h, No, but am acting for him. You ca l, tell mo any message you have for him. l he,