Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-07-29
CHAPTER IV-(Continued.)

The writing on the wall was done
with a mans forefnger dipped in blood.
MY glass allowed me to observe that
the plaster was slightly scratched in
doing it, which would not have been
the case if the mans nail had been
trimmed. gathered up some scattered
ashes from the floor. 1t was dark in
color and fakey-such an ash is only
made by a Trichinopoly. [ have made
a special study of cigar ashes fact,
have written monogram upon the
subject. I fiatter myself that can dis
tinguish at a glance the ash of any
known brand either of cigar or OF to-
bacco. It is just in such details that
the skilled detective differs from the
Gregson and Lestrade type"
'And the ford faceY asked.
"Ah. that was the more daring shot,
though / have no doubt that / was
right You might not ask me that at
the present state of the affair"
/ passed my hand over my brow.
''My head is in a whirl," / remarked;
''the more one thinks of it the more
mysterious it grows. How came these
two men-if there were two men-into
an empty house? What has become Of
the cab man who drove them? How
could one man compel another to take
poison? Where did the blood come
from? What was the object of the MUIR
der, since robbery had no part in it?
How came the Woman's ring there?
Above all, why should the second man
write up the German word ''rache" be-
fore decamping? confess that cannot
see any possible way Of reconciling al
these facts"
My companion smiled approvingly.
E'You sum up the difficulties Of the
situation succinctly and well' he said.
SThere is much that is still obscure,
though have quite made up my mind
on the main facts. AS to poor Les
trades discovery, it was simply blind
intended to put the police upon a wrong
track, by suggesting socialism and Sc
cret societies. 1t was done by a Ger
man. The A, if you noticed, was print
ed somewhat after the German fashion.
Now a real German invariably prints
in the Latin character, so that we may
safely say that this was not written by
one, but by a clumsy imitatOr, who
Overdid his part. It was simply ruSe
to divert inquiry into wrong channel.
I'm not going to tell you much more
of the case, doctor. You know a con-
jurer gets no credit when once he has
explained his trick, and if show you
too much of my method of working,
you will come to the conclusion that |
am a very ordinary individual after
all"
81 shall never do that" / answered;
S'you have brought detection as near
an exact science as it ever will be
brought in this world
My companion flushed up with pleas
ure at my words, and the earnest way
in which | uttered them. / had already
observed that he was sensitive Of fiat
terry on the score of his art as any girl
could be of her beauty.
'I'll tell you one thing" he said
'Patent-leather and Square-toes came
in the same cab, and they walked down
the pathway together as friendly as
p0ssible-arm-in-arm in all probability.
When they got inside they walked up
and down the room-or, rather, Patent
feathers stood still while Square-toes
walked up and down. I could read all
that in the dust; and could read that
as he walked he grew more and more
excited. That is shown by the increas-
ad length Of his strides. He was talk
ing all the while, and working himself
up, mo doubt into a fury. Then the
tragedy occurred. I've told you all [
know myself, now, for the rest is mere
and conjecture We have a
good working basis, however, on which
to start. We must hurry up, for want
to go to Halle's concert, to hear Nor
man Neruda, this afternoon"
This conversation had occurred while
Our cab had been threading it's way
through a long succession of dingy
streets and dreary by-ways. In the din
giest and dreariest of them our driver
suddenly came to a stand. That's
Audley Court n there" he said point
ing to the narrow slit in the line of
daad-colored brick. you'll find me
here when you come back"
Audley Court was not an attractive
locality The narrow passage led us
into a quadrangle paved with flags and
sined with sordid dwellings. We picked
orr way among groups of dirty chill
dren and through lines of discolored
linen. a1ntil we came to No. 46, the door
of which was decorated with small
slip of brass, on which the name Rance
was engraved On inquiry we found
thar the constable was in bed, and we
w1el,e Shown into q little front parlor,
- - await his coming.
He appeared pres entity, looking lit
4la irritable at being disturbed in his
slumbers. II made my report at the
Office" he said.
Holmes took a half sovereign from
his pocket and played with 1T pensiye-
Iv. Eve thought that we would like
10 hear it all from your own Ups, ne
said. IN
Il shall be most happy to tell you
anything 1 cam" the constable an
gwercd. with his eyes upon the httle
Just let us hear it all in your own
wav. as it occurred"
Rance sat down on the horsehalr
sofa and knitted his brows, as though
determined not to omit anything III
his narrative. ;,
.Ill tell it We from the beginning,
he said. MY time is from 10 at mght
to 6 in the morning. At II there was
fioht At the White Hart but, bar that,
ali was quiet enough on the beat;
n tO rain and