Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-09-25
CHAPTER Y.

CERT. ! lay down upOn the sofa and en-
deayored TO get q couple OF hours
sleep. Il was q useless attempt.
Ny mind had been so much excited
By all that had occurred and the
straugest fancies and su-mises crowd
&c into it.
Every time that 7 closed my eyes
scv before me the distorted. baboon-
Ike coUntenance OF the murdered man.
So sinister was the impression which
that face produced upon me that
found il difficult 70 feel anything but
gratitude for him who had removed its
owner from the world.
Il ever human features bespoke vice
O. the most malignant tyne they were
certainly those OF E1och J. Drebber. Of
Cleveland.
Still. recognized that justice must
be done. and that the dep-avitv OF the
victim was no confinement in the eyes
Of the law.
The more I thought OF it the more
extraordinary did ny companions hy-
pOthesis that the man mad been poi
soued, appear.
I remembered how he had shifted his
lips and had no doubt that he had de
tected something which had given rise
10 the idea.
Then. again, II not poison. what had
caused the mans death. since there
was neither wound nor marks Of
strangulation?
But or the other hand. whose blood
vas that which lay so thickly uuon the
floor? There were no signs OF a strus-
gle. nor had the victim any weapon
with which he might nave wounded
an antagonist.
As long as all these questions were
unsolved felt that sleeu would be no
easy matter, either for Holmes OF my
self.
His quiet. self-confideut manner con-
vtnced me that he had already formed
a theory which explained all the facts
though what il was I could not for an
instant conjecture.
He was very late in returning-so
late that knew that the concert could
not have detained him all the time.
dinner was on the table before he ap.
peared.
ut was magnificent" he said. as he
took his seat. DO you remember what
Darwin says about music? He claims
that the power Of producing and appre
ciating it existed among the human
race long before the power OF speech
was arrived at. Perhaus that is why
We are so subtly influenced BY II.
There are vague memories in our
souls Of those misty centuries when
the world was in its childhood"
That's rather a broad idea" I re-
marked.
"Ones ideas must be as braod as
Nature IL they are 70 interpret Nature -
he answered. What's the matter =
You're not looking quite yourself. This
Brixton road affair has upset YOU"
To tell the truth l. has" I said "I
ought To be more case-hardened after
my Afghan experiences. saw my own
comrades hacked 10 pieces at Maiwand
without losing my nerve"
81 can understand. There is a u,vs-
tery about this which stimulates the
imagination; where there is no imac:-
nation there is no horror. Have you
seen the evening paper?"
NO"
'It gives a fairly good account Of the
affair. II does not mention the fact
that when the man was raised I'D 4
womanis wedding ring fell upon the
HUI - - just wen uUES uOE.
why"
Look at this advertisement" he
answered. 81 had one sent TO eyery
paper this morning Immediately after
the affair"
He threw the paper across to me.
and I glanced at the place indicated.
r was the first advertisement in the
Found" column
''In Briyton road" It ran. "a plain
gold wedding ring found in the road
way between the White Hart Tavern
and Holland Grove. Apply DR.. Wat
son. 22IB Baker street, between 8 and
8 this evening"
Excuse my using your name" he
said. ''lf used nv own some of these
dunderheads would recognize it, and
want to medfle in the affair"
That is all right" I answered. But
supposing any one applies, I have no
ring"
"Oh, yes. you have" said he. hand
ing me one. This will do very well.
II is almost a facsimile"
And who do you expect will answer
this advertisement"
why. the man in the brown coat
our forid friend with the square toes
II he does not come himself he will
send an accomplice."
Would he not consider It as too
dargerous?"
Not at all. II my view Of the case
is correct, and I have every reason to
believe that II is, this man would rath-
er risk anything than lose the ring.
According TO my notion ne dropped it
while stopping over Drebber's body
and did not miss it at the time. After
leaving the house he discovered his
loss and hurried back, but found the
police already in possession, owing to
his own folly in leaving the candle
burning. He had TO pretend to be
drunk in order to allay the suspicious
which might have been aroused by his
appearance at the gate. Now put your
self in that mans place. On thinking
the matter over, 1t must have occurred
to him that Il was possible that ne
had lost the ring in the road after
leaving the house. What would be do
then? He would eagerly look out for
the evening papers. in the hope Of see
ing 1t among the articles found. His
eve Of course, would light upon this.
He would be overjoyed. Why should
he fear a trap? There would be no