Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-08-28
CHAPTER ".

too much for my weak health. and |
was tired out In the afternoon.
After Holmea' departure for the con.
cert. ] FAY down upon the sofa and en-.
deasored 10 get couple of houra'
sleep. II was q useless attempt.
Ny mind had been 30 much excited
By all that had occurred and tho
strangest fancIes and surmiaes crowd.
ed into Il.
Every time that closed my eyes ]
saw before. me the dlatorted. baboon.
like conntenance OF the murdered man.
SO sinister was the impression which
that face produced upon me that I
found II ditiicllt TO feel anything but
gratitude for him who had removed Its
owner from the world.
II over human features bespoke Vice
Of the most malignant type they were
certainly those OF Enoch ]. Drebber, OF
Cleveland
Stlll. recognlzcd that Justice must
be done, and that the depraylty OF the
victim was no condonement In the eyes
OF the law.
The more thought Of II the more
extraordinary did my companions hy-
pothesIs, that the man had been poi.
eoned, appear
remembered how he had shifted his
lips and had no doubt that no had de.
tected something which had given rise
10 the idea.
Then. again. n not poison. what had
caused the mans death. since there
was neither wound nor marks Of
strangulationg
But, on the other hand. whose blood
was that which lay so thickiy upon the
fo0r7 There were no signs OF n atrug.
gle. nor had the victim any weapon
with which he might have wounded
an antagonist.
As long as all these questions were
unsolved | felt that sleep would be no
easy matter. either for Holmes or my
self.
HIs quiet. self,conHdent manner con.
yinced mo that he had already formed
theory which explained all the facts
though what Il was 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.
1T was magnificent" he said. as he
took his seat. DO you remember what
Darwin says about musicg He claims
that the power Of producing and appre.
eiating II existed among the human
race long before the power OF speech
was arrived nc. Perhaps that is why
we are so subtly influenced by It.
There are vague memories in our
souls of those misty centuries when
the world was In its childhood"
That's rather broad idea." re.
marked.
Ones ideas must be as braod as
Nature II they are to interpret Nature"
no answered. Whats the matter?
You're not looking quite yourself. This
Brlxton road affair has upset YOU"
ITO tell the truth. 1t has" said. II
ought to be more case.hardened after
my Afghan experiences. saw my own
comrades hacked TO pieces at Maiwand
without losing my nerve"
Il can understand. There Is a mys.
tory about this which stimulates the
imagination where there Is no imagi-
nation there Is no horror. Have you
seen the evening paper?"
mo"
1T gives fairly good account Of the
affair. II does not mention the fact
that when the man was raised up
woman's wedding ring fell upon the
floor, It is just as well Il does not"
"Why?""
Look at this advertisement" he
answered. II had one sent to every
paper this morning Immediately after
the affair"
He threw the paper across to me,
and ! glanced at the place indicated
II was the first advertisement in the
Found" column.
'In Brixton 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, 22lB Baker street, between and
this evening"
Excuse my using your name" he
said. IF used my own some of these
dunderheads would recognize It, and
want to meddle In the affair"
'"That is all right" answered. but
supposing any one applies, have no
ring"
soh, yes. you have" said he. hand
Ing me one. .This will do very we'll
II Is almost facsimile"
"And who do you expect will answer
this advertisement"
why. the man In the brown coat
our horid friend with the square toes
II he does not come himself he will
send an 'accomplice."
would he not consider II as too
dangerous?"
mot at all. II my view of the case
. is correct. and have every reason to
believe that 1t is this man would rath-
er risk anything than lose the ring.
According to my notion he dropped It
while STOPPING over Drebber's body,
and did not miss 1t at the time After
i, 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 b4
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, It must have occurred
to him that It was possible that he
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 II among the articles found His
eve. of course, would light upon this
He would be overjoyed. Why should
ne fear trap? There would be no
reason, in his eyes, why the finding
of the ring should be connected with
the murder. He would come. He will
come. You shall see him within an
hour"
"hnd then?" asked.
oh, YOU can leave me to deal with