Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-09-11

The door was locked on the inside, but
we put our shoulders to It and knocked
Ii In. The window OF the room was
open, and beside the window, all hud-
died up, lay the body nf q man In his
night-dress. He was quite dead. and
had been for some time. for his limbs
were rigid and cold, When we turned
him over the Boots recognized him at
once as being the same gentleman
who had engaged the room under the
name OF James Stangerson. The cause
Of death was deeo stab In the left
side. which must hsve penetrated the
heart. And now comes the strangest
part OF the affair What do you sup
pose was above the murdered MANI"
I felt a creeping Of flesh and a pro
sentiment Of coming horror, even be-
fore Sherlock Holnns answered,
The word 'Racle," written In let
ters OF blood" he aid.
"That was t." sid Lestrade. In an
awstruck voice; md we were all
silent for a while.
There was something so methodical
and so incomprehnsible about the
deeds OF this unknown assassin. that
1t impaired fresl ghastliness to his
crimes.
Ny nerves. witch were steady
enough on the fieldof battle. tingled as
l thought of 1t.
THE man was sen," continued Les
trade. "A milkboy passing on his way
to the dairy, hapnned to walk down
the lane which leds from the news
at the back of tn hotel. He noticed
that ladder, with usually lay there,
was raised againstone Of the windows
of the second flor, which was wide
open. After passing. he looked back
and saw O man descend the ladder. He
came down so guilty and openly that
the boy imagined him to be some car
penter or joiner 1 work in the hotel.
He took no partsular notice Of him,
beyond thinking his own mind that
ii was early for hin to be at work. He
has an impressio that the man was
tall. had a reddih face, and thought
it was early for Inn to be at work. He
must have stage in the room some
little time afterthe murder, for we
found blood-staird water in the basin,
where he had WISHED his hands, and
marks on the sbet, where he had de-
liberately wipedlis knife"
I glanced at blmes on hearing the
description of th murderer which tai
lied so exactly 18th his own.
There was. hoever, no trace OF exul-
tation or satisfaction upon his face.
did you findnothing in the room
which could furish clew to the muir
derer?" he asked
Nothing. Stagerson had Drebber's
purse in his poeet. but 1t seems that
this was usual, IS he did all the pay
ing. There waseighty-odd pounds in
it. but nothing nd been taken. What
ever the motivespf these extraordinary
crimes, robbery certainly not one of
them. There wee no papers or mem
oranda In the prdered mans pockets,
except a singl(telegram, dated from
Cleveland abouia month ago, and con-
tanning the wors, y. H. is In Europe
There was no anne appended to this
message"
"And there was nothing else?"
Holmes asked.
Nothing of my importance. The
mans novel. With which he had read
himself to slee. was lying upon the
bed, and his PIE was on chair be-
side him. Thel was glass Of water
on the table. al on the window sill a
small chip oinaent box containing a
couple of pills"
Sherlock Holes sprang from his
chair with an eclsmation of delight
''The last lin.." he cried, exultantly.
"Mv case Is coTDlete."
The two detstives stared at him in
amazement
'T have nown my hands," my COM
panion said coiidently, "all the threads
which have formed such tangle.
There are, of curse, details to be filled
in. but | am ertain of all the main
facts, from theime that Drebber part
ed from Stangrson at the station, up
to the discovry Of the body of the
latter, as If I ad seen them with my
own eyes. l I'll give you proof of my
knowledge. buld you lay your hands
upon those pis?"
'T have thin" said Lestrade pro-
ducing a sma' white box: Il took them
and the pure and the telegram, in
tending to hge them put In place
of safety at tie police station. It was
the merest oance my taking these
pills, for al bound to say that l do
not attach aE importance to them"
Give then here" said Holmes.
Now, doctor" turning to me, ARE
those ordinaE pills?"
They certainly were not. They were
OF pearly gray color, small, round.
and almost transparent against the
light.
From ther lightness and transpar-
ency, l shoud imagine that they are
soluble in wtter," l remarked.
Precisely, So" answered Holmes.
Now, wouldIyou mind going down and
fetching that poor little devil of ter
rier which has been bad so long, and
which the landlady wanted you to put
out Of its pdn yesterday?7
went downstairs and carried the
dog upstairs In my arms. It's labored
breathing and glazing eye showed that
it was not far from it's end.
Indeed, its snow white muZzle pro-
claimed that it had already exceeded
the usual term. of canine existence.
placed 1t upon a cushion on the rug.
Il will now cut one Of these pills in
two" said Holmes, and drawing his
penknife, he suited the action to the
word. "0ne half we return into the
box for future purposes. The other half
will place in this wine glass, in which
ls teaspoontul of water. You per.
ceive that our friend, the doctor, is
right, and that 1t readily dissolves."
"This may be very interesting" said
Lestrade, in the injured tone of one
who suspects that he is being laughed
at. II can not see, however, what it
has to do with the death of Mr.. Joseph
Patience, my friend, patience. You
will find in time that is has everything
10 do with it. shall now add a little
milk to make the mixture palatable,
and on presenting 1t to the dog you will
lind that he laps it up readily enough"
AS he sDOke he turned the contenta