The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-19

amined the old Stock Exchange lists.
and / can find no one in 1888, either
i'm the house or among the outside
brokers, whose initials CORRESPOND with
these. Yet / feel that the clue is the
most important one that / hold. You
will admit, Mr.. Holmes, that there
is a possibility that these initials are
those of the second person who was
present--in other words. of the muir
derer would also urge that the in
Productions into the case of a document
relating to large masses of valuable
securities gives us for the first time
some Indication of motive for the
crime
Sherlock Holmes face showed that
he was thoroughly taken aback by this
new development
II must admit both your points.
said he. IT confess that this note
book, which did not appear at the in
quest, modifies any views which / may
have formed. had come to theory
of the crime in which / can find no
place for this. Have you endeavored
to trace any of the securities here
mentioned? 2"
Inquiries are now being made at
the offices, but / fear that the COM
plete register of the stockholders Of
these South American concerns Is in
South America, and that sonic weeks
must elapse before we can trace the
shares
Holmes had been examining the
cover of the note book with his mag
nifying lens.
''Surely there is some discoloration
here" said he
Yes. sir, it is a blood stain. ! told
you that 1 picked the book off the
floor"
"Was the blood stain above or be-
low"
ION the side next the boards"
Which proves. of course. that the
book was dropped after the crime was
committed"
Exactly, Mr.. Holmes. I appreci-
ated that point, and / conjectured that
it was dropped by the murderer in
his hurried flight 1t lay near the
door"
81 suppose that none of these securl-
ties have been found among the prop
erty of the dead man"
mo, sir"
Have you any reason to suspect
robbery?"
mo, sir Nothing seemed to have
been touched"
Dear me. it is certainly a ver-- in
teresting case. Then there was q
knife, was there not?"
"A 5llGdln killle, SLlll III IT'S SHEATH.
1t lay at the feet of the dead man.
Mrs. Carey has identified it as being
her husbands property"
Holmes was lost in thought for
some time.
Well" said he. at last. 81 suppose
shall have to come out and have
look at it,"
Stanley Hopkins gave a GRIP Of iov.
THANK you, sir. That WILL indeed.
be a weight off my mind
Holmes shook his finger at the IN
spector.
''It would have been an easier task
week ago" said he. "But even now
my visit may not be entirely fruitlcss.
Watson. If you can snare the time 1
should be very glad Of your comnany.
If you will call four wheeler. Hop
kins we shall be ready to start for
Forest Row in a quarter Of an hour T"
Alighting at the small wayside sta
ton, we drove for some miles through
the remains of widespread woods.
which were once part of that great
forest which for so long held the
saxon invaders at bay-the impene-
trable 'weald," for sixty years the bull
Wark OF Britain. Vast sections OF 1t
have been cleared. for this is the seat
of the first iron works of the country.
and the trees have been felled to smelt
the ore. Now the richer fields of the
North have absorbed the trade, and
nothing save these ravaged groves and
great scars in the earth show the work
or the past. Here. in 2 clearing unon
the green slope Of a hill. stood q long,