Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11

that there are few better in London. Have
you heard the manner?
mo, l have not
We'll well. such is fame, But. then. Il
/ remember right, you had not heard the
name of Professor James Moriarty, who
lad one of the great brains of the century.
Just give me down my index of biographies
from the shelf"
He turned over the pages lazily, leaning
back in his chair and blowing great clouds
from his cigar.
My collection of Ms is a fine one" said
he. "Moriarty himself is enough to make
any letter illustrious. and here is Morga Il
the poisoner and Merrdew of abomina BILE
memory, and Mathews, who knocked out
my left canine in the waitingroom of Char
Ing Cross. and finally. here is our friend
OF tonight"
He handed over the book, and l read:
Moran, Sebastian Colonel. Unemployed.
Formerly LIST Bengalore Pioneers Born
London, 1910. Son of SIR Augustus Moran.
STA. Educated Eton and oxford. Served
in Jowaki Campaign. Afghan Cam
paign, Charasiab tdspa tches), Sherpur,
End cabul Author of Heavy Game of the
Western Himalayas' uSSD; Three Mon; hs
In the jungle QSSD. Address: Conduit
street. Clubs: The Anglo-Indian. the Tan
kerville. the Bagatelle Card Club"
On the margin was written, in Holmes
precise hand: The second most danger
Gus man in London
This is astonishing" said I, as handed
ndCh the volume. The man career Is
that of an BILE soldier.
1T is true" Holmes answered. up to
a certain point he did well. He was al
ways man Of iron nerve, and the story
is still told in India how he crawled down
drain after wounded man-eating tiger
There are some trees, Watson, which grow
to a certain height and then suddenly de-
velop some unsightly eccentric1ty gu
will see ii often in humans. / have the
DRY that the individual represents in his de-
velopment the whole procession of his an
cestors, and that such sudden turn 20
good or evil stands for some strong in
fuence which came into the line of his
pedigree. The person becomes, as 1t were,
the epitome of the history of his own fam
lily
1T is surely rather fanciful.'
well, l don't insist upon it. Whatever
the cause, Col. Moran began to so WRONG.
Without any open scandal, he still made
India too hot to hold him. He retired,
came to London, and again acquired
evil name. 1t was at this time that he
was sought out by Prof. Moriarty. to whom
for time he was chief of the staff. Mo-
riarty supplied him literally with money,
and used him only in one or two very high
class jobs. which no ordinary criminal
cOhld could have undertaken. You may
have some recollection of the death of Mrs.
Stewart of Lauder. in 1881 Not? Well, l
am sure Moran was at the bottom of it,
but nothing could be proved. So cleverly
was the colonel concealed that, even when
the Morfdrty gang was broken up, we could
not incrminate him. You remember at that
date, when l called upon you in your
rooms, how l put up the shutters for fear
of airguns? No doubt you thought me
fanciful. l knew exactly what l was do
ing, for ! knew of the existence of this
maIkable gun, and l knew also that one
of the best shots in the world would be
behind it. When We're in Switzerland he
followed us with Moriarty, and 1t was I'M
dOubtedly he who gave me that evil i've
minutes on the Reichenbach ledge.
You may think that l read the papers
~ 611-jroc mi in
France, on the lookout for any chance Of
laying him by the heels. So long as he was
free in London, my life would really not
have been worth living Night and day
sooner or later his chance must have come.
What could 1 do? I could not shoot him
at sight. or l should myself be in the
dock. There was appealing to 4
magistrate. They cannot interfere on the
strength of what would appear to them TO
be a wild suspicion. So l could do nothing.
But | watched the criminal news. knowing
that sooner or later l should get him. Then
came the death of this Ronald Adair. My
chance had come at last. knowing what
| did. was it not certain that Col. Moran
had done it? He had played cards with
the lad he had followed him home from
the club, he had shot him through the open
window. There was not doubt of il. The
bullets alone are enough TO put his head in
moose. / came over at once. | was seen
by the sentinel. who would, | knew, direct
the cOlonels attention to my presence He
could not fail to connect my sudden return
with his crime. and TO be terribly alarmed.
l was sure that he would make attempt
TO get me out Of the way at once, and
would bring round his murderous weapon
for that purpose. | left him an excellent
mark in the window and. having warned the
police that they might be needed-by the
way, Watson, you spotted their presence in
that doorway with unerring accuraCy-I
took up what seemed TO me to be judicious
post for observation, never dreaming that
he would choose the same spot for his at
tack. Now, my dear Watson. does any
thing remain for me to eXplain?'
Yes" said l. You have not made it
clear what VAS Colonel Moran's motive in
numbering the Honorable Ronald Adair?"
'Ah, my dear Watson. there we come
into those realms OF conjecture, where the
most logical mind may be at fault. Each
may form his own hypothesis upon the
present evidence. and yours is as likely to
be correct mine.
You have formed one then?"
Il think that it is not difficult to explain
the facts. 1t came out in evidence that
Colonel Moran and young Adair had, be
tween them won Il considerable amount
Of money Now, Moran undoubtedly played
foul-of that I have long been aware 1
believe that on the day of the murder
Adair had discovered that Moran was
cheating. Very likely he had spoken to
him privately, and had threatened to ex-
pose him unless he voluntarily resigned
his membership of the club. and promised
not to play cards again. 1t is unlikely that
a youngster like Adair would at once make
a hideous scandal by exposing a we'll
known man so much older than himself.
Probablv he acted as | suggest The ex-
cIusion from his clubs would mean ruin
TO Moran, who lived by his ill-gotten card
gains. He therefore murdered AGAR. VINO
at the time was endeaVorlng to work out
how much money he should himself re-
turn, since he could not profit by his part
ners foul play. He locked the door lest
the ladies should surprise him and insist
upon knowing what he was doing with
these names and coins. VIII it pass?
Il have no doubt that you have hit upon
the truth
1t viii be verified disproved at the
trial Meanwhile, come what may, Colonel
Moran will trouble US no more Inc famous
air gun of Won Herder will embellish the
Scotland Yard Museum, and once again
Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free TO devote his
life TO examining those interesting little
problems which the complex life of Lon
don so plentifully presents.