Morris tribune., 1905-10-21

Remember also the curious earnest
ness with which she assured us that it
was best for her husband that she
should know all. What did she mean
by that? And you must have observed,
Watson, how she maneuvered to have
the light at her back. She did not wish
us to read her expression"
"Ees. she chose the one chair in the
room.'
and yet the motives of women are
SO inscrutable. You remember the wo-
man at Margate whom 1 suspected for
the same reason. No powder on her
nose-that proved to be the correct So
luton. How can you build on such a
quicksand? Their most trivial action
may mean volumes, or their most ex-
traordinary conduct may depend upon
hairpin or a curling tongs. Good
morning, Watson"
"You are OFF,
"Yes, I will while away the morning
at Godolphin street with our friends of
the regular establishment With Ed
uardo Lucas lies the solution Of our
problem, though I must admit that
have not an inkling as to what form it
may take. 1t is capital mistake to
theorize In advance Of the facts. Do
you stay on guard, my good Watson,
and receive any fresh visitors I'll join,
you at lunch if am able"
All that day and the next and next
Holmes was in a mood which his
friends would call taciturn and others
morese. He ran out and ran in. smok-E
ed incessantly, played snatches on his
violin, sank into reveries, devoured
sandwiches at irregular hours and
hardly answered the casual questions
which put to him. 1t was evident to
me that things were not going we'll
With him or his quest. He would say
nothing of the case, and it was from
the papers that I learned the particu-
lars of the inquest and the arrest, with
the subsequent release, of John Nit
ton, the valet Of the deceased. The
coroner's jury brought in the obvious
''wllful murder" but the parties re-
mained as unknown as ever. No mo-
tive was suggested. The room was
full of articles of value, but none had
Sen taken. The dead mans papers
had not been tampered with. They
were carefully examined and showed
that he was a keen student of interna-
tional politics, an indefatigable gossip,
remarkable linguist and an untiring
letter writer. He had been on init
mate terms with the leading politicians
of several countries, but nothing SEN
sational was discovered among the doc
uments which filed his drawers. AS to
his relations with women, they appear
ed to have been promiscuous, but su-
perfcial. He had many acquaintances
among them, but few friends, and no
one whom ne loved. His habits were
regular, his conduct inoffensiye. His
death was an absolute mystery and
likely to remain so.
AS to the arrest of John Milton the
valet, it was council Of despair as an
to absolute inaction. But
no case could be sustained against him.
He had visited friends in Hammer
smith that night. The alibi was COM
plete. It is true that he started home
at an hour which should have brought
him to Westminster before the time
when the crime was discovered, but
his own explanation that he had walk
ed part Of the way seemed probable
enough in view of the fneness Of the
night He had actually. arrived at II
o'clock and appeared to be overwhelm-
ed by the unexpected tragedy. Ee had
always been on good terms with his
master Several Of the dead mans
possessions. notably small case of ra-
zors. hHd been found in the Wallets
boxes, bat lie explained that they had
been presents f:o.l the deceased, and
The nouoe..e, &c. T,..,.} ale to co"roJo-
.ate the story. Milton had been in Lu-
cas- employment for three years. 1t
was noticeable that Lucas did not take
Milton on the continent with him.
Sometimes he visited Paris for three
months on end, but Milton was left in
charge of the Godolphin street house.
As to the housekeeper, she heard moth
ng on the night of the crime. 1t her
master had a visitor he had himself
admitted him.