The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-06-11

You see that said he. pointing to
big black box at the end of his bed.
| Il have never been very rich man,
| Mr.. Holmes-never made but one in
vestment In my life, as DR.. Trevelyan
would tell you. But 1 don't believe in
bankers | would never trust bank
er. Mr. Holmes. Between ourselves.
what little I have is in that box, so you
can understand what It means to me
when unknown people force themselves
! into my rooms
Holmes looked Mt BIessington in his
! questioning way and shook his head.
II cannot possibly advise you IL yoa
try to deceive me- said he.
Bat 1 have Did you everything"
| Holmes turned on his heel with gea-
| ture of disgust. Good Right, DR.. Trev-
elyan," said he
And no advice for me?' cried Bless
| ington, In a breathing voice
My advice To YOU, sir. Is &c speak the
truth
| A minute later we were in the street
and walking for home. We had crossed
oxford street and were half way down
| Harley street before I could get a word
from my companion.
| Sorry to bring you out on such q
fools errand. Watson" he said at last
1T is an interesting case, too, at the
| bottom of it,
81 can make little OF IT, confessed
| We'll. 1t is quite evidant that there
are two raen-more perhaps, but at least
two-who are determined for some rea-
| son to get at this fellow Blessinston I
have no doubt in my mind that both on
the first and on the second occasion that
|
room, while his confederate, by an in
| genious device. kept the doctor from in
| terfering.''
And the catalepsy?"
"A fraudulent imitation, Watson.
though I should hardly dare to hint as
| much TO our specialist It is very easy
complaint to initiate. I have done 1t
myself.
And them"
But the purest chance BIessington
was out on each occasion Their rea-
son for choosing so unsuaI an hour for
consultation was obviously to insure
that there shuld be no other patient In
The waiting room. It just happened.
however. that this hour conceded with
Biessington's constitutional which
seems to show that they were not very
OF course. if they had been merely after
plumber they would at least have made
some attempt TO search FOR it. Besides.
can read in q mans eye when it is his
oWR skin that he is frightened for If
IS uncomfortable that this fellow could
have made two such vindictiye enemies
as these appear to be without knowing
OF it l hold. therefore. TO be certain
that he does know whc+-Hese men are.
and that for reasons of his own he SUM-
presses it. 1t is just possible that to-
morrow may find him in a more COM
municative mood
rs there not one alternative" 1 sue-
gested, 'srotesquely improbable. no
doubt. but still just conceivabIea Might
the whole story of the cataleptic Russian
and his son be a concoction OF Dr.. TreyI.
elyan, who has, for his own purposes.
been in Blessingtor's rooms?''
I saw in the gaslight that Holmes wore
an amused smile at this brilliant depart
ure of mine
My dear fellow" said he. .ft was
one of the first solutions which occurred
TO me, but was soon able to corrobo-
rate the doctors tale. This young man
has left prints upon the stair CARPET
winch made 1t quite superf1uous for me
10 ask TO see those which ne had made
IN the room When / tell you that his
SHOES were square-toed instead of being
pointed like Biessington's. and were
quite an inch and a third longer than
the doctors, you will acknowledge that
there can be no doubt as TO his individ
uahty But we may sleep on it now. for
L snail be surprised If We do not hear
something further from Brook street In
the morning
Sherlock Holmes prophecy was soon
Iuihiieo, and in a dramatic fashion. At
half-past seven next morning. In the
first dim glimmer of Daylight. I found
him standing my my bedside in his
dressing-gown.
There's brougham waiting for ua.
watson said he
What's the matter, then?"
The Brook street business" /
ANY fresh news?"
Tragic. but ambiguous" said he, DULL
ing up the blind Look at this-a. sheet
from notebook, with For Gods sake
come at once-P. t. scrawled upor, AZ
III pencil, Our friend, the doctor, was
hard put TO it when he wrote this.
Come along, my dear fellow, for it's an
urgent CALL
III q Ol an aOlr OF SO were
back at the physicians house. He came
running out to meet US with a face OF
horror
"Oh, such a business.'' he cried, with
his hands to his temples.
What them?
''Blessington has committed suicider'
Holmes whistled.
Yes, he hanged himself during the
night
We had entered, and the doctor had
preceded us into what was evidently his
waiting room
Y "
Il really hardly know what I am do
ing he cried. The police are already
upstairs. 1t has shaken me most dread
fully
When did you find it out?"
He has cup of tea taken in TO him
early every morning When the maid
entered, about seven, there the unfortu-
nate fellow was hanging in the middle
of the room He had tied his cord to
the hook on which the heavy lamp used
10 hang. and he had jumped of from the
top of the yerv box that he showed ma