Morris tribune., 1905-09-02

| freer from outside influences. Whole
weeks would pass and not one Of then
! go past the garden gate The pro
! fessor was buried in his work and ex
| listed for nothing else. Young Smith
/ knew nobody in the neighborhood anG
! lived very much as his employer did
| The two women had nothing to take
! them from the house. Mortimer. the
gardener, who wheels the bath chair
Is an army pensioner, an old Crimean
man Of excellent character. He does
not live in the house, but in three
roomed cottage at the other end OF
the garden. Those are the only PEG.
pie that you would find within the
grounds Of Yoxley Old Place. At the
same time the gate of the garden is q
hundred yards from the main Lon
don to Chatham road. 1t opens with
a latch, and there is nothing to pre-
vent any one from walking in.
"Now I will give you the evidence
Of Susan Tarlton, who is the only per
son who can say anything positive
about the matter. It was in the fore
noon, between II and IL. She was en-
gagged at the moment in hanging some
curtains in the upstairs front bed
room. Professor Coram was still in
bed, for when the weather is bad he
seldom rises before midday The house
keeper was busted with some work in
the back Of the house Willoughby
Smith had been in his bedroom, which
he uses as sitting room, but the maid
heard him at that moment pass along
the passage and descend to the study
Immediately below her. She did not
see him, but she says that she could
not be mistaken in his quick, firm
tread She did not hear the study
door close, but minute or SO later
there was a dreadful cry in the room
below 1t was a wild, hoarse scream,
so strange and unnatural that it might
have come either from a man OF
woman At the same instant there
was a heavy thud which shook the
old house, and then all was silence.
The maid stood petrifed for moment,
and then, recovering her courage, she
ran downstairs. The study door was
shut, and she opened it. Inside young
Mr.. Willoughby Smith was stretched
upon the floor. At first she could see
no injury, but as she tried to raise
him she saw that blood was pouring
from the underside of his neck. 1t
was pierced by very small but very
deep wound, which had divided the
carotid artery. The instrument with
which the injury had been inflicted lay
upon the carpet beside him. 1t was
one of those small sealing wax knives
to be found on old fashioned writing
tables, with an ivory handle and
stiff blade 1t was part of the fittings
of the professors own desk.
cat first the maid thought that young
ing some water from the carafe over
his forehead he opened his eyes for an
instant. The professor he murmur
edit was She The maid is prepared
to swear that those were the exact
words. He tried desperately to say
something else, and he held his right
hand up in the air. Then he fell back
dead.
'1n the meantime the housekeeper
had also arrived upon the scene, but
she was just too late to catch the young
mans dying words Leaving Susan
with the body, she hurried to the pro
fessor's room. He was sitting up in
bed horribly agitated, for he had heard
enough to convince him that something
terrible had occurred. Mrs. Marker is
to swear that the professor
was still in his night clothes, and, in
deed, it was impossible for him to
dress without the help of Mortimer,
whose orders were to come at IL
o'clock. The professor declares that he
heard the distant cry, but that he
knows nothing more. He can give no
explanation Of the young mans last !
words, The professor-it was she,' but
imagines that they were the outcome |
Of delirium He believes that Willough-
by Smith had not an enemy in the |
world and can give no reason for the
crime. His first action was to send i
Mortimer, the gardener, for the local
police A little later the chief con-
stable sent for me- Nothing was NOV
ed before got there, and strict orders
were given that no one should walk up
On the paths leading to the house. 1t
was splendid chance of putting your
theories into practice, Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes. There was really nothing
Except Mr.. Sherlock Holiness said
ny companion, with somewhat bitter
smile 'Well, let us hear about it,
What sort of job did you make of
tt"
. II must ask you first, Mr.. Holmes, to
glance at this rough plan, which will
give you general idea of the position
If the professors study and the vari-
>us points of the case 1t will help
7ou IN following my Investigation
He unfolded the rough chart, which
here reproduce, and he laid it across
Holmes knee. rose and, standing be-
lind Holmes, studied it over his shout
Ter.
1T is very rough, of course, and it on