The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-09

proofs of this paper arrived from the
printers. The exercise consists Of half
q chapter of Thucydides. l had to read
It over carefully, as the text must be
absolutely correct. At four-thirty my
task was not yet completed. l had.
however, promised to take tea In
friends rooms, so 1 left the proof upon
my desk. l was absent rather more
than an hour.
you are aware, Mr.. Holmes, that
our college doors are double-a green
baize one within and heavy oak one
without As l approached my outer
door, l was amazed to see key in 1t.
For an instant l imagined that I had
left my own there, but on feeling in
my pocket | found that 1t was all
right. The only duplicate which exist
ed, so far as I knew, was that which
belonged to my servant Bannister-a
man who has looked after my room for
ten years, and whose honesty is abso-
lutely above suspicion. l found that
the key was indeed his, that he had
entered my room to know If l wanted
tea, and that he had very carelessly
left the key in the door when he came
out. His visit to my room must have
been within a few minutes of my leav-
ing it. His fo.getfulness about the key
would have mattered little upon any
other occasion, but on this one day 1t
has produced the most deplorable con-
sequences
1.-THE moment l looked at my table,
l was aware that someone had rum
mayed among my papers. The proof
was in three long slips. [ had left them
all together. Now, l found that one of
them was lying on the floor, one was
on the side table near the window, and
the third was where l had left it,"
Holmes stirred for the first time.
THE first page on the floor, the sec
ond In the window, the third where
you left it," said he
EXACTLY, Mr.. Holmes. You amaze
me. How could you possibly know
that?"
Pray continue your very interesting
statement"
For an instant imagined that Ban
mister had taken the objectionable lib
erty of examining my papers. He de-
MED it, however, with the utmost
earnestness, and am convinced that
he was speaking the truth. The alter
native was that someone passing had
observed the key in the door, had
known that | was out, and had entered
to look at the papers. A large sum of
money is at stake, for the scholarship
Is a very valuable one, and an unscru-
pulous man might very well run risk
IN order to gain an advantage over
his fellows
"Bannister was very much upset by
the Incident. He had nearly tainted
when he found that the papers had
undoubtedly been tempered with I
gave him a little brandy and left him
collapsed in a chair, while / made
most careful examination of the room.
l soon saw that the intruder had left
other traces of his presence besides the
rumpled papers. On the table in the
window were several shreds from a
pencil which had been sharpened.
broken tip of lead was lying there
also Evidently the rascal had copied
the paper in great hurry had
broken his pencil, and had been COM
PEELED to put a fresh point to it,
Excellent" said Holmes, who was
recovering his good-humour as his at
tention became more engrossed by the
case. Fortune has been your friend
This was not all. | have new
writing table with fine surface of red
leather. l am prepared to swear. and
so is Bannister, that 1t was smooth
and unstained Now ! found clean