The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-21

nish would have produced. You were
not an accessory, therefore, and she
came, so far as l can read the evil
dence, without your knowledge to rob
you
The professor blew a cloud from his
lips This is most interesting and in
structive," said he. "Have you no
more to add? Surely, having traced
this lady so far, you can also say what
has become of her"
81 will endeavor to do so. In the
first place, she was seized by your Sec
rotary, and stabbed him in order to es-
cape. This catastrophe 1 am inclined
to regard as an unhappy accident, for
l am convinced that the lady had no
intention of infiicting so grievous an
injury. An assassin does not come I'M
armed. Mortified by what she had
done, she rushed wildly away from the
scene of the tragedy. Unfortunately
for her, she had lost her glasses in the
scufiie, and as she was extremely
short sighted she was really helpless
without them. She ran down a corri-
dor which she ina gined to be that by
which she had come-both were lined
with cocoanut matting-and it was
only when it was too late that she IN
derstOod that she had taken the wrong
passage and that her retreat was cut
off behind her. What was she to do?
She could not go back She could not
remain where she was. She must 90
on. She went on. She mounted
stair, pushed open a door and found
herself in your room"
The old man sat with his mouth open.
staring wildly at Holmes. Amusement
and fear were stamped upon his ex-
pressive features. Now with an effort
he shrugged his shoulders and burst
into insincere laughter
"All very fine, Mr. Holiness" said he,
"but there is one little flaw in your
splendid theory. l was myself in my
room, and l never left it during the
day"
RAM"
And you mean to say that 1 could
lie upon that bed and not be aware
that a woman had entered my room?"
Il never said so. You were aware Of
it. You spoke with her You recog-
nized her You aided her to escape"
Again the professor burst into high
keyed laughter. He had risen to his
feet, and his eyes glowed like embers.
You are madp' he cried. You are
talking insanely. l helped her to es-
cape? Where is she now?"
''She is there" said Holmes, and he
pointed to high bookcase in the
corner Of the room.
saw the old man throw up his arms;
a terrible CONFUSION passed over his
grim face, and he fell back in his
chair. At the same instant the book
case at which Holmes pointed swung
round upon a hinge and a woman
rushed out into the room. you are
rightp' she cried in a strange foreign
voice. You are right! l am here"
She was brown with the dust and
draped with the cobwebs, which had
come from the walls of her hiding
place. Her face, too, was streaked
with CRIME, and at the best she could
never have been handsome for she had
the exact physical characteristics
which Holmes had OWNED, with, in
addition, a long and obstinate chin.
What with her natural blindness, and
what with the change from dark to
light, she stood as one dazed, blinking
about her to see where and who we
were. And yet, in spite of all these
disadvantages, there was a certain no
bility in the woman's bearing, gal
lantry in the defiant chin and in the
appraised head which compelled some
thing of respect and admiration.
Stanley Hopkins had laid his hand
upon her arm and claimed her as his
prisoner, but she waved him aside
gently and yet with an overmastering
dignity which compelled obedience.
The old man lay back in his chair
with a twitching face and stared at
her with brooding eyes.
Yes, sir, l am your prisoner" she
said. From where stood could hear
and 1 know that you have
learned the truth. 1 confess it all. 1t
was 1 who killed the young man. But
you are right-you who say it was an
accident l did not even know that it
was knife which 1 held in my hand,
for in my despair / snatched anything
from the table and struck at him to
make him let me go. 1t is the truth
that I tell"
MADAM" said Holmes, 81 am sure
that it is the truth. 1 fear that you are
far from WELL"
She had turned dreadful color, the
more CHASTITY under the dark dust
upon her face. She seated her.
self on the side of the bed; then she re-
sumed.
81 have only little time here,' she
said, "but l would have you to know
the whole truth. am This mans wife.
He is not an Englishman. He is Rus
sian. His name l will not tell"
For the first time the old man stirred.
God bless you, Anna" he cried. God
bless you"
She cast look of the deepest disdain
in his direction. why should you cling
20 hard to that wretched life Of YOURS.