Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-14
By A. CONAN DOYLE,

 to Chatham. Any one might stay there or take train without being observed. This is the garden path of which 1 spoke, Mr. Holmes. I'll pledge my word there was no mark on it yester- day"
 ..On which side were the marks on the grass?"
 This side, sir-this narrow margin of grass between the path and the flower bed. I can't see the traces now, but they were clear to me then.'
 '.Yes, yes; some one has passed along" said Holmes, stopping over the grass border. Our lady must have picked her steps carefully, must she not. since on the one side she would leave a track on the path and on the other an even clearer one on the soft bed:"
 ..Yes, sir; she must have been cool hand.''
 I saw an intent look pass over Holmes face
 You say that she must have come back this wayF
 "Yes. sir: there is no other."
 "On this strip of grass:'
 "Cei .inly. Mr Holmes"
 Hum. It was very remarkable performance-veryr remarkable. Well, I think we have exhausted the path. Let us go farther. This garden door is usually kept open, I suppose. Then this visitor had nothing to do but to walk in. The idea of murder was not in her mind or she would have provid- ed herself with some sort of weapon instead of having to pick this knife off the writing table. She advanced along this corridor, leaving no traces upon the cocoanut mating. Then she found herself in this study. How long was she there? We have no means of judg- ing.'
 Not more than few minutes, sir. I forgot to tell you that Mrs. Marker, the housekeeper. had been in there tidy ing not very long before--about quar- ter of an hour, she says" Hsss51
 Well. that gives us limit Our ia dy enters this room. and what does she do? She goes over to the writing table. What for! Not for anything in the drawers. If there had been anything worth her taking it would surely have been locked up. No. it was for some thing in that wooden bureau. Hello. What is that scratch upon the face of 1t? Just hold a match. Watson. Why did you not tell me of this, Hopkins?'
 The mark which he was examining began upon the brasswork on the right hand side of the keyhole and extended for about four inches, where it ha, scratched the varnish from the surface.
 .I noticed 1t. MT. Holmes. but you'll always find scratches round a key hole.''
 This is recent, quite recent. See hcT the brass shines where it is cut. kn old scratch would be the same color as the surface. Look al it through my lens. There's the varnish, too. like earth on each side of furrow. Is Mrs Marker there:''
 A sad faced elderly woman came in- to the room.
 Did you dust this bureau yesterday morning."
 Yes. sir
 Did you notice this scratch|
 No. sir: did not"
 T am sure you did not, for duster would have swept away these shreds Of varnish. Who has the key of this bureauT'
 The professor keeps 1t on his watch chain
 ''Is 1t a simple keyf"
 No. sir: il is a Chubb's key"
 Very good. Mrs. Marker. you can go. Now we are making a little prog ress. Our lady enters the room. ad- vances to the bureau and either opens il or tries to do 8. While she Is thus engaged young willoughby Smith en- ters the room. Tn her hurry to with draw the key she makes this scratch upon the door He seizes her. and she. snatchiuE up -he nearest object. which happens 10 be this knife. strikes at bim h order b make him iet % his hold. The blow IS a fatal one. He falls. and she escapes. either with or without inc object for which she has come. Is Su- san. the maid. there: Could any one have got away through that door sfre- the tine that yoG beard the cry. su- sargr
 No. sir: it Is impossible Before I go- down the stair I'd have seen any one in the passage Besides. the door never opened or I would have heard L."
 That settles this exit Then 10 doubt the Iady went out the way she came. ! understand that this other passage leads only to the professor roon- Tbere Is 10 exit that EayT
 NO. sir
 We shall go down t and make the scqua .tznce of the professor Hello. HopEins. this Is very inportzut-TsrT important indeed. The-professor's cor riIor is also lined with cocoa1gt mat ting
 Well sir. what of thzty
 Dent yo1 see any bearing upon the rzses Vel. well I don't insist upo1 it No d0ubt an uro7z- And yet II seems te ne to be suggestive Gene sith ne and introduce me-
 We passed down the passage ~hich uzs 0f the sane length as that wbich