The San Francisco call., 1905-05-21

Copyright. 1904. by A. Conan Doyle
and Golfers Weekly.)
Copyright, 1905. by Mcclure, Phillips
& COD
7 T was on a bitterly cold and frosty
morning, toward the end of the
winter of 1897, that I was awak-
ened by a tugging at my shoulder.
II was Holmes. The candle in his
hand shone upon his eager, STOPPING
face and told me at a glance that
something was amiss.
Come. Watson, comet" he cried.
The game is afoot. Not a word. Into
your clothes and comei"
Ten minutes later we were both in a
cab and rafting through the silent
streets on our way TO Charing Cross
station. The first faint winters dawn
was beginning to appear and we could
dimly see the occasional figure of an
early workman as he passed us. blurred
ana lndistinct in the OpaIeScent Lon-
don reek. Holmes nestled in silence
into his heavy coat and L was glad TO
do the same, Tor the air was most Bit
ter and neither Of US had broken our
fast
Il was not until We had consumed
some hot tea at the station and taken
our places in the Kentish train that
we ere sufficiently. thaWed, he to-
speak and l 10 listen. Holmes drew
Z note from his pocket and read it
aloud.
abbey Grange, MaTsham. Kent,..- 9
$3.50 a. m
Ny Dear Mr. Holmes-I should ( -.
be very glad Of your immediate
assistance la what promises to
be q most remarkable case. 1t
is something quite in your line
Except for releasing the lady y
i viii see that everything is
kept exactly as / have found
it. but ! beg YOU not TO
lose an instant, as il is III
dimcult 20 leave ST. Eus- .AyN
tace there. ,Nt
Yours faithfully. ,M
STANLEY HOPKINS. MINK (
Hopkins has called me WNN$
IN seven times and on each MINK
occasion his summons has NM
been entirely justified" said W>
Holmes. 4 fancy that every ~
one Of his cases has found it's NJ
way into your collection, and l
must admit Watson, that you
have some power of selection
which atOnes for much which l de-
plOre in your narratives. Your fatal
habit of looking at everything from
the point Of view Of z story instead Of
as a scientific exercise has ruined what
might have been an instructive and
even classical series of demonstra tions.
You slur over work CT the utmost
finesse and delicacy, in order to dwell
upon sensational details which may
excite, but cannot possibly instruct,
the reader"
why do you not write them your
self2" I said, with some bitterness.
I viii. my dear Watson, / will. At
present an, as you know, fairly busy
but < propose TO devote my declining
years TO the composition of text
book, which shall focus the whole art
of detection into one volume. Our pres
ent research appears TO be a case OF
murder"
You think this Sir Eustace is dead,
them"
I should cav Hopkins writing
shows considerable agitation, and he is
not an emotional man. Yes. / gather
there has been violence and that the
body is left for our inspection A mere
suicide would not have caused him TO
send for me. AS to the release of the
lady, il would appear that she has been
locked in her room during the tragedy.
We are moving in high lie, Watson,
cracking paper, Z. D.. monogram,
coat of arms, picturesque address l
think that friend Hopkins win i've up
70 his reputation ana that we shall
have an interesting morning The
crime was committed before tweIYe last
night"
How can you possibly tell?"
by an inspection of The trains and
by reckoning the time. The local po-
lice had to be called in, they had to
communicate with Scotland Yard, Hop
l1ins had 10 go out and he in turn had
10 send for me. All that makes fair
nights work. Well, here we are at
ChiseIhurst Station and. We shall sooa
set our doubts at rest
A. drive of a couple of miles through
narrow country lanes brought US to
park gate, which was opened for US by
an old lodge keeper, whose haggard
face bore the reflection of some great
disaster. The avenue ran through
noble park, between lines of ancient
elms, and ended IN low. widespread
house, pillared in front after the fash
ion of Palladio. The. central part was
evidently Of great age and shrouded in
ivy. but the large windows showed that
modern changes had been carried out,
and one wing Of the house appeared to
be entirely new. The youthful figure
and alert. eager face of Inspector Stan
lev Hopkins confronted US in the open
doorway.
I'm very glad you have come, Mr..
Holmes. And you, too, DIR. Watson.
But, indeed, if / had my time over
again. 1 should not have troubled you,
for since the lady has come TO herself
she has given so clear an account of the
affair that there is not much left for us
to do. You remember that Lewisham
gang Of burglars?''
What, the three Randalls?"
Exactly; the father and two sons.
It's their work. / have not a doubt Of
II. They did a job at Sydenham fort
~ lac Y.ez