Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-07-15

two OF which bad been opened by the
police They were not, so far as I
could judge. OF any great value, nor
did the bank book show that Mr.. Old
acre was in such very sffiuent circum-
stances Bet it seemed TO me that all
the papers were not there. There
were illusions 10 some deeds-possfbiy
the more vaiuable-which | could not
find This. OF course. IL we could def
nitely prove t. would turn Lestrade's
argument against himself. for who
would steal a thing II he knew that he
would shortly inherit it?
Finally, having drawn every other
cover aud picked up no scent, / tried
my luck with the housekeeper. Mrs.
Lexington Is her name-a little. dark.
silent person. with suspicious and side
long eyes. She could tell US something
IL she would. l am convinced of il.
But sue was as close as wax. Yes, she
bad let Mr.. McFarlane in at half past
9. She wished her hand had withered
before she had done SO. She had gone
to bed at half past 10. Her room was
at the other end OF the house and she
could hear nothing OF what passed
Mr.. McFarlane had left his hat and, to
the best OF her belief, his stick in the
hall. She had been awakened by the
alarm of Ere. Her poor. dear master
had certainly been murdered. Had he
any enemies? Well. every man had
enemies but Mr.. Oldacre kept himself
very much TO himself and only met
people in the way OF business. she had
seen the buttons and was sure that
they belonged TO the clothes which he
had worn last night. The wood pile
was very dry. for il had not rained
for a month II burned like finder,
and by the time she reached the spot
nothing could be seen but flames She
and all the firemen smelled the burn
Ell flesh from inside IT, She knew
nothing Of the papers nor OF Mr.. Old
acres private affairs.
so. my dear Watson. there's my re
port OF a failure. And yet-and yet
he clinched his thin hands in a par
oxysm Of conviction-"I know it's all
wrong. l feel IL Ina my bones There
is something that has not come out,
and that housekeeper knows it. There
was sort OF sulky defiance in her
eyes which only goes with guilty
knowledge. However. there's no good
talking any more about IT, Watson.
But unless some lucky chance comes
our way l fear that the Norwood dis
appearance case will not figure ia that
chronicle Of our successes which / fore.
see that a patient public will sooner or
later have 20 endure"
surely" said I. "the mans appear
ance would 90 FAR with any jury"
THAT Is a dangerous argument. my
dear Watson. You remember that ter
rible murderer. Bert stevens. who
wanted Us TO get him or In So Was
there ever more mild hammered. sun
day school young manT"
1t is true"
Unless we succeed in establishing
an alternative theory this man is lost.
You can hardly find a flaw In the case
which can now be presented against
him. and all further investigation has
served 20 strengthen IL. BY the way.
there Is one curious little point about
those papers which may serve Us as the
starting point FOR an inquiry On look
ing over the hank book found that the
low state OF the balance was principal
~ due TO large checks which have been
made out during the last year 10 Mr..
Cornelius. / confess that I should be
CONTINUED on It'll PAGE.)