The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-05-14

| B
4'Bv the way" said he suddenly. II
think III take one of these pistols un- |
stairs with me In case we have an |
alarm"
An alarm.f said j.
Yes. we've had a scare in this part |
lately Old Acton, who is one OF oar /
county rnagnates. had his house broken /
into last Monday. No great damage
done. but the fellows are still at large"
No clae?" asked Holmes, cooking his |
leye at the eoIonei.
None as vet. But the affair is a pref
ty one, one Of our little country crimes,
which must seem too small for your
lattenti'n. Mr.. Holmes, after this great
international affair"
Holmes waved away the compliment,
though his smile showed that it had
ipleased him.
WAS there any feature OF INTEREST,"
Il fancy not. The thieves ransacked
the library and got very little foi' their
pains. The whole place was turned mp
side down. drawers burst open, and
presses ransacked, with the result that
an odd volume of Pope's Homer. two
plated candiesticks, an ivory letter
weight, small oak barometer. and
ball of Irvine are all that have van
isned'
What an extraordinary assortment
exclaimed. :
t.Oh. the fellows evidently grabbed
hold of everything they could get
Holmes grInted from the sofa.
THE county police. ought to make
something Of that" said he; why, 1t
lis surely obvious that"
But l held up a warning finger,
tYou are here for a rest. my dear fell
/ - Il Ito
ed on a new problem when your nerves
are all IN s1reds."
Holmes shrugged his shoulders with a
glance of comic resignation toward tbs
colonel, and the t:.ik drifted away into
less dangerous channels.
It was destined. however. that all my
professional caution should be wasted.
for next morning the problem obtruded
itself upon US in such O way that IL
was impossible to ignore it, and cur
country visit took a turn which neither
of us could have anticipated. We Were
at breakfast when the colonel's butler
sushed in with all his propriety shaken
out of him.
Have you heard the news. sir?o he
gasped. ..At the Cunn:ngham's. sir!''
Burglary cried the colonel. with his
coffee cup in nlid-afr.
"Murder!''
The colonel whistied. by Joye"' said
he. who's killed. then? The j. P. or
his son2''
Neither. sir. II was William, the
coachmar. Shot through the heart. sir.
and never spoke again.
"W7ho shat him. them.
tThe burglar. sir. He was of like a
shot, and got clean away. He'd just
broke In at the pantry window when
William came on him. and met his end
In saving his masters property"
What timer
.'It was last night. sir, somewhere
labout 49,
..Ah, then, we'll step over afterward.
said the colonel, coolly setting down &c
his breakfast again. It,s baddfsE
business. he added when the butlel
thad gone; sslle's our leading man about
here. Is old Cunningham. and very
decent fellow. too. He'll be cut up over
this. for the man has been in his service
for years. and was good servant. It:
evidently the same villains who broke
into Acton's."
aAnd stole that very SINGULAR collec
tion.'' said Holmes, thoughtfully.
Precisely
Hum. II may prove the simplest mat
ter In the world. but all the same a
first glance this Is just little curious
lis Ii not? A gang of burglars actinf
in the country might be expected to var!
the scene OF their operations, and not t
crack two cribs in the same distrIc
within few days. When you spoke las
night of taking precautions I remembe
that Ii passed through my mind tina
this was probably the last parish in Eng
land to which the thief or thieves woult
be likely to turn their attention-whici
shows that have still much TO learn.
II fancy it's some local practitioner,
said the colonel. I'm that case. of course
Acton's and Cunningham's are just tn
places he would go for. since they ar
far the largest about here
land richest?"
"Well. they ought to be. but they'v
had a lawsuit for some years whicl
has sucked the blood out OF both o
them, I fancy. Old Acton has som
claim on half Cunningham's estate, an
the lawyers have been at 1t with bot
hands"
IT It's a local villain there should no
be- much difficulty IN running hiL
down." said Holmes with a yawn. "a
right Watson. l don't intend to med
die"
inspector Forester. SIR" said tn
DutIer, throwing open iItS oHCfs
The official. a smart, keen-faced youn
fellow, stepped into the room. Goo
morning. colonel" said he; 7 hope
= don't intrude. but we hear that M
Holmes OF Baker street. is here"
The colonel waved his hand towar
my friend. ard the inspector bowed.
I'VE thought that perhaps you woul
care to step across. Mr.. Holmes"
This fates are against you. Watson.
said he, laughing I'VE were chattin
about the matter when you came in. II
spector. Perhaps you can let us have
| few details AS ne leaned back in h
chair in the familiar attitude I kne
that the case was hopeless.
# I'VE had no clue in the Acton affai
-. But here we have plenty to go on. an
80. there's no doubt 1t Is the same part
s,s1 in each case. The man was seen"
~ "Ahr'