Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-29
"You have nothing else to tel, us7"

mo, there Ia nothing"
"You have not been here before last
night?"
mo"
"Then how do you account for that?"
cried Hopkins, as he held up the damn
Ing notebook. with the initials OF our
prisoner on the first leaf and the blood
stain on the cover.
The wretched man collapsed. He
sank his face in his hands and trcm-
bled all over.
"Wherc did you get IT." lie groaned.
II did not know. I thought I had lost
II Mt the hotel"
'"That ia enough" said Hopkins stern.
~. "Whatever else you have to say,
you must say In court. You will walk
down with me now to the police sta
ton. Well. Mr.. Holmes. l am very
much obliged to you and to your friend
for coming down to help mo. AS 1t
turns out, your presence was unnec-
sary, and | would have brought the
case to this successful issue without
you; but, none the less, I am grateful.
the Brnmbletyc hotel. so we can NIL
walk down to the village together"
"Well, Watson. what do You think OF
it, asked Holmes as we travelled back
next morning.
II can see that you are not salts.
fed
"Oh. yes. my dear Watson: am per.
io1 4 tl,f
Stanley Hopkins methods do not com
mend themselves to me. am disap-
pointed in Stanley Hopkins. had
hoped for better things from him. One
should always look for possible al
tentative and provide against it. 1t is
| the first rule Of criminal ipvestiga.
ton"
"What. then. is the alternatives"
1.-THE line of investigation which
have myself been pursuing. 1t may
give us nothing. cannot tell. But a.
least I shall follow it to the end"
Several letters were waiting fol-
Holmes Mt Baker street. He snatched
one of them up. opened it and burs,
out into triumphant chuckle OF laugh
ter
"Excellcnt. Watson The alternative
develops. Have you telegraph forms
Just write couple of messages fol-
me: Sumner, shipping agent. Ratclifl
highway. Send three men on to arrive
10 tomorrow morning. Basil That:
my name in those parts. The other Is
Inspector Stanley Hopkins. as Lore
street, BriXton. Come breakfast to
morrow at $50. Important. Wire Il
unable to come. Sherlock Holmes.
There. Watson. this Internal case has
haunted me for ten days. I hereby
Danish il completely from my presence
Tomorrow l trust that We shall heal
the last Of 1t forever
Sharp at the hour named Inspector
Stanley Hopkins appeared. and we sa
down together to the excellent break
fast which Mrs. Hudson had prepared
The young detective was in high spir
its at his success.
You really think that your solution
must be correct?" asked Holmes.
Il could not imagine more complet,
case"
ut did not seem to me conclusive"
You astonish me. Mr.. Holmes
What more could one ask for?"
docs your explanation cover every
point"
"Undoubtedly. l find that young Nell
gan arrived ut the Brambletye hotel OF
the very day of the crime. He came OF
the pretense of playing golf. His room
was on the ground floor and he cOnl'
get out when he liked. That very nigh
he went down to WoOdman's Lee. saw
Peter Carey at the hut. quarreled wit
him and killed him with the harpoon
Then, Mortified by what he had done
he fed out Of the hut, dropping til
notebook which he had brought wit
him in order to question Peter Care
about these different securities. Yo
may have observed that some OF then
were marked with ticks and the other
the great majority not Thos
which are licked have been traced O.
the London market. but the others pre-
sumably were still in the possession O
Carey. and young Neligan. according t
his own account, was anxious to rccos
er them in order to do the right thin
by his fathers creditors. After hi
flight he did not dare to approach iii
hut again for some time. but ut last h
forced himself to do so In order to oil
tain the information which he needed
Surely that il all simple and obvious
Holmes smiled and shook his head.
1T seems to me to have only on
drawback. Hopkins. and that is that
Is intrinsically impossible Have 20
tried to drive harpoon through
body? No? Tut, tut. my dear sir, 20
must really pay attention to these d'
tails. My friend Watson could tell 70
that l spent whole morning in thi
exercise. 1t is no easy matter and r.
quires strong and practiced arm. Bt
this blow was delivered with such viz
lence that the head of the weapon san
deep into the wall. DO you imagin
that this anaemic youth was capable {
30 frightful an assault? Ia he the ma
who hobnobbed in rum and water wit
Black Peter in the dead of night? Wa
\ u,