The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-24
The Adventure of
the Norwood
Builder


"Because we have In this case one
singular incident coming close to the
heels Of another singular lncident. The
police are making the misnka Of con-
centrahng their attention upon the
second because It happens 70 be the
one which IS actually criminal Bat
Il Is evident TO me that the logical
way to approach the case is upon
The first incident-the curious viii. so.
suddenly made and to so unexpect-
ed an Leir 1t may do something to
simplify what followed. No, my dear
fellow, l don't think you can help me.
There is no prospect Of danger, or [
should not dream Of stirring out with
out you. i trust that when l see you
In the evening / will be able to report
that have been able TO do something
for this unfortunate youngster who has
throwa himself upon my protection"
II was late when my friend returned
and ] could see by q glance at his hag-
gard and anxious face that the high
hopes with which he had started had
not been fulfilled. For an hour he
droned away upon his violin, endeavor-
ing to soothe bis own rufIied spirits. At
last be flung down the instrument and
plunged into q detailed account Of his
misadventures
Its all going wrong, Watson-all as
wrong rs It can go ] kept a bold face
before Lestrade, but. upon my soul,
believe that for once the fellow is on
the right track and we are on the
wrong. All my instincts are one way,
and all the facts are the other. and
much fear that British juries have not
yet attained that pitch of intelligence
when they wiz give the preference TO
ny theories over Lestrade's facts"
Did you go 10 BiackheathT'
Yes, Watson. / went there, and 1
found very quickly that the late la
mented Oldacre was a pretty consid-
cradle blackguard. The father was
away in search OF his son. The mother
was at home-a little fluffy, blue eyed
person, in a tremor OF fear and indig-
nation. or course she would not admit
even the possibility Of his guilt. But
she would not express either surprise
or regret over the fate Of Oldacre. On
the contrary she spoke of him with
such bitterness that she was uncon-
sciously considerably strengthening the
case Of the police, for, OF course, II her
son had heard her speak Of the mali 10
this fashion II would predispose him
toward hatred and violence. He was
more like a malignant and cunning ne
than a human being said she, and ne
always was, ever since be was a young
man
You knew him at that timer said I.
Yes, l knew him well; in fact. he
was an old suitor Of mine. Thank heav-
en- that / had the sense to turn away
from lin and to marry a better. II
poorer, man. / was engaged to him,
Mr.. Holmes, when ! beard a shocking
story Of how be had turned cat loose
in en- aviary, and l was so Mortified at
his brutal cruelty that | would have
nothing more TO do with him. Size rum
maged in bureau, and presently Size
psodrced a photograph Of woman
sian efully deraced aud mut.lated with
knife. That is ny own photograph
she said. He sent II to me in that
state, with his curse, upon my wedding
morning
Well said l. at least he has for
given you now, since he has left all his
property TO your son.
Neither my son nor / want any
thing from Jonas Oldacre. dead or
alive" she cried, with a proper spirit.
There is a God in heaven, Mr. Holmes.
and that same God who has punished
that wicked man viii show in his own
good time that my sons hands are
guiltless OF his blood.
well. / tried one OF two leads. but
could get at nothing which would help
our hypothesis and several points
which would make against it. / gave
IL up at last, and of l went to Nor
wood.
This place, Deep Dene House, is a
big modern villa Of staring brick stand
ing back Ia its own grounds. with a
laurel clumped lawn In front Of 1t. To
the right and some distance back from
the road was the timber yard which
bad been the scene Of the IRE. Here's
o rough plan on leaf Of my notebook
This window on tho left IS the one
which opens into Oldacre's room. You
can hook into II from the road, you see.
That Is about tie only bit OF eonsola-
tion / have had today. Lestrade was
not theze, but his head constable did
the houOrs, They had just found a
great treasure troye They had spent
the morning raking among the ashes
OF the burned wood pile, and besides
the charred organic remains they had
secured several discolored metal disks.
! examined them with care. ana there
was 40 doubt that they were trouser
buttons. ] even distinguished thar one
OF them was marked with the name OF
Hyams. who was Oldacres tailor /
then worked tie lawn very carefully
for signs and traces, but THIS drought
has made every thing as hard as iron.
Nothing vas n be- seen save that some
body or bundle had been dragged
through o low pFivet hedge which is in
a line with the wood Pile. AL that. Of
course. iD Ia with the ohcial theory.
1 crawled about the lawn with an
August snB 0a my back, but / gJt up
az the end Of an honr no wiser than
before.
Well, after this iaseo / went into
the bedroom and examined mat also.
The blood stains were Yery slight. mere
smears and oiscolornf.ons bul n-
dcntiefg fresh ne stick lal tesa
re-afad br. ibsge also th7 l1rfs