Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-21

WdISon, TOT lC IS ev1QenC that they
 must either kill her or else secure her
 In such way that she could not give
 immediate notice of their escape. But at any rate have shown, have I not, that there is certain element of im- probability about the lady's story? And now, on the top of this, comes the incl. dent of the wineglasses."
 What about the wineglasses"
 Gan you see them in your minds eye"
 T see them clearly"
 We are told that three men drank from them. Does that strike you as likely?"
 Why not? There was wine in each glass"
 Exactly, but there was beeswing only in one glass. You must have no- ticed that fact. What does that sug- gest to your mind?'
 'The last glass filled would be most likely to contain beeswing"
 Not at all. The bottle was full of it, and it is inconceivable that the first two glasses were clear and the third heavily charged with it. There are two possible explanations, and only two. One is that after the second glass was filled the bottle was violently agitated,
 and so the third glass received the beeswing. That does not appear prob able. No, no, I am sure that I am right"
 What, then, do you suppose?"
 That only two glasses were used and that the dregs of both were poured into a third glass, so as to give the false i'm pression that three people had been here. In that way all the beeswing would be in the last glass, would it not? Yes, 1 am convinced that this is so. But if have hit upon the true ex- planation of this one small phenom. enon then in an instant the case rises from the commonplace to the exceed. ingly remarkable, for it can only mean that Lady Brackenstall and her maid have deliberately lied to us, that not one word of their story is to be be- lieved, that they have some very strong reason for covering the real criminal and that we must construct our case for ourselves without any help from them. That is the mission which now lies before us, and here, Watson, is the Sydenham train"
 The household at the Abbey Grange were much surprised at our return, but Sherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley Hopkins had gone off to report to head quarters, took possession of the dining room. locked the door upon the inside and devoted himself for two hours to one of those minute and laborious in- vestigations which form the solid basis on which his brilliant edifices of de- duction were reared. Seated in cor ner like an interested student who ob- serves the demonstration of his pro- lessor l followed every step of that re- markable research. The window, the curtains. the carpet, the chair, the rope each in turn was infinitely examined and duly pondered. The body of the baronet had been removed, and all else remained as we had seen it in the morning. Finally, to my as tonishment. Holmes climbed up on to the massive mantelpiece. Far above his head hung the few inches of red cord which were still attached to the wire. For long tiIaei he gazed up ward at it. and then in an attempt to get nearer to it he rested his knee upon a wooden bracket on the wall. This brought his hand within few inches of the broken end of the rope. but it was not this so much as the bracket Itself which scanned to engage his at fention. Finally he sprang down with m ejaculation of satisfaction.
 Its all right. Watson" said he. "We have got our case-one of the most re- in our collection. But, dear me, how slow witted I have been and how nearly have committed the blun- der of my lifetime. Now, I think that, with few missing links, my chain is almost complete"
 You nave got your menT
 Man. Watson. man. Only one, but ! very formidable person. Strong as l lion-witness the blow that bent that poker! Six foot three in height, active IS squirrel, dexterous with his fin gers: finally. remarkably quick witted, Tor this whole ingenious story is of his Yes. Watson. we have come upon the handiwork of very re- individual. And yet, in that Dell rope he has given us a clew which should not have left us a doubt"
 Where was the clewf"
 Well. if you were to pull down a bell rope, Watson. where would you expect it to break? Surely at the spot where ii is attached to the wire. Why should it break three inches from the top. as this one has done?"
 Because it is frayed there?"
 Exactly. This end. which we can examine. Is frayed. He was cunning though to do that with his knife. But he other end is not frayed. You could not observe that from here, but if you were on the mantelplece you would tee that it is cut clean of without any mark of fraying whatever. You can what occurred. The man needed the rope. He would not tear [ down for fear of giving the alarm by ringing the bell. What did be do! He sprang upon the mantelpiece. could not quite reach it. put his knee on the ,racket-you will see the impression in he dust-and so got his knife to bear Ipon the cord. I could not reach tlpe