The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-10-18

'1es, yes; some one has passed
along" said Holmes, STOPPING over the
grass border. Our lady must have
picked her steps carefully, must she
not. since on the one side she would
leave track on the path and on the
other an even clearer one on the soft
bed?"
''Yes, sir; she must have been a cool
hand"
saw an intent look pass over
Holmes face.
You say that she must have come
back this way?"
Yes, sir; there is no other.'
ION this strip of grass?"
Certainly, Mr. Holmes"
Hum! 1t was very remarkable
performance-very remarkable. Well,
l think we have exhausted the path.
Let us go farther. This garden door is
usually KEEP, open, l suppose. Then
this visitor had nothing to do but to
walk in. The idea of murder was not
in her mind or she would have provid-
ed herself with some sort Of weapon
instead Of having to pick this knife off
the writing table. She advanced along
this corridor, leaving no traces upon
the cocoanut mating. Then she found
herself in this study. How long was
she there? We have no means of judg-
ing"
Not more than a few minutes, sir.
l forgot to tell you that Mrs. Marker,
the housekeeper, had been in there tidy
ing not very long before-about quar-
ter of an hour, she says"
"Well, that gives us limit. Our la
dy enters this room, and what does she
do? She goes over to the writing table.
What for? Not for anything in the
drawers. II there had been anything
worth her taking it would surely have
been locked up. No, it was for some
thing in that wooden bureau. Hello!
What is that scratch upon the face Of
it? Just hold match, Watson. Why
did you not tell me of this, Hopkins?"
The mark which he was examining
began upon the brasswork on the right
hand side of the keyhole and extended
for about four inches, where it had
scratched the varnish from the surface
II noticed it, Mr.. Holmes, but you'll
always find scratches round key
hole"
This is recent, quite recent See how
the brass shines where it is cut An
old scratch would be the same color as
the surface. Look at it through my
lens. There's the varnsh, too, like
earth on each side of furrow Is Mrs
Marker there?"
to the room
did you dust this bureau yesterday
morning?'
4''Yes, sir"
did yol notice this scratch?"
mo, sir; did not"
II am sure you did not, for duster
would have swept away these shreds
of varnsh. Who has the key of this
bureau?"
THE professor keeps it on his watch
chain"
rs it a simple key?"
"No. sir; it is Chubbs key"
''Very good. Mrs. Marker, you can
60 Now we are making little prog
ress. Our lady enters the room, adj
vances to the bureau and either opens
it or tries to do so. While she is thus
engaged young Willoughby Smith er-
tiers the room. In her hurry to with
draw the key she makes this scratch
upon the door, He seiZes her, and she
snatching up the nearest object, which
happens to be this knife, strikes at him
in order to make him let go his hold.
The blow is a fatal one. He falls, and
she escapes, either with or without the
object for which she has come. Is SUI
have got away through that door after
the time that you heard the cry, SUI
SAM"
mo, sir; it is impossible. Before l
got down the stair I'd have seen any
one in the passage. Besides, the door
never opened or l would have heard
It,"
THAT settles this exit. Then no
doubt the lady went out the way she
came. l understand that this other
passage leads only to the professors
room. There is no exit that way?"
mo, sir
Eve shall go down it and make the
acquaintance of the professor. Hello,
Hopkins, this is very important-very
important indeed! The professors cor
ridor is also lined with cocoanut mat
ting"
"Well, sir, what of that?"
"Don't you see any bearing upon the
case? Well, well, / don't insist upon
it. No doubt am wrong. And yet it
seems to me to be suggestive. Come
with me and introduce me-"
We passed down the passage, which
was Of the same length as that which
led to the garden. At the end was a
short flight of steps ending in door
Our guide knocked and then ushered
us into the professors bedroom.
1t was very large chamber lined
with innumerable volumes, which had
overlooked from the shelves and lay In