The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09

however.
and IL had therefore not been USED
For all that, its presence has some
significance" said Holmes. However
lei US hear some more about the op-
jects which do seem TO you 10 peaI
upon the case
There was this tobacco pouch upon
the table"
What part Of the table?'
II lay in the middle. 1t was OF
coarse sealskin - the straight-haired
skin. with a leather thong to bind IL
Inside was p. c. on the nap. Ihere
was half an ounce Of strong ships To-
baccO in il.
"ExceIlentt What more?"
Stanley Hopkins drew from his pocket
q drab-covered notebook, the outside
rough and worn, the leaves dlscolofeu.
on the first page were written the
initials j. II. N" and the date 1888.
Holmes laid it on the table and eX-
amined it in his minute way, whlle
Hopkins and l gaZed over each
shoulder. On the second page We're
the printed letters &C. p. r." and then
came several sheets Of numbers
Another heading was Argentine,
another Costa Rica," and another
san Paulo,' each with pages of signs
and figures after it.
What do you make Of these?" asked
Holmes.
They appear TO be lists of Stock
Exchange securities l thought that
J. H. n were the initials of broker,
and that C p. r. may have been his
client"
.Try Canadian Pacific Railway" said
Holmes.
stanley Hopkins swore between his
teeth, and struck his thigh with his
clenched hand
What a fool have beeni' ne cried.
"Of course, il is as you say. Then j.
L fan ,1xT nj
solve / have already examined the old
Stock Exchange lists, and 1 can find
no one in 1888, either in the house or
among the outside brokers, whose
initials correspond with these. Yet
feel that the clew is the most important
one that 1 hold. You viii admit, MIR.
Holmes, that there is a possibility that
these initials are those of the second
person who was present - IN other
words, of the murderer. I would also
urge that the Introduction into the case
Of a document relating TO large masses
of valuable securities gives US for the
first time some indication Of motive
for the crime"
Sherlock Holmes face showed that
he was thoroughly taken aback by this
new development.
L must admit both your points
said he. L confess that this notebook,
which did not appear at the inquest,
Tnodifies any views which l may have
formed. had come to a theory of the
crime in which l can find no place for
this. Have you endeavored to trace
any Of the securities here mentioned"
Inquiries are now being made at the
Offices but I fear that the complete
register of the stockholders Of these
South American concerns is in South
America, ana that some weeks must
elapse before we can trace the shares"
Holmes had been examining the cover
of the notebook with his magnifying
lens.
Surely there is some discoloration
here" said he.
Yes, sir, it is a blood-stain I told
you that I picked the book off the
floor"
Was the blood-stain above or be-
low?"
''On the side next the boards"
Which proves. of course. that the
book was dropped after the crime was
committed"
Exactly, Mr.. Holmes. I appreciated
that point. and 1 conjectured that it
was dropped by the murderer in his
hurried fight. 1t lay near the door. ."
L suppose that none Of these securi-
ties have been found among the prop
erty Of the dead man?"
NO, sir
Have you any reason to suspect rob-
bery?"
been touched"
Dear me, it is certainly a very in
teresting case. Then there was a knife
was there not2'
a sheath-knife, still in its sheath
II lay at the feet Of the dead man.
Mrs. Carey has identified it as being
her husbands property"
Holmes was lost in thought for some
time.
Well" said he, at last, Il suppose
shall have TO come out and have a look
at it,"
Stanley Hopkins gave cry of joy.
Thank you. sir. That will, indeed,
be a weight off nay mind"
Holmes shook his finger at the in
spector.
1T would have been an easier task a
week ago." said he. But even now
my visit may not be entirely fruitless.
Watson. If you can spare the time,
should be very glad of your company.
If you will call a four-wheeler, Hop
kins we shall be ready to start for
Forest Row in a quarter of an hour"
Alighting at the small wayside sta
ton, We drove for some miles through
the remains of widespread WOODS,
which were once part Of that great
forest which for so long held the
Saxon invaders at bay-the impene-
trable "Weald" for sixty years the
it have been cleared, for this is the
seat of the first iron works of the
country, and the trees have been felled
TO sinelt the ore. Now the richer
fields of the north have absorbed the
trade and nothing save these ravaged
groves and great scars in the earth
show the work Of the past. Here, in
a clearing upon the green slope of a
hill, stood a long, low stone house,
approached by a curving drive run
ming through the field. Nearer the
road, and surrounded by three sides
by bushes, was a small clubhouse, one
window and the door facing in our
direction. 1t was the scene of the
murder.
Stanley Hopkins led US first to the
house, where he introduced us TO a
haggard. gray-haired woman, the
widow OF the murdered man, whose
gaunt and deep-lined face, with the
furtive look of terror in the depths of
1e M m cd fax-eE told of he re