The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-14

- ter caused Mir. Sherlock
sS6zMSRAV Holmes aud myself to
k&9GgZ spend some weeks in one
- of our great university
towns, and it was during this time that
the small but instructive adventure
which / am about 10 relate befci us.
1t viii be obvious that any details
which would help the reader TO exact
~ identify the college or the criminal
would he iniudiciouS ANA offensive So
painful a scandal may we'll be allowed
10 die out. With due discretion the in
cldent itself may however, be describ-
ed, since it serves to Illustrate some Of
those qualities for which my friend
was remarkable. | will endeayor in
my statement to avoid such terms as
would serve to limit the events to any
particular place or give clew as TO
the people concerned.
We We're residing at the time in fur
nlshed lodgings close TO a library where
Sherlock Holmes was pursuing some
laborious researches in early English
charters-researches which led TO re-
suits so striking that they may he the
subject of one of my future narratives.
Here it was that one evening we re-
ceived a visit from an acquaintance,
Mr.. Hilton Soames, tutor and lecturer
at the College of st. Luke's. Mr.. Soames
was tall, spare man, of nervous and
excitable temperament. l had always
known him to be restless in his man
ner. but on this particular occasion he
was in such a state of uncomfortable
agitation that it was clear something
very unusual had occurred
81 trust, Mr. Holmes, that you can
spare me a few hours of your valuable
time. We have had a very painful in
cident ut St Luke's. and really, but
for the happy chance of your being in
town, | should have been at loss
what to do
Il am very busy just now, and l de-
sire no distractions my friend an
swered. Il should much prefer that
you called in the aid of the police"
"No, no, my dear sir; such course
is utterly impossible. When once the
law is evoked it cannot be stayed
again, and this is just one of those
cases where, for the credit of the col
lege, it is most essential to avoid scan
DIAL. Your discretion is as well known
as your powers, and you are the one
man in the world who can help me-
/ beg you, Mr.. Holmes, to do what you
can"
My friends temper had not improv-
ed since he had been deprived of the
congenial surroundings of Baker
street. Without his scrapbook. his
chemicals and his homely untidiness
he was an uncomfortable man. He
shrugged his shoulders in ungracious
acquiescence, while our visitor in hur-
ried words and with much excitable
gesticulation poured forth his story
Il must explain to you. Mr.. Holmes.
that tomorrow is the first day of the
examination for the Fortescue scholar
ship. l am one of the examiners. My
subject is Greek. and the first of the
papers consists of a large passage of
Greek translation which the candidate
has not seen, This passage is printed
on the examination paper, and 1t
would naturally be an immense ad-
vantage if the candidate could prepare
1t in advance. For this reason great
care is taken to keep the paper secret.
To-day about o'clock the proofs
OF this paper arrived from the printers.
The exercise consists of half a chapter
OF Thucydides. l had to read II over
carefully, as the text must be abso-
lutely correct. At 4:30 my task was
not yet completed. | had, however,
promised to take tea in a friends
rooms so | left the proof upon my
desk. / was absent more than an hour.
You are aware, Mr. Holmes, that
our college doors are double-a green
baize one within and a heavy oak one
without? As | approached my outer
door | was amazed to see a key in it.
For an instant I imagined that l had
left my own there but on feeling In my
pocket l found that it was all right.
The only duplicate which existed, so
far as | knew. was that which belonged
TO my servant, Bannister, a man who
has looked after my room for ten years
and whose honesty is absolutely above
suspicion. | found that the key was
indeed his, that he had entered my
room to know if | wanted tea and that
be had very carelessly left the key in
the door when he came out His visit
to my room must have been within a
very few minutes of my leaving it. His
forgetfulness about the key would have
mattered little upon any other occa-
sion, but on this one day it has pro-
duced the most deplorable conse-
quences.
"The moment / looked at my table /
was aware that some one had rum
mayed among my papers. The proof
was in three long slips. / had left
them all together. Now / found that
one of them was lying on the floor, one
was on the side table near the window |
and the third was where had left It," !
Holmes stirred for the first time.
'sThe first page on the floor, the sec
ond in the window, the third where you
left it," said he.
EXACTLY, Mr.. Holmes. You amaze
me. How could you possibly know
thatY'
pray continue your very interesting
statement"
"For an instant imagined that Ban
mister had taken the objectionable lib
erty Of examining my papers. He de-
ripd II howpver with fha utmost coz.