Rock Island Argus., 1905-07-01

a walk yesterday morning and that he
had only returned half an hour before
the tragedy occurred. could not my
self see the bearing of this incident,
but clearly perceived that Holmes
was weaving it into the general scheme
which he had formed in his brain.
Suddenly he sprang from his chair
and glanced at his watch. Two
o'clock, gentlemen" said he. I'VE
must go up and have it out with our
friend the professor
The old man had just finished his
lunch, and certainly his empty dish
bore evidence to the good appetite with
which his housekeeper had credited
aim. He was indeed a weird figure
as he turned his white name and his
glowing eyes toward us. The eternal
cigarette smOldered in his mouth He
had been dressed and was seated in
an armchair by the fire.
We'll, Mr.. Holmes, have you solved
this mystery yetE' He showed the large
tin of cigarettes which stood on n table
beside him toward my companion.
Holmes stretched out his hand at the
same moment, and between them they
tipped the box over the edge. For a
minute or two we were all on our
knees retrieving stray cigarettes from
impossible places. When we rose again
observed Holmes eyes were shining
and his cheeks tinged with color. Only
at a crisis have l seen those battle sig
nails flying.
Yes said he. ''I have solved it,
Stanley Hopkins and I stared in
amazement Something like a sneer
quivered over the gaunt features OF the
old professor.
Indeed! In the gardenr
mo. here"
Here. WhenP'
"ThiS instant"
"You are surely joking Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes. You compel me to tell you
that this is too serious a matter to be
treated in such a fashion.
Il have forged and tested every link
Of my chain. Professor COram, and I
am sure that it is sound. What your
motives are or what exact part you
play in this strange business l am not
yet able to say In few minutes I
shall probably hear it from your own
lips. Meanwhile 1 will reconstruct what
is past for your benefit, so that you
may know the information which still
require.
"A lady yesterday entered your study
She came with the intention of pos
seSsing herself of certain documents
which were in your bureau. She had
a key of her own. ] have had an op-
portunity of examining yours, and l
do not find that slight discoloration
which the scratch made upon the var
nish would have produced. You We're
not an accessory, therefore, and she
came, so far as l can read the evi-
dence, without your knowledge to rob
you"
The professor blew a cloud from his
lips. This is most interesting and in
structive," said he. Have you no
more to add? Surely, having traced
this lady so far. you can also say what
has become of her"
81 will endeavor to do So In the
first place. she was seized by your sec
retary, and stabbed him in order TO es-
cape. This catastrophe j am inclined
to regard as an unhappy accident, for
I am convinced that the lady had no
intention of inf1icting so grievous an
injury. An assassin does not come I'M
armed. Horritied by what she had
done, she rushed wildly away from the
scene of the tragedy. Unfortunately
for her, she had lost her glasses in the
scuffie. and as she was extremely
short sighted she was really helpless
without them. She ran down a cOTri-
dor which she imagined to be that by
which Shp had nn-hnfh
with cOcoanut matting-and it was
only when it was too late that she IN
derstood that she hai taken the wrong
passage and that her retreat was cut
off behind her. What was she to do?
She could not go back. She could not
remain where she was. She must go
on. She went on. She mounted a
stair. pushed open a door and found
herself in your room"
The Old man sat with his mouth open,
staring wildly at Holmes. Amazement
and fear were stamped upon his ex-
preSsive features. Now with an effort
he shrugged his shoulders and burst
into insincere laughter.
''-All very fine. Mr. Holiness" said he,
but there is one little flaw in your
splendid theory. ! was myself in my
room. and I never left it during the
day"