The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-17
The Adventure of
the Golden
Pince-Ncz


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Scstysrs' lses. 3, MeciH,., Phillip . Co
Eyes said he. Il have solved It,"
Stanley Hopkins and stared in
amasement. Something like sneer
qulvered over the gaunt features Of the
old professor.
"Indeedl In the gardenT
"No. here"
"Here WhenY
"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 fashion.
Il have forged and tested every link
OF my chain, Professor Coram, and I
am sure that II is sound. What your
motives are or what exact part you
play in this strange business am not
yet able to say. In a fcw minutes
shall probably hear II from your own
lips Meanwhile will reconstruct what
IS past for your benefit so that you
may know the information which still
require
'Aiady yesterday entered your study
She came wsst 1he intention of pos
sessing herself Of certain documents
which were in your bureau. She had
key OF her own. have had an Oh.
portunity OF examining yours, and l
do not find that slight discoloratlon
which the scratch made upon the var
nish would have produced. You we're
not an accessory, therefore, and she
came, SO far as J can read the evil
dence, without your knowledge to rob
you.S
The professor blew a cloud from his
lips. 3ihis is most interesting and in
structive," said ne. Have you no
more to add? Surely. having traced
this lady so far. you can also say what
has become Of her.
81 will endeayor to do so. In the
first place, she was seized by your sec
retary, and stabbed him in order to es-
cape. This catastrophe / am inclined
to regard as an unhappy accident, for
am convinced that the lady had no
intention OF indictlng so grieyous an
injury. An assassin does not come un-
armed. Horrified by what she had
done, she rushed wildly away from the
scene Of the tragedy. Unfortunately
for her, she had lost ner glasses in the
scuffie, and as she was extremely
short sighted she was really helpless
without them. She ran down n corri-
dor which she imagined TO be that by
which she had come-both were lined
with cocoanut matting-and II was
only when II was too late that she I'M
dersto0d that she had taken the wrong
passage and tEnt her retreat was cut
on 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 moanted 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
ard 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.. Holmes" said he,
'but there is one little flaw in your
splendid theory l was myself in my
room, and never left it during the
day"
Il am aware OF that Professor Co
ram"
And you mean to say that could
lie upon THAI bed and not be aware
shat woman had entered my roomT'
Il never said so. You were aware of
it, You spoke with her. You recog-
nized her You aided her 10 escape
Again the professor burst into high
keyed laughter. He had risen to his
feet, and his eyes giowed like embers.
''Yol are mady he cried. ''You are
taking insanely. / helped her to es-
capef Where is she nOwy
"She is there" said Holmes, and he
pointed to high bookcase in the
conner Jr the room.
saw the old man throw up his arms
a terrible convulsion passed over his
grim face. and he fell back IN his
chair. At the same Instant the book
case al which Holmes pointed swung
round upon o hinge and woman
rushed out into the room. "You are
rightr she cried Ia strange foreign
voice. You are right l am here"
she was brown with the dust and
draped with the cobwebs which had
come from the walls of her hiding
place. Her face. too, was streaked
with CRIME and az the best she could
never have been handsome. for she had
the exact physical characteristics
which Holmes had divined. with, in
addition, a long and obstinate chin-
What with her natural blindness. and
what with the change from dark to
light, she stood as one dazed. blinking
about her TO see where and who we
were. And yet in spite OF all these
Disadvantages, there WAS a certain no.
bility IN the woman's bearing. a gal
lantry ia the defiant chin and In the
upraised head, which compelled some
thing OF respect and admiration.
Stanley Hopkins had laid his hand
upon her arm and claimed her as his
prisoner. bnt she waved him aside
gently and yet with an overmasterlne
dignity which compelled 0bef.ence
The old man lay back In his chaig
with a twitching face and stared al
her with brooding eyes.
-Yes. sir. / am your prisoner" she
said From where ! stood / could hear
everything. and / know that you have
learned the truth ] confess Il all. Il
was ! who killed the young man. Bot
you are right you Who say Il was ga
accident 7 ala not elen know that 4
was knife which held IN ny hand