The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-09

larry lucid 6a
II to part of my story now in which
should wish to be particularly l am not
very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety in my
mind tended no doubt, to make even less
so than usual About two in the morning, then,
was awakened by some sound in the house. |
1t had ceased was wide awake, but it
had left an impression behind it as tho a
window had gently closed somewhere. lay
horror, there was distinct sound of footsteps
moving In the next room.', slipped out Of bed,
all palpitat ting with fear, and peeped round
the corner erns Of my dressingro9m door -.
Arthur! screamed, you william! you
theft How dare you touch that coronet?'
The gas was half up, as I had left it, and
my unhappy boy, dressed only In his shirt
and, trousers, was standing beside the light,
holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared
to be wrenching at 1t, or bending it with all
his strength. At my cry he dropped it from
bis grasp and turned as pale as death.
snatched it up and examined it. One of the
gold corners, with three Of the beryls in it,
was missing. ..-.s.=.r..
''You blackguard!' shouted, beside myself
with rage. You have destroyed it! You have
dishonored me forever! Where are the jew
els which you have stolen?'
g 'Stolen!' he cried. 1'-'. 49,
Yes, you theft 1 roared, shaking him by
the shoulder. '-+
* There are none missing. There cannot be
any missing said he.
&c There are three missing. And you know
where they are. Must call you a liar well
L
off another piece?'
" You have called me names enough said
he; 4 will not stand 1t any longer. shall not
say another word about this business since you
have chosen to insult I will leave your
house in the morning and make my own way in
the world >'-
SO You shall leave it in the hands of the
police' L cried, half mad with grief and rage.
4 shall have this after probed to the bottom
1" You shall learn nothing from me- said
he, with a passion such as l should not have
thought was in his nature. If you choose to
call the police, let the police find what they
cam ' i+.' ~
"By this time the whole house was astir, for
had raised my voice in my anger. Mary was
| the first to rush into my room and at the sight
! of the coronet and Of Arthur's face, she read
| the whole story and with a scream, fell down
| senseless on the ground. I sent the house
maid for the police, and put the investigation
into their hands at once. When the inspector
and constable entered the house, Arthur
who had stood sullenly with his arms folded
asked me whether it was my intention to
/ charge him with theft. I answered that 1T
| had ceased to be private matter, but had
| become a public one, since the ruined coronet
was national property. was determined that
| the law should have its way in everything
| cat least, said he you will not have me
arrested at once. 1t would be to your ad-
i vantage well as mine II l might leave the
; house for five minutes
"'That you may get away, perhaps that
you may conceal what you have stolen,' said
! I. And then realizing the dreadful position In
which I was placed, I implored him to re-
| member that not only my; homer, but that of
| one who was far greater than I was at stake;
and that he threatened to raise a scandal
which would convuse the nation. He might
| avert it all If he would but tell me what he
l had done with the three missing stones. i
" You may we'll face the matter, said I;
! you have been caught in the act, and no con-
! fession could make your guilt more heinous. If
you but make such PREPARATION as is in your
power, by telling where the beryls are, all
shall be forgiven and forgotten 49,
! "Keep your forgiveness lfor those who ask
| for It, he answered. turning 'away from me,
with sheer. saw that he was too hard
| ened for any words of mine to influence him.
There was but one way for it. l called In
| the inspector and gave him into custody. A
1 search was made at once, not only Of his per-
son, but of his room, and Of every portion, of
the house where's he could possibly have con.
cealed the gems; but no, trace Of them could
be found, would the wretched boy open
his mouth for all our, persuasions and our
threats. This morning he was removed to a
CELL and l. after going thru all the police for.
malities, have hurried round to you, to 1mplore
you to use your skill in unraveling the matter
The police have openly confessed that they
can at present make nothing Of 1t. You may
go to any expense which you think necessary
EI have already offered reward Of &1OO0
My Cod what shall I do! I have lost my
honor, my gems and my son in one night. Oh
what shall I dO!''
He put a hand on either side Of his head
and rocked himself to and fro, droning to him
self like child whose grief has got beyone
words. '--
Sherlock Holmes sat silent for some few
minutes, with his brows knitted and his eyes
fixed upon the fire.
do you receive much company he asked
| ''None, save my partner with his family ant
an occasional friend of Arthru's. Sir George
BurnweI has been several times lately. NJ
one else, think ~ ,'
'.Do you go out much in society?''
tArfh Mary nd T STAY at hO1n
We neither of care for it.
'.That is unusual in u young girl"
''she is Of a quiet nature. Besides, she i
not so very young. She is four and- twenty.
''This matter, from what you say, seems t.
have been>a shock to her Also
TERRIBLE! She is even affected thai
II re-
"You have neither of you any doubt t.
; 'How can we have, when l saw him witt
my own eyes with the coronet in his hands: 2
81 hardly consider that conclusive proof
Was the remainder of the coronet at all IN
, jurcd?"
eyes, it twisted
''Do you not think, then, that he might hav
been trying to straighten it?' 81
T "God bless you! You are doing what 70
can for him and for But it is too heav
= task. What he doing there at all: I
his purposes were innocent why did ne not sa
sop
g PRECISELY And If it were guilty, why di
he not invent lie? His silence appears t
me to cut both ways. There are severa! siI
I gular points about the case What did tn
y police think of the noise which aWoke 20
from your sleep!'
''They considered that it might be cause
t by Arthurs closing his bedroom door,
r CA likely story! AS if man bent on fe
only would slam his door as to wake
household. What did they say, then, OF tn
disappearance of these gems7"
t 'sThey are still sounding the planking an
: probing the furniture In the hope of hndin
: them.''
e "Have they thought Of looking outside til
q house?' ar, ~ ..-..:
''Yes, they have shown extraordinary mel
gy The whole garden has already bee
: infinitely examined
e ..Now, my dear SIR said Holmes, is 1t nc
a obvious to you now that this matter reall
: strikes very much deeper than either you {
l. the police were at first inclined to think! ]
|, appeared to you to be simple case; 10 me
d seems exceedingly complex. Consider what
!, involved by your theory You suppose tha
= your son came down from his bed, went,
y great risk, to your dressingroom, opened yot
I bureau, took out your coronet, broke on Q
+ main force a small portion of 1t, went on I
:. some other place. concealed three gems out
4 the thirty nine, with such skill that nobod
e can find them, and then returned with tn
other thirty-sx into the room in which b
exposed imself to the greatest danger of bein
: discovered. ask you now, is such theor
7, tenable?''
sBut what other is there:' cried the banke
with gesture of despair. '1f his motive
were innocent, why does he not explain them
:. eft is our task to find that out replie
e Holmes; $50 now, If you please, Mr. Holde
s we will set off for Streatham together and q
= vote an hour to glancing a little more closel
into details
n NV friend insisted upon my accompanyir