The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-24

NN NH"INiA NNNU|I. IIIN LNnII
II Sir you rgill find that your reputation
has been enormously cnhanced. Just
make a few alterations IN that renort
which you were writing and they Will
understand how hard lt Is 10 throw
dust 10 the eyes OF Inspector Lestrade %
And you don't want your name 10
appearg"
"Not at all The work Is its own re-
ward Perhaps I shall get the credit
also at some distant day. when per
NIT my z-alous historian 20 lay out his
toolscap once more -eh. WatsonY Won
now, let as see where this rat has been
lurking"
A lath and plaster partition had been
run across the passage six feet from
the end, with door cunningly conceal.
cd IN Il. II was lit within by slits nn.
der the caves a few articles OF furni-
ture and q supply OF GOOD and water
were within, together with a number
Of books and popers
There's the advantage Of being i
builder said IIG.mos as we came out
Tie was able to fix up his own little
hiding place without any confederate,
save of course, that precious house.
Keeper OF his whom I should lose no
time in adding to your bag. Lesirade."
'iu take sos. gdyice Put how did
/ you know of this place, Mr. Uolmesy
Il iaade up my mind that the fellow
was IN hiding in the house. When
/ paced one corridor and found ii six
fee, shorter than the corresponding
oye below it was pretty clear where
be was. | thought he had not the nerve
to lie quicc before an alarm on hre. We
could, u course. have gone in aad tax.
en- hIpA but Il amused me 10 make him
reveal himself Besides. / owed you
little mystiacation. Lestrade, for your
chaf in the morning"
We'll, sir, you certainly cot equal
with me on that But how in the world
did you know that be was in the house
OF ailY"
"The thumG mark. Lestrade. You
said it YVES inal, and So it was I'm a
very different sense. / knew Il had
not been there the day before. pay
q good deal 0f attention TO matters of
detail, as you may have observed. and
| had examined the hall and was sure
that the wall was clear Therefore it
had been put on during the night"
"But how2"
VERY simply When those packets
were sealed up Jonas Oldacre got Nc
Furlane to secure one OF the seals 10y
putting his thumb upon the roft wax.
II would be done so quickly and so
naturally that I dare say the young
man himself has 10 recollection OF It.
Very likely 1t just so happened, and
Oldacre had himself no notion OF the
use he would put II to- Broodlng over
the case in that den OF his, It suddenly
struck him what absolutely damnlng
evidence he could make against Me-
Farlane by using that thumb mark.
II WAS the simplest thing IN the world
for him TO take wax impression from
the seal, TO moisten It IN as much
blood as he could get from pin prick
and TO put the mark upon the wall dur
ing the night either with his own hand
or with that OF bis housekeeper. II
you examine among those documents
which he took with him into his re-
treat ] will lay you a wager that you
and the seal with the thumb mark
upon H."
wonderful" said Lestrade "won.
derful It's all as clear as crystal us
you put t. But what is the object OF
this deep deception, Mr. HolmesY"
Il was amusing TO me TO see how the
detectives overbearlng manner had
changed suddenly 10 that OF child
asking questions Of It's teacher
"Wel don't think that is very hard
10 explain. A very deep. malicious.
vindictive person Is the gentleman who
is now waiting us downstairs. You
know that be was once refused by Nc
Farlane's mOther2 You don'tl J told
you that you SHOULD go TO Blackheath
first aud Norwood afterward. Well,
this injury. as he would consider It,
has ranked In his wicked. scheming
brain, and all his life be has Ionged FOR
vengeance but never seen his chance.
During the last year or two things have
gopc against him-secret speculation, /
think-and he fnds himself "a a bad
way. He determines 20 swlndle his
creditors, and for this purpose he pays
large checks 10 a certain Mr. Cornelius,
who is, ] imagine. himself under an
other name. have not traced these
checks yet. but l have no doubt that
they were banked under that name at
some provincial town, where Oldacge
from time TO time led a double exist
ence. lie Intended 10 change his name
altogether, draw his money and van
ish, starting life again elsewhere"
Well. that's likely enough
1T would strike him that IN disap-
pearing he might throw al pursuit on
his track and az the same time have an
ample and crushing revenge upon bis
old sweetheart If he could give the Inn
preston that he had been murdered by
her only child II was masterpiece Of
yillaIny, and be carried II out like a
master The idea Of the viii, which
would give an obvious motive for the
crime, the secret visit unknown 70 his
own parents. the retention Of the stick,
the blocd and the animal remains and
buttons in the wood plle-all were od-
mirable. II was net from which II
seemed 50 me. q few hours ago, that
there was no possible escape But he
had not that supreme gift Of the artist
the knowledge Of when 10 stop. He
wished 70 improve that which was al
ready perfect-to draw the rope tighter
Yet round the neck Of bis unfortunate