Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-10

| l.I By the window there.'
 Il see. Near this little table. You can come in now. l have finished with the carpet. Let us take the lit | tie table first Of course what has happened is very clear. The man en- tered and took the papers, sheet by sheet, from the central table. He car ried them over to the window table, because from there he could see if you came across the courtyard and so could effect an escape"
 As matter of fact he could not" i said Soames, flor I entered by the side door,"
 "Ah, that's good! We'll, anyhow, that was in his mind. Let me see the three strips. No finger impressions no! We'll, he carried over this one first, and he copied 1t. How long would it take him to do that, using every possible contraction? A quarter of an hour, not less. Then he tossed it down and seiz- ed the next. He was in the midst of that when your return caused him to make very hurried retreat-very hurried, i since he had not time to replace the papers which would tell you that he had been there. You were not aware of any hurrying feet on the stair as you entered the outer door?"
 No, can't say I was.'
 "Well, he wrote so furiously that he broke his pencil, and had, as you ob- serve, to sharpen 1t again. This is of interest, Watson. The pencil was not an ordinary one. It was above the usual size, with soft lead, the outer color was dark blue, the makers name was printed in silver lettering, and the piece remaining is only about an inch and half long. Look for such a pencil, Mir. Soames, and you have got your man. When I add that he pos sesses large and very blunt knife you have an additional aid."
 Mir. Soames was somewhat over whelmed by this flood of information. T can follow the other points," said he, "but, really, in this matter of the length
 Holmes held out small chip with the letters MN and space of clear wood after them.
 You see?"
 'No, I fear that even now"-
 "Watson, have always done you an injustice. There are others. What could this MN be? It is at the end of a word You are aware that Johann Faber is the most common makers name Is 1t not clear that there is just as much of the pencil left as usually follows the Johann? He held the small table sideways to the electric light "I was hoping that if the paper on which he wrote was thin some trace of it might come through upon this pol ished surface. No, I see nothing I don't think there fig anything more to be learned here. Now for the central table. This small pellet is, presume, the black, doughy mass you spoke of. Roughly pyramidal in shape and hol- lowed out, I perceive. AS you say, there appear to be grains of sawdust in 1t. Dear me, this is very interesting. And the cut-a positive tear, see. It began with a thin scratch and ended with jagged hole. I am much in-. debted to you for directing my atten- tion to this case. Mir. Soames. Where does that door lead to?" ahsHr
 "To my bedroom"
 Have you been in it since your ad. venture"
 ''No. came straight away for you"
 'I should like to have a glance round. What charming, old fashion ed room! Perhaps you will kindly wait minute until I have examined the floor. No, I see nothing. What about this curtain? You hang your clothes behind it. If any one were forced to conceal himself in this room he must do it there, since the bed is too low and the wardrobe too shallow. No one there, I suppose?"
 As Holmes drew the curtain was aware from some little rigidity and alertness of his attitude that he was prepared for an emergency. As mat ter of fact, the drawn curtain disclos-