Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-01

one. but there Is sufficient number of
exceptions TO prevent me, from being
dognat.c or from insisting upon this
point in my description. My own face
is a narrow one, and yet find that
cannot get my eyes into the center nor
near the center of these glasses.
Therefore the lady's eyes are set very
near 70 the sides of the nose. You Will
perceive. Watson, that the glasses are
concave and of unusual strength \
lady whose vision has been so extreme
" contracted all her life i sure to have
the physical characteristics of svch
vision. which are seen il tl;e forehead,
the eyeiids ana the shoulders"
YES" l said. Il can follow each OF
your arguments. l confess however.
that | am unable to understand how
You arrive at the double visit to the
optician"
Holmes took the glasses in his haQd.
''You Will perceive" he said. that
the clips are lined with tiny bands Of
cork TO soften the pressure upon the
nose. One of these is discolorcd and
Worn to some slight extent. but the
other is new. Evidently one has fallen
off and been replaced. l should judge
that the older of them has not been
there more than few months. They
exactly correspond. so gather that the
lady went back TO the same establish
Incnt for the second"
BY George, it's murveIousr' cried
Hopkins, in an ecstasy of admiration.
in my hand and never knew it. had
intended, however, to so the round of
the London opticians"
'Of course you would. Meanwhile.
have you anything more 20 tell Us about
the case!"
Nothing, Mr.. Holmes. 1 think that
you know as much as l do nOw-prOb-
ably more. We have had inquiries
made as To any stranger seen on the
country roads or ut the railway sta
ton. We have heard of none. What
beats ME is the utter want of all object
i'll the crime. Not ghost of i motive
can any one suggest"
All, there l am not in Il position to
help YOU! But l suppose you want us
To come out tomorrow"
IF it is not asking too much, Mr..
Holmes. There's Il train from CharinS
Cross to Chatham. at g in the morning,
and we should be at YoXIey Old Place
between s and o."
Then we shall take it. Your case
has certainly some features of SfJLt
interest. and | shall BE- delighted to
look into it. Wei. it's nearly l. and
we had best get Il few hours sleep. l
dare say you can manage all right on
the sofa in front Of the fire. I'll light
my spirit lamp and give you cup of
coffee before we start
The gale had blown itself out next
day, but it was a bitter morning when
we started upon our journey. We saw
the cold winter sun rise over the dreary
marshes of the Thames and the long.
sullen reaches of the river, which L
shall ever associate with our pursuit of
the Andaman islander in the earlier
days of our career After Il long and
weary journey we aIighted mt n small
station some miles from Chatham.
Willie horse was being put into q
trap at the local inn we snatched a hur-
ried breakfast, and 50 we were all
ready for business when we at last ar
rived at Yoxley Old Place. A constable
met Us at tne garden gate.
We'll. Wilson. any ?"
"No, sir-nothinG"
'No reports of any stranger seem"
NO. sir. Down at the station they
are certain that no stranger either
came or went Yesterday"
Have you had inquiries made at
inns and lodgnEs:"
Yes, sir There is no one that we
ca1pot account for"
"NVcH. its only a reasonable walk
TO Chatham. ANY one might stay there
or take train without being observed.
This is the garden path of which /
spoke, Mr.. Holmes. I'll pledge my
word there was no mark on it yester-
day"
ION which side were the marks on
the grass"
This side, sir-this narrow margin Of
grass between the path and the flower
bed l can't see the traces now, but
they were clear to me then"
YES, yes; some one has passed
along" said Holmes, STOPPING over the
grass border Our lady must have
picked her steps carefully, must she |
H0t. since on the one side she would |
ieave Il track on the path and on the 1
other an even clearer one on the soft
beIE''
Yes. sir; she must have been a cool /
hand"
saw an intent look pass over |
Holmes face.
You say that she must have come /
back this Way"
Yes, sir; there is no other"
ION this strip Of grassT"
Certainly. Mr. Holmes"
"Hum. 1t was very remarkable
performance-very remarkable. We'll.
/ think we have exhausted the path.
Let us so farther. This garden door is
usually kept open. | suppose. Then
this visitor had nothing 10 do but TO
walk in The idea Of murder was not
in her mind or she would have prOvid-