The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-21


short cut when can get it. All. here
is the good Mrs. Marker! Let us en-.
joy five miputes Of instructive con-
versation with her."
may have remarked before that
Holmes had, when he liked, peculiar
ly ingratiating way with women and
that he very readily established terms
OF confidence with them. In half the
time which he had named he had cap
tured the housekeeper's good will and
was chatting with her as if he had
known her for years.
Eyes, Mr., Holmes. it is as you say.
sir. He does smoke something terrible.
All day and sometimes all night. sir.
I've seen that room of morning-well.
sir, you'd have thought it was London
fog. Poor young Mr.. Smith, he was Il
smoker also, but not as bad as the pro-
fessor. His health-well. | don't know
that it's better nor worse for the smok-
ing"
"Ah," said Holmes, 'but it kills the
appetite"
well, l don't know about that, sir"
81 suppose the professor eats hardly
anything?"
well, he is variable I'll say that for
him.
I'll wager he took no breakfast this
morning and won't face his lunch after
all the cigarettes l saw him consume"
''Well, you're out there, sir, as it hap
pens, for he ate a remarkably big
breakfast this morning. l don't know
when I've known him make a better
one, and he's ordered a good dish Of
outlets for his lunch. I'm surprised
myself, for since l came into that room
yesterday and saw young Mr.. Smith
lying there on the floor l couldn't bear
to look at food. Well, it takes all sorts
to make world, and the professor
hasn't let it take his appetite away.H
We loitered the morning away in the
garden. Stanley Hopkins had gone
down to the village to look into some
rumors Of strange woman who had
been seen by some children on the
Chatham road the previous morning.
As to my friend, all his usual energy
seemed to have deserted him. l had
never known him handle a case in
such half hearted fashion. Even the
news brought back by Hopkins that he
had found the children and that they
had undoubtedly seen a woman exact
~ corresponding with Holmes descrip-
ton and wearing either spectacleS or
eyeglasses failed to rouse any sign of
keen interest. He was more attentive
when Susan who waited upon us at
lunch, volunteered the information that
she believed Mr.. Smith had been out for
a walk yesterday morning and that he
had only returned half an hour before
the tragedy occurred. l could not my
self see the bearing of this incident.
but | clearly perceived that Holmes
was weaving it into the general scheme
which he had formed in his brain.
Suddenly he sprang from his chair
and glanced at his watch. 1.-TWO
O'Clock, gentlemen" said he. "We
must go up and have it out with our
friend the professor"
The old man had just finished his
lunch, and certainly his empty dish
bore evidence to the good appetite with
which his housekeeper had credited
him. He was indeed a weird figure
as he turned his white name and his
eyes toward us. The eternal
cigarette smoldered in his mouth. He
had been dressed and was seated in
an armchair by the fire.
''Well, Mr.. Holmes, have you solved
this mystery yet?" He showed the large
tin of cigarettes which stood on table
beside him toward my companion.
Holmes stretched out his hand at the
same moment, and between them they
tipped the box over the edge. For a
minute or two we were all on our
knees retrieving stray cigarettes from
places. When we rose again
l observed Holmes eyes were shining
and his cheeks tinged with color. Only
at crisis have 1 seen those battle sig
nails flying.
"Yes," said he, 81 have solved it."
Stanley Hopkins and l stared in
Something like sneer
quivered over the gaunt features of the
old professor.
Indeed! In the gardenY
"No. here"
"Here! When|
"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.
81 have forged and tested every link
Of my chain, Professor Coram, and 1
am sure that it is sound. What your
motives are or what exact part you
play in this strange business I am not
yet able to say In few minutes 1
shall probably hear it from your own
lips Meanwhile will reconstruct what
Is past for your benefit, SO that you
may know the information which still
require.
"a lady yesterday entered your study.
She came with the intention of pos
sessing herself of certain documents
which were in your bureau. She had
a key of her own. have had an OPP
norfunitv NJ examining vours. and I |