The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-07
The Adventure
of the
Second Stain.
By A. CONAN DOYLE.


That's clear enough, for the stains
lie above each other-if you Law ii over
THIS way But what | want to know
Is, VINO shifted the carpet, and why?,'
could see from Holmes rigid face
1hat he was vibrating with inward ex
element
Look here, Lestrade," said he, has
tnat constable in the passage been in
charge of the place all the timer
Yes he has,
Well take my advice. Examine
INN carefully Don't do 1t before US.
Well wait here. You take him int
the back room. You'll be more likely
TO get a confession out of him alone.
ASK MIN how he dared to admit peo-
PIE ana leave them alone in this room
Don ask him If he has done 1t. Take
1t for granted. Tell him Won know
some one has been here. Press him.
Tell him that a full confession Is his
only chance of forgiveness. Do ex-
actly what tell your
BY George. IL he knows I'll have
1t out of him." cried Lestrade He
darted into the hall, and a few mo-
ments later his bullying voice sounded
from the back ROOM
Now Watson, now!' cried Holme.
with frenzied eagerness All the
demoniacal force of the man masked
behind that listless manner burst ont
in paroxyism of energy. He tore the
drugget from the floor and in an in
slant was down on his hands and
knees clawing at each of the squares
of wood beneath it, One turned side
ways as he dug his nails into the
ed. e of it. 1t hinged back like the lid
of box. small black cavity opened
be- leth it. Holmes plunged his eager
ha.id into 1t, and drew 1t out with a
bitter snarl of anger and disappoint-
ment. 1t was empty
Quick. Watson. quick, Get IT back
again. The wooden lid was replaced,
and the drugget had only just been
drawn straight when Lestrades voice
was heard in the passage. He found
Holmes leaning languidly against the
mantelpiece, resigned and patient, en-
deavouring to conceal his irrepressible
yawns
Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr.
Holmes. l can see that you are bored
to death with the whole affair. WE'LL
he has confessed. all right. Come in
here, Macpherson. Let these gentle
men hear of your most inexcusable
conduct"
The big constable. very hot and PEN
itent, sided into the room.
II meant no harm, sir, I'm sure.
4
last evening-mistook the house, she
did. And then we got talking. It's
lonesome, when you're on duty here
all day."
We'll what happened Them
'.She wanted to !. where the crime
was done-had re- about 1t in the
papers, she said She was a very re-
spectacle, well-spoken young woman,
sir. and / saw no harm in letting her
have a peep When she saw that
mark on the carpet. down she dropped
on the floor, and lay as if she were
dead | ran to the back and got some
water, but l could not bring her to.
Then 1 went round the corner to the
Ivy Plant for some brandy, and by
the time l had brought it back the
young woman had recovered and was
off-ashamed of herself, daresay, and
dared not face me-"
How about moving that drugget?
well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, GER
tainly, when | came back. You see,
she fell on it and it lies on a polished
floor with nothing to keep it In place.
| Strengthened 1t out afterward'
Its a lesson to you that you can't
deceive me, Constable MACPHERSON
said Lestrade, with dignity. NO
doubt you thought that your breach
of duty could never be discovered,
and vet a mere glance at that drug
get was enough to convince me that
someone had been admitted to the
ROOM It's lucky for you my man,
that nothing is missing, or you would
find yourself in Queer street. m
sorry to have called you down over
such a petty business. Mr.. Holmes,
but | thought the point of the second
stain not corresponding with the first
would interest YOU"
Certainly. 1t was most interesting.
Has thiS woman only been here once,
constable?"
Eyes, sir, only once
who was she?"
Don't know the name. sir. was
answering an advertisement about
typewriting. and came to the wrong
number-very pleasant, genteel young
woman. sir"
Tall? Handsome
Eyes, sir. she was a well-grown
young woman. I suppose you might
say she was handsome. Perhaps
some would say she was very hand
some 'Oh. officer. do let me have
peepr says she. She had pretty,
coaxing ways, as you might say. ana
I thought there was no harm in letting
her lust put her head through the
door"
How was she UreSseu
"Ouiet, SRA long mantle down to
her feet
sWhat time was it?'
at was just growing dusk at the
time. They were lighting the lamps
as I came back with the brandy
'.Verv good" said Holmes. Come,
Watson. I think that we have more
important work elsewhere"
AS we left the house Lestrade re-
NAMED in the front room, while tine
repentant constable opened the door
TO let us out. Holmes turned on the
step and held up something IN MS
hand The constable stared intently.
Good Lord, sir.' he cried. with
amazement on his face Holmes put
his finger on his lips, replaced his hano
in his breast pocket, and burst out
laughing as we turned down the
street. Excellent. said he. Come
friend Watson, the curtain rings up
for the last act. You will be relieved
to hear that there will be no war, that
the Right Honorable Trelawney
Hope will suffer no setback in his
brilliant career, that the indiscreet
Sovereign will receive no punishment
for his indiscretion, that the Prime
Minister will have no European COM
pli.ation to deal with, and that with
a little tact and management upon
our part nobody will be penny the
worse for what might have been
very ugly incident
NV mind filed with admiration for
this extraordinary man.
'.You have solved it, 1 cried.
Hardly that Watson. There are
some points which are as dark as
ever. But we have so much that 1t
will be our own fault If we do not
get the rest. We will go straight to
Whitehall Terrace and bring the mat
ter to head
When we arrived at the residence
of the European Secretary it was Tor
LADY Hilda Trelawney Hope that