Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-09-02

L
of my chain, Professor Coram, and ]
am sure that it is sound. What vour
motives are or what exact part YOU
play in this strange business [ am not
yet able to say. In a few minutes
shall probably hear it from your own
lips. Meanwhile I will reconstruct what
is past for your benefit, so that you
may know the information which I still
require.
"a lady yesterday entered your study
She came with the intention of nos
sessing herself of certain documents
! which were in your bureau. She had
J key of her own. l have had an on
portunity Of examining yours, and I
do not find that slight discoloration
which the scratch made upon the var
nish would have produced. You were
not an accessory, therefore, and she
came, SO far as I can read the eyi-
dence, without your knowledge to rob
YOU"
The professor blew a cloud from his
| lips. ''This is most interesting and in
! structiye," said he "Have YOU no
more to add? Surely, having traced
this lady SO far, you can also say what
has become Of her"
81 will endeavor to do so. In the
first place, she was seized by your Sec
rotary, and stabbed him in order to es-
cape. This catastrophe l am inclined
to regard as an unhappy accident, for
| am convinced that the lady had no
intention of inficting so grievous an
injury. An assassin does not come IN
armed. Mortified by what she had
done, she rushed wildly away from the
scene Of the tragedy. Unfortunately
for her, she had lost her glasses in the
scuf1e, and as she was extremely
short sighted she was really helpless
without them. She ran down a corri-
dor which she imagined to be that by
which she had come-both were lined
with cocoanut matting-and it was
only when it was too late that she IN
derstood that she had taken the wrong
passage and that her retreat was cut
off behind her. What was she to do?
She could not go back. She could not
remain where she was. She must go
on. She went on She mounted a.
stair, pushed open a door and found
herself in your room"
The old man sat with his mouth open,
staring wildly at Holmes. Amusement
and fear were stamped upon his ex-
pressive features. Now with an effort
he shrugged his shoulders and burst
into insincere laughter.
Cali very fine, Mr.. Holmes" said he,
"but there is one little flaw in your
splendid theory. I was myself in my
room, and I never left it during the
day"
81 am aware Of that, Professor Co
ram"
And you mean to say that I could
lie upon that bed and not be aware
that a woman had entered my room o.
81 never said so. You were aware Of
it. You spoke with her. You recog-
nized her You aided her to escape"
Again the professor burst into high
keyed laughter. He had risen to his
feet, and his eyes glowed like embers.
You are madD' he cried. You are
talking insanely. l helped her to es-
cape? Where is she now?'
"She is there said Holmes, and he
pointed to q high bookcase in the
corner of the room.
l saw the old man throw up his arms:
a terrible CONFUSION passed over his
grim face, and he fell back in his
+l,o
case at which Holmes pointed swung
round upon a hinge and woman
rushed out into the room. You are
rightr' she cried in a strange foreign
voice. you are right! l am here"
She was brown with the dust and
draped with the cobwebs, which had
come from the walls Of her hiding
place Her face, too, was streaked
with CRIME, and at the best she could
never have been handsome, for she had
the exact physical characteristics
which Holmes had OWNED, with, in
addition, a long and obstinate chin.
What with her natural blindness, and
what with the change from dark to
light, she stood as one dazed, blinking
abol&R her to see where and who we
were. And yet, in spite Of all these
disadvantages, there was certain no
bility in the woman's bearing, gal
lantry in the defiant chin and in the !
appraised head, which compelled some /
thing Of respect and admiration.
Stanley Hopkins had laid his hand
upon her arm and claimed her as his
prisoner, but she waved him aside !
gently and yet with an overmastering
dignity which compelled obedience.
The old man lay back, in his chair
with a twitching face and stared at
her with brooding eyes.
Eyes, sir, I am your prisoner" she
said. "From where / stood could hear =
everything, and I know that you have
learned the truth. I confess it all 1t |
was l who killed the young man. But I
you are right-you who say it was an
accident. l did not even know that it
was a knife which held in my hand,
for in my despair l snatched anything
from the table and struck at him to
mako him LOT mo oo IF ia tho frI1th