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

WW Waes which contain our
work. for The year 1881.
- I confess that ir is very
80 difficult Tor ME out OF
17l7 such wealth of mate
rial 90 select Tie clsg, ul.ch are most
Interesting ia them- te- anna lit tie
same lime most conducive 10 display
Of those peculiar powers for which my
friend was famous. As / turn over the
pages ] see my notes upon the repu.sive
story of The red leech and the terrible
death af crosby, the banker. Here al-
So ] find an account Of the Addiction
tragedy and the singular contents Of
the ancient British barrow. The IA
M0u- Suith-M1-tiuer succession case
comes also within this period. and SO
DO tIe eaekin. AMI arrest of Ulrct
the boulevard assassin. M exploit
which won for Holmes an autograph
letter of thanks from the French presi-
dent anl The order of the Legion of
Houac Each Of these would furnish
narrative. but on the whole / am Of
opinion thar none Of them unites so
many singular points Of interest as the
episode Of Yozley old Place which III
clude~ not only the lamentable death
of young Wiloughby Smith. but also
those subsequent developments which
threw SO curious a light upon the causes
OF the crime.
1t was wild, tempestuous night, To-
ward the close of November Holmes
and 7 sat together in silence all tee
evening. he engaged with a powerful
lens deciphering the remains of the
original inscription upon a palimpsest.
/ deep in a recent treatise upon sur
gerry. Outside the wind howled down
Baker street, while the rain beat fierce
" against the windows. It was
strange there, in the very depths Of the
town. with ten miles of mans handi.
work on every side Of us, to feel the
iron grip OF Nature and To be conscious
that to the huge elemental forces all
London was no more than the molehills
that dot the fields. | walked 10 the
window and looked out on the deserted
street. The occasional lamps cleaned
on the expanse Of muddy road and shin
ing pavement single cab was
splashing its way from the oxford
street end.
We'll, Watson, it's as well we have
not TO turn out tonight" said Holmes
laying aside mis- lens and rolling up the
palimpsest I've done enough for one
sitting. 1t Is trying work for the ewes
30 far as can make out it is nothing
more exciting than an abbe's accounts
dating from the second half of the ff-
teenth century. Hello, hello. hello,
What's thisY'
Amid the droning Of the wind there
had come the stamping Of horses
hoofs and the long grind Of wheel as
IT rasped against the curb. The cab
which I had seen had pulled up at our
door.
what can he want?" I calculated as
a man stepped ont Of It
want He wants us And we. my
poor Watson. want overcoats and era
watts and galoches and every aid that
man ever invented 20 fight the weather.
Wait "a bit though. There's the cab of
again. There's hope vet He'd have
kent IL u he had wanted rs 10 come
Run down. my dear fellow. and open
the door. fof aI virtuous folk have been
long in bed"
When the light ~ the hsu lamp fell
upon our midnight visitor 7 had no diff
fculty 10 recognizing him II was
young Stanley Hopkins promising
detective iu whose career Holmes had
several times shown a very practical
interest.
as be n.y. he asked eagerly
'CoWe up my dear SIRE said Holiness
voice from ahove. u hope Won haye M
designs upon ms such a night ds this"
Tho detective mounted the stairs. ana
our lamp cleaned upon bis shining wac
terproof. 7 helped him ont OF 60. while
Holmes knocked q blaze ont Of the logs
IN the CRATE.
''Now my dear HOPKINS. draw M
and warm your toes" sal Re. "IIoro's
a cigar ana the doctor has d prcscrin-
ton containing hot water and 81 lemon
which is good medicine or q night like
this It mus be- something important
which has brought you out in such a
gale"
1T is indeed. Mr. Holmes. I've had
a busting afternoon, ] promise you.
Did you see anything of the Yoxley
case in the latest editionsT'
I've seen nothing later than the ff.
teenth century today"
We'll. it was only a paragraph and
all wrong at that, so you have not miss
ed anything | haven't let the grass
grow under my feet It's down in Kent.
seven miles from Chatham and three
from the railway line. I was wired for
at 3:15, reached Yoxley Old Place at 3.
conducted my Investigation. was back
at Charing Cross by the last train, and
Straight to you by cabv
(Which means, suppose. that you
are not quite clear about your casef"
1T means that l can make neither
head nor tail Of it. SO far as / can see.
1t is just as tangled a business as ever
l handled, and yet at first 1t seemed so
simple that one couldn't 90 wrong.
There's no motive, Mr.. Holmes. That's
what bothers me. can't put my hand
on a motive Here's a man dead
there's no denying that-but, SO far as
can sac, no reason on earth Why any
one should wish him harm.
Holmes lit his cigar and leaned back
in his chair