The San Francisco call., 1905-05-07

was QODle, u4SeluSus 4ONAA6--AA eA-~s-
my husband was not. He hated v1o-
lence. We were all guilty-if that Is
guilt-but he was not He wrote Tor
ever dissuading US from such course.
These letters would have saved nlm-
So would my diary, in which, from Day
to day, / had entered both my feelings
toward him and the view which eacn
Of us had taken My husband found
and kept both diary and letters he,
hid them, and he tried hard to swear
away the young mans life. In this he
failed, but Alexis was sent convict 10
Siberia, where now, at this moment.
he works in a salt mine. Think OF
that, you villain, you vtllatn!-noW'
now, at this very moment, Alexis,
man whose name you are not worthy
to speak works and lives like slave,
and yet I have your life IN my nanos,
and I let you CO."
'You were always a noble woman,
Anna" said the old man, putting at his
cigarette.
She had risen, but she fell back again
with a little cry OF pain.
II must f1nish." she said. When
my term was over I set myself to get
the diary and letters which. IL sent to
the Russian Government. would Dro-
cure my friends release I knew that
my husband had come to England.
After months of searching i discover
ed where he was. 1 knew that he still
had the diary, for when was In ST.
beria 1 had letter from him once. re-
preaching me and quoting some pas
sages from its pages Yet i was sure
that with his revengeful nature. he
would never give 1t to me of his own
free will. I must get it for myself.
With this object 1 engaged an agent
from a private detective firm. who en-
tered my husbands house as a secre-
tary-it was your second secretary.
Sergius. the one who left you so hur-
riedly. He found that papers were kept
in the cupboard, and he got an impress
sion of the key. He would not go far
ther. He furnished me with a plan OF
the house, and he told me that in the
forenoon the study was always empty.
as the secretary was employed up here.
So at last took my courage in both
hands. and 1 came down to get the
papers for myself. 1 succeeded: but at
what costi
II had just taken the papers and was
locking the cupboard. when the young
man seized me. had seen him already
that morning He had met me on the
road, and had asked him to tell me
where Professor Coram lived, not
knowing that he was In his employ"
Exactly! exactly" said Holmes.
THE secretary came back and told his
employer of the woman he had met
Then in his last breath he tried to
send message that it was she-the
she whom he had just discussed with
him."
You must let me speak" said the
woman, in an imperative voice and her
face contracted as If in pain. When
he had fallen I rushed from the room,
chose the wrong door and found my
self in my husbands room He spoke
of giving me up. / showed him that
if he did so his life was in my hands.
ha r \
give him TO the Brotherhood. 1t was
not that 1 wished to live for my own
sake, but 1t was that 1 desired to ac-
complish my purpose. He knew that
I would do what / said-that his own
fate was involved in mine. For that
reason and for no other he shielded me-
He thrust me into that dark hiding
place-a relic OF old days, known only
to himself. He took his meals in his
own room and so was able to give me
part of his food. It was agreed that
when the police left the. house i should
slip away by night and come back no
more. But in some way you have read
our plans, She tore from the bosom
of her dress a small packet. These
are my last words" said she: here Is
the packet which will save Alexis. /
confide 1t to your honor and to your
love of justice. Take it, You win de-
liver 1t at the Russian Embassy. Now
stop herl" cried Holmes. He had
bounded across the room and had
wrenched a small phial from her hand
'sToo latei" she said, sinking back on
the bed TOO late! / took the poison
before I left my hiding place My
head swims! I am going! / charge
you, sir, to remember the packet"
"A simple case, and yet. in some
ways, an instructive one" Holmes re-
marked, as we travelled back to town.
1T hinged from the outset upon the
pince-nez. But for the fortunate
chance of the dying man having
seized these. I am not sure that
luton. 1t was clear to me. from
the strength of the glasses. that
the wearer must have been
very blind and helpless when deprived
of them. When you asked me TO De-
lieve that she walked along narrow
strip of grass without once making
a false step, 1 remarked. as you may
remember, that it was a noteworthy
performance. In my mind set It
down as an impossible performances.
save in the unlikely case that she had
a second pair of glasses. was forced,
therefore, to seriously consider the
hypothesis that she had remained
within the house. On perceiving the
similarity of the two corridors, II be-
have made such mistake, and. In
that case, it was evident that she
must have entered the professors
room was keenly on the alert.
therefore, for whatever would bear
out this supposition. and 1 examined
the room narrowly for anything In
the shape OF q hiding place. The
CARPET seemed continuous and firmly
nailed, so I dismissed the idea OF a
trap door. There might well be q
recess behind the books As you are
aware, such devices are common In
old libraries. I observed that books
were piled on the floor at all other
points. but that one bookcase was left
clear. This. then. might be the door.
I could see no marks to guide me,
but the carpet was OF a dun color,
which lends itself very well to exam
nation. I therefore smoked a great
number OF those excellent cigarettes,
and I dropped the ash all over the
space in front OF the suspected book
case. 1t was simple trick. but ex-
ceedingly effective. I then went down.
stairs, and I ascertained, in your pres
ence, Watson, without your percetvtng