Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-24

the very door What could he dot He
caught up everything which would be-
tray him, and he rushed into your bed
room TO conceal himself"
Good gracious, Mr. Holmes, do you
| mean TO tell me that all the time l was
talking to Bannister in this room we
had the man prisoner IL we had only
known it!'
80 | read it,"
Surely there is another alternative,
Mr.. Holmes. / don't know whether
you observed my bedroom Window
Lattice PANIED, lead framework,
three separate windows, one swinging
on hinge and large enough to admit a
man"
Exactly. And it looks out on an
angle of the courtyard 50 as to be
partly invisible. The man might have
effected his entrance there, left traces
as he passed through the bedroom, and
finally, finding the door open, have es-
capped that way"
Holmes shook his head impatiently.
LET us be practical" said he. ~
understand You to say that there are
three students who use this stair and
are in the habit OF passing your doorT'
"Yes. there are"
"And they are all In for this examina-
tionT"
Yes"
Have you any reason to suspect any
one of them more than the othersT'
Soames hesitated.
ut is a very delicate question" said
he. zone hardly likes to throw sus-
picIOn where there are no proofs"
Let us hear the suspicious. will
look after the proofs
Il will tell you, then In q few words
the character of the three men who in
habit these rooms. The lower OF the
three is Gilchrist, a fine scholar and
athlete; plays In the Rugby team and
the cricket team for the college and
got his blue for the hurdles and the
long jump. He is a fine. manly fellow.
His father was the notorious Sir Jabez
Gilchrist, who ruined himself on the
turf. My scholar has been left very
poor. but he is hardworklng and in
dustrious. He will do well
The second floor Is inhabited by
Daulat Ras, the Indian. He Is a
quiet, inscrutable fellow. as most Of
those Indians are. He Is well up in
his work. though his Greek Is his weak
subject. He is steady and methodical.
The top floor belongs TO Miles Nc
Laren. He Is a brilliant fellow when
he chooses to wOrk-one OF the bright
est intelIects of the university-but he
Is maynard. dissipated and unprinci-
pied. He was nearly expelled over
card scandal In his first year. He has
been idling all this term, and he must
look forward with dread to the ex
animation"
Then II is he whom you sUspect?'
ct dare not go SO far as that. but OF
the three he is perhaps the least I'M
likely"
Exactly. Now. Mr. Soames. let US
have a look at your servant, Bannis-
ter"
he was a little. white faced. clean
shaven, grizzly haired fellow OF fifty.
He was still suffering from this sud
den disturbance OF the quiet routine OF
his life. His plump face was twitching
with his nervousness. and his fingers
could not keep stiIl.
I'VE are investigating this unhappy
business. Bannister," said his master.
Eyes. sir"
81 understand" said Holmes, that
you left your key In the door,
Yes, sir"
Was IL not very extraordinary that
you should do this on the very day
when there were these papers insideT'
''It was most unfortunate. sir. But I
have occasionally done the same thing
at other times"
when did you enter the roomT
y: was about half past L That IL
Mr.. Soames' tea time"
How long did you stayT'
when I saw that he was absent,
withdrew at once"
Did you look at these papers on the
tableT'
NO. sir; certainly not"