The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03

"'You shall learn nothing from
me-, said he, with a passion such as
should not have thought was in his
nature. If you choose to call the po-
! lice, let the police find what they cam
by this time the whole house was
astir, for / had raised my vioce in an
GER Mary was the first to rush into
my room, and at the sight of the cor
onet and of Arthur's face, she read the
whole story, and, with scream, fell
down senseless on the ground. l sent
| the house maid for the police, and
| put the investigation into their hands
at once. When the inspector and a
constable entered the house, Arthur,
who had stood sullenly with his arms
| folded, asked me whether it was my
| intention to charge him with the theft.
| / answered that it had ceased to be a
private matter, but had become a pub
| lie one, since the ruined corOnet was
national property. / was determined
that the law should have it's way in
everything.
cat least said he, you will not
have me arrested at once. 1t would
be to your advantage as we'll as mine
if / might leave the house for five
minutes
That you may get away, or per-
hapS that you may conceal what you
have stolen said l. And then realizing
the dreadful position in which | was
placed | implored him to remember
that not only my honor, but that of
one who was far greater than / was at
stake; and that he theatened to raise
a scandal which would convulse the
nation. He might avert it all If he
would but tell me what he had done
with the three missing stones.
"'You may as we'll face the matter
said / you have been caught in the
act and no confession could make
your guilt more heinous. If you but
make such reparation as is in your
power, by telling us where the berylS
are. all shall be forgiven and forgot
ten
keep your forgiveness for those
who ask for it, he answered, turning
away from me, with a sheer. / saw
that he was too hardened for any words
of mine to influence him. There was
but one way for it. / called in the in
spector. and gave him into custody A
search was made at once, not only of
his person, but of his room, and of
every portion of the house where he
could possibly have concealed the
gems; but no trace Of them could be
found, nor would the Wretched boy
open his mouth for all our perSua-
sOns and our threats. This morning
he was removed to a cell, and, after
going through all the police formali-
ties, / have hurried round to you, to
implore you to use your skill in I'M
travelling the matter. The police have
openly confessed that they can at
present make nothing of it. You may
go to any expense which you think
necessary. / have already offered re-
ward of $1,000. My God, what shall |
do! L have lost my honor. my gems
and my son in one night. Oh, what
shall | do"
He put hand on either side of his
head and rocked himself to and fro,
groaning to himself like a child whose
grief has got beyond words.
Sherlock Holmes sat silent for
few minutes, with his brows knitted
and bis eyes fixed upon the fire,
DO you receive much company? p
he asked.
None save my partner with his
family and an occasional friend of
Arthur's Sir George Burnwell has
been several times lately, No one else,
think.
dc you e. out much in society,""
Arthur does Mary and / stay at
home We neither OF us. care for it,"
THAT is unusual in a young girl"
"She is of. quiet nature. Besides,
she is not so very young. She is four
and-tWenty.'
This matter, frot what you say,
seems to have been a shock to her
also
TERRIBLE She is even more af-
fected than J."
You neither of you have any doubt
as to your sons guilt
How can we have. when / saw him
with my own eyes with the coronet in
his hands
IN ri VI
proof Was the remainder of the con-
onet at all injured %
Yes. it was twisted
DO you not think, then, that he
might have been tryin"s to straighen
it,"
God bless you! You are doing what
you can for him and for me. But 1t
is too heavy a task What was he
doing there at all? If his purpose
were innocent, why did he not say
SOP"
Precisely. And if it were guilt
why did he not invent a lie? His 81
lence appears to cut both ways. There
arc several singular points about the
case. What did the police think of
the noise which awoke you from your
Sleep
They considered that it might be
caused by Arthur's closing his bed
room door
"a likely story! AS if a man bent
on felony would slam his door SO as
to wake household What did they
say then, of the disappearance OF
these gems"
"They are still sounding the plank
ing and probing the furniture in the
hope of finding them"
Have they thought of looking out
side the house,
Eyes, they have shown extraordi-
nary energy The whole garden has
already ben minutely examined
"Now. my dear SIR said Holmes,
"is it not obvious to you now that this
matter really strikes very much deep
er than either you or the police were
at first inclined to think? 1t appeared
to you to be simple case; to me it
seems exceedingly complex. Consider
what is involved by your theory You
suppose that your son came down
from his bed, went at great risk,
to your dressingroom. opened your
bureau, took out your coronet, broke
off by main force small portion OF
it, went of to some other place, con-
cealed three gems out of the thirty
nine. with such skill that nobody can
find them, and then returned with the
other thirty-six into the room IN