Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-08-25
By A. CONAN DOYLE.

Its a terrible business" said the
station master. "They are shot, both
Mr.. Hilton Cubitt and his wife. She
shot him and then herself, so the serv-
ants say. He's dead and her life is de-
SPARED of. Dear dear, one Of the old
est families In the county of Norfolk
and one of the most honoredw
Without word Holmes hurried to a
carriage, and during the long seven
mile drive he never opened his mouth,
Seldom have seen him so utterly de.
spondent He had been uneasy during
all our journey from town, and l had
observed that he had turned over the
morning papers with anxious attention,
but now this sudden realization of his
worst fears left him in blank melan-
choly. He leaned back in his seat, lost
IN gloomy speculation, Yet there was
much around to interest us, for we
were passing through as singular a
countryside as any in England, where
g few scattered cottages represented
the population Of today. while on ev-
cry hand enormous square lowered
CHURCHES bristled up from the fiat,
green landscape and told of the glory
and prosperity Of old East Anglia, At
last the Violet rim of the German
ocean appeared over the green edge of
the Norfolk coast, and the driver point
ed with his whip to two old brick and
timber gables which projected from a
grove Of trees. "That's Riding Thorpe
Manor" said he.
AS we drove up to the porticoed front
door observed in front of 1t, beside the
tennis lawn. the black tool house and
the pedestaled sundial with which we
had such strange associations. A dap
per little man, with quick, alert
1 manner and waxed mustache, had
Just descended from a high dogcart.
He introduced himself as Inspector
! Martin Of the Norfolk constabulary,
and he was considerably astonished
when he heard the name of nv COM
panion.
why, Mr.. Holmes, the crime was
only committed at 8 this morning. How
could you hear Of it in London and get
to the spot as soon as II"
Il anticipated it. came in the hope
Of preventing It,"
@Then you must have important eyi,
dence of which we are ignorant for
they We're said to be most united
couple"
II have only the evidence of the dane
Ing men," said Holmes. IT will ex-
plain the matter to yon later. Mean
while, since it is too late to prevent this
tragedy, am very anxious that /
should use the knowledge which ! pos
sess in order to insure that justice be
aaanae e: Will you associate me in your
investigation or will you prefer that
should act Independently
y should be proud to feel that we
were acting together, Mr.. Holmes"
said the inspector earnestly.
"lp that case should be glad to hear
the evidence and to examine the prem
ises without an instant Of unnecessary
delay"
Inspector Martin had the good sense
to allow my friend to do things In his
own fashion and contented himself
with carefully noting the results, The
local surgeon, an old. white haired
Han. had Just come down from. Mrs.
Hilton Cubitt's room, and he reported
that her injuries were serious, but not
necessarily fatal. The bullet had
passed through the front of her brain,
and 1t would probably be some time be-
fore she could regain consciousness.
On the question Of whether she had
. ar ho hNt hn,.c SOLE I,
not venture to express any decided
opinion. Certainly the bullet had been
discharged at very close quarters.
There was only the one pistol found In
the room, two barrels of which had
been emptied, Mr.. Hilton Cubitt had
been shot through the heart. 1t was
equally conceivable that he had shot
her and then himself or that she had
been the criminal, for the revolver lay
upon the floor midway between them.
"Has he been moved" asked Holmes.
1--WE have moved nothing except the
lady. We could not leave her lying
wounded upon the floor"
"How long have you been here, doc.
tori"
"Since o'clock"
"Any one else?'
Yves. the constable here"
"And you have touched nothing2a
ANothing.a''
4 tYou have acted with great dlscre.
ton. Who sent for your"
1.-THE housemaid, Saunders"
"Was 1t she who gave the alarmi"
ashe and Mrs. King, the cook"
"Where are they now7"
sin the kitchen, believe"
'eThen think we had better hear
their story at once"
The old hall, oak paneled and high
Widowed, had been turned into a court
of investigation. Holmes sat in a
great, old fashioned chair, his inexora
BILE eyes. cleaning out of his haggard
face. l could read in them set pur
pose to devote his life to this, quest
until the client whom he had failed tt
save should at last be avenged. The
trim Inspector Martin, the old, gray
headed country doctor, myself and 3
stolid village policeman made up the
rest of that strange company.
The two women told their story clear
~ enough. They had been aroused
from their sleep by the sound Of al
explosion, which had been followed ;
minute later by second one. They
slept IA adjoining rooms, and Mrs
King had rushed in to Saunders. To
gether they had descended the stairs
The door Of the study was open, ant
a candle was burning upon the table