The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-19

of hill. stood a long, low, stone house.
approached by a curving drive running
through the fields. Nearer the road,
and surrounded on three sides by
bushes. was a small clubhouse, one win
dow and the door facing in our direc-
ton. 1t was the scene of the murder.
Stanley Hopkins led US first to the
house, where he introduced US to bag
gard gray-haired woman. the widow
of the murdered man, whose gaunt and
deep-hned face, with the furtive look
of terror in the depths of her red
trimmed eyes, told of the years of hard
ship and ill-usage which she had en-
dured. With her was her daughter. a
pale, fair-haired girl, whose eyes
blaZed defiantly at us as she told us
that she was glad that her father was
dead. and that she blessed the hand
which had struck him down 1t was a
terrible household that Slack Peter
Carey had made for himself and il was
with a sense Of relief that we found
ourselves in the sunlight again. and
making our way along a path which
had been worn across the fields by the
feet of the dead man.
The clubhouse was the simplest of
7 dwellings. wOoden-valled, ShiuSle-
rooted, one window beside the door and
| one on the farther side. Stanley Hop
| kins drew the key from his pocket and
| had stopped to the lock. when he paused
! with a look of attention and surprise
upon his face.
Some one has been tamperiug with
| it" he said
There could be no doubt Of tho fact
/ The woodwork was cut. and the
! scratches showed white throlgh the
\ paint, as if they had been that iustaU;
! done. Holmes had been examining the
| window
! Some one, has tried to force this also
| Whoever it was has failed to make his
| way in He must have been "A very
/ poor burglar
! This is a most extraordinary thing.
/ said the inspector. 4 could swear that
! these marks were not here yesterday
/ evening
! Some curious person from the vii
! lage. perhaps I suggested
| Very unlikely. Few, Of them would
! dare to set foot in the grounds, far less
/ try to force their way into the cabin
I What do you think of il. Mr. Holmes
I think that fortune is very kind to
us
You mean that the person will come
| again?"
TT is very probable. He came
expecting to find the door
open. He tried to get in with the blade
of very small penknife. He could not
manage it. What would he do?"
| Come again next night with a more
useful tool
/ i
/ if we are not there to receive him.
Meanwhile, let me see the inside of
! the cabin
The traces of the tragedy had been
| removed but the furniture within the
| little room still stood as it had been on
/ the night Of the crime. For two hours,
with most intense concentration.
Holmes examined every object in turn,
| but his face showed that his quest was
/ not successful one. Once only he
/ paused in his patient investigation.
| Have YOU taken anything off this
! shelf. Hopkins
mo, 1 have moved nothing"
I Something has been taken. There
! is less dust in this corner Of the shelf
/ than elsewhere It may have been "A
/ book lying on its side It may have
I been a box. Well. well. I can do nothing
more Let us walk in these beautiful
/ woods, Watson. and give a few hours
J to the birds and the flowers We shall
meet you here later, Hopkins, and see
/ if we can come to closer quarters with
J the gentleman who has paid this visit
/ in the night"
I 1t was past II o'clock when We
formed our little ambUscade. Hopkins
was for leaving the door Of the hut
/ open. but Holmes was of the opinion
! that this would rouse the suspicious OF
/ the stranger The lock was a perfectly
[ simple one. and only a strong blade was
needed to push it back. Holmes also
suggested that we should wait, not in
/ side the hut, but outside it among the
bushes which grew round the farther
window. In this way we should be
able to watch our man if he struck q
! light. and see what his object was IN
/ this stealthy nocturnal visit
1t was a Ions and melancholy vigil,
and yet brought with it something Of
/ the thrill which the hunter feels when