The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-19
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.


 organic remains they had secured sev- eral discoloureG metal discs. ex- amined them with care, and there was no doubt that they were trouser buttons. l even distinguished that one of them was marked with the name of 'Hymans,' who was Oldacres tailor. I then worked the lawn very carefully for signs and traces. but this drought has made everything as hard as iron. Nothing was to be seen save that somebody or bundle had been dragged through a low pivot hedge which Is in a line with the wood-pile. All that, of course, fits in with the official theory l crawled about the lawn with an August sun on my back, but got up at the end of an hour no wiser than before.
 Well, after this fasco I went into the bedroom and examined that also. The blood-stains were very slight, mere smears and discolorations, but undoubtedly fresh. The stick had been removed, but there also the marks were slight. There is no doubt about the stick belonging to our client. He admits it. Footmarks of both men could be made out on the carpet, but none of any third person, which again Is trick for the other side. They were piling up their score all the time, and we were at a stand still.
 'Only one little gleam of hope did l get-,and yet 1t amounted to noth- ing. l examined the contents of the safe, most of which had been taken out and left on the table. The papers had been made up into sealed envel- opes, one or two of which had been opened by the police. They were not, so far as 1 could judge, of any great value, nor did the bank-book show that MT. Oldacre was In such very affluent circumstances. But 1t seemed to me that all the papers were not there. There were allusions to some deeds-possibly the mor4 valuable which I could not find. This, of course, if we could definitely prove 1t, would turn Lestrade's argument against himself; for who would steal a thing if he knew that he would shortly in- herit it?
 Finally, having drawn every other cover and picked up no scent, I tried my luck with the housekeeper. Mrs. Lexington is her name-a little, dark. silent person, with suspicious and sidelong eyes. She could tell us something if she would-I am con vinced of it. But she was as close as wax. Yes, she had let MT. McFarlane in at half-past nine. She wished her hand had withered before she had done so. She had gone to bed at half past ten. Her room was at the other end of the house, and she could hear nothing of what passed. Mir. McFarlane had left his hat, and to the best of her belief. his stick, in the hall. She had been awakened by the alarm of fire. Her poor, dear master had certainly been murdered Had he any enemies? Well, every man had enemies, but MT. Oldacre kept himself very much to himself, and only met people in the way of busi- ness. She had seen the buttons, and was sure that they belonged to the clothes which he had worn last night. The wood-pile was very dry, for 1t had not rained for a month It burned like finder, and by the time she reached the spot, nothing could be seen but flames. She and all the fire- men smelled the burned flesh from inside it. She knew nothing of the papers. nor of MT. Oldacre's private affairs.
 50, my dear Watson, there's my report of a failure. And yet-and yet - he clenched his thin hands in a paroxysm of conviction-'I know it's all wrong. I feel it in my bones. There is something that has not come out, and that housekeeper knows it. There was sort of sull1y defiance in her eyes, which only goes with guilty knowledge. However, there's no good talking any more about 1t, Watson; but unless some lucky chance comes our way fear that the Norwood Dis appearance Case will not figure in that chronicle of our successes which I foresee that a patient public will sooner or later have to endure"
 Surely" said l. "the mans appear ance would go far with any jury?'
 That is a dangerous argument, my dear Watson. You remember that ter rible murderer, Bert Stevens, who wanted us to get him off in 'S7? Was there ever a more mild hammered, Sunday-school young man?"
 ''It is true"
 Unless we succeed in establishing an alternative theory this man is lost. You can hardly find a flaw in the case which can now be presented against him, and all further investigation has