The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-05-26

ASu
Il dent know whether you are play
ing IA game with US, Mr.. Sherlock
Holiness saiI he. IF you know any
thing you can surely say it without all
this tomfoolery."
Il assure you, my good Lestrade,
that l have an excellent reason for
everything that do. You may posi-
bly, remember that you chaneu me
little some hours ago when the sun
seemed Oh your size of the heuge, SO
you must not < u. sc NE a little pomp
and ceremony now. N ght ask you.
Watson, to 0. IN that wlndow ana tncA
to put a m",ch TO the cage OF the
straw"
did so, and. driven ~ the draft,
a coil of gray smoke sW.r.ei down the
corridor, While the dry straw cracked
ana famed.
Now we must see if we can find this
witness for you, LestraGe. Might |
ask you all to join in tie cry OF Fire?
Now, then--one, two, three
Fire" we all yelled.
Thank you. will trouble you once
again.
"Firer'
Just once more, gentlemen, and all
together
Fire The shout must have rung
over Norwood.
1t had hardly died away when an
amazing thing happened. A door sud
denly flew open out OF what appeared
to be solid wall at the end of the cor
rider and little wizened man darted
out of it Ike rabbit out of its bur-
row.
"Capital-' said Holmes calmly.
watson. a bucket of water over the
straw. That will do! Lestrade, allow
me to present you with your principal
missing witness, Mr.. Jonas Oldacre."
The detective stared at the newcom-
er with blank amaZement. The latter
was blinking in the bright light of the
corridor ana peering at us and at the
smolderng fire. 1t was an odious
ace-crafty. vicious, malignant. with
shifty, light gray eyes and white
laSheS.
whats this. them said Lestrade at
last. What have you been doing all
this time. eh?"
Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrink
ing back from the furious red face Of
the angry detective.
81 have done no harm"
"No harm? You have done your best
to get an innocent man hanged. If 1t
wasn't for this gentleman here | am
not sure that you would not have sue
ceeded."
The wretched creature began to
whimper
81 am sure. sir it was only my prac-
teal joke"
"Oh, Il joke. was it? You won't find
Take him down and keep him in the
sitting room until come Mr. Holmes
he continued when they had gone. II
could not speak before the constables,
but don't mind saying in the presence
Of DIR. Watson that this is the brightest
thing that you have done yet, though it
is mystery to me how you did it. You
have saved an innocent mans life, and
you have prevented very grave scan
dial, which would have ruined my repu-
tation in the force"
Holmes smiled and clapped Lestrade
upon the shoulder.
"Instead of being ruined, my good
sir, you will find that your reputation
has been enormously enhanced. Just
make a few alterations in that report
which you were writing and they will
understand how hard it is to throw
dust in the eyes of Inspector Lestrade."
"And you don't want your name to
Rppear?"
ward. Perhaps l shall get the credit
also at some distant day, when per-
nit my Jealous historian to lay out his
fOolscap once more-eh, Watson? Well,
now, let us see where this rat has been
lurking"
A lath and plaster partition had been
run across the passage six feet from
the end, with door cunningly conceal
ed in it. 1t was lit within by Sits I'M
der the caves. A few articles of furni-
ture and supply of food and water
were within, together with number
of books and papers.
There's the advantage of being a
builder said Holmes as we came out
HE was able to fix up his own little
hiding place without any confederate,
save, of course, that precious house
keeper Of his, whom l should lose no
time in adding to your bag, Lestrade."
"I'll take your advice. But how did
you know of this place, Mr. Holmes"
II made up my mind that the fellow
was in hiding in the house. When
paced one corridor and found it six
feet shorter than the corresponding
! one below it was pretty clear where
he was. | thought he had not the nerve
to lie quiet before an alarm of fire. We
could, of course. have gone in and TAX
en- him, but it amused me to make him
reveal himself. Besides, l owed you a
little mystification, Lestrade, for your
cha1f in the morning
/ "Well. sir, you certainly got equal
with me ON that. But how in the world
did you know that he was in the house
at all?"
1.-THE thumb mark, Lestrade. You
said it was final, and so it was in a
very different sense. knew Il had
not been there the day before. | pay
a good deal of attention to matters of
detail, as you may have observed, and
4. l..