Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-01
"No. sir--notlling"

mus dilt. luIs,lllSsS!
"Yes. sir. There is no one that we
cannot account for
"Wcl, it's only a reasonable walk
to Chatham Any one might stay there
or take train without being observed.
This is the garden path of which l
spoke. Mr.. Holmes. I'll pledge my
word there was no mark on 1T yester-
day"
con which side were the marks on
the grass?"
"'Ihis side. sr-tlis narrow margin OF
grass between the path and the flower
bed. can't see the traces now, but
they were clear TO me then
YES. yes; some one has passed
, along" said Holmes. STOPPING OYER the
grass border. "Our lady must have
picked her steps carefully, must she
not. since on the one side she would
leave n track on the path and on the
other an even clearer one on the soft
bcd:'
Yes. sir; she must have been Il cool
hand"
saw an intent look pass over
Holmes face.
You say that she must have come
back this way"
"YcS. sir; there is no other"
"On this strip Of grass
"Certainly, Mr.. Holmes"
Hum. 1t WAS a very remarkable
performance-vcry remarkable. Well,
l think we have exhausted the path.
Let us go farther. This garden door is
usually kept open, suppose. Then
this visitor had nothing to do but to
walk in. The idea OF murder was not
In her mine. or she would have provid-
ed herself with some sort OF weapon
instead of having to pick this knife off
the writing table. She advanced along
this corridor. leaving no traces upon
the cocoanut mating. Then she found
herself in this study. How long was
she there? We have no means Of judg-
ing"
Not more than few minutes, sir.
l forgot to tell you that Mrs. Marker.
the housekeeper. had been in there tidy
ing not very long before--about quar-
ter of an hour. she says"
"Well. that gives us limit. Our la
dy enters this room, and what does she
do? She goes over to the writing table.
What for? Not for anything in the
drawers If there had been anything
worth her taking 1t would surely have
been locked up. No. ii was for some
thing in that wooden bureau. Hello!
4 SI,, a. >p
it? Just hold n match, Watson. Why
did you not tell me of this, HopSins?"
The mark which he was examining
began upon the brasswork on the right
hand side of the keyhole and extended
for about four inches, where 1t had
scratched the varnish from the surface.
II noticed it. Mr.. Holmes. but you'll
always find scratches round key
hole"
"This is recent, quite recent, See how
the brass shines where 1t is cut. An
old scratch would be the same color as
the surface. Look at it through my
lens There's the varnish, too, like
earth OH each side Of furrow. Is Mrs.
Marker there?"
A sad faced elderly woman came in
to the room.
"Did you dust this bureau yesterday
morning."
Eyes. SIR
did you notice this scratch"
"No, sir; did not
II am sure you did not, for buster
would have swept away these shreds
Of varnish. Who has the key Of this
bureau?"
1.-THE professor keeps it on his watch
chain'
rs 1t a simple key"
ono, sir; ii is Chubb's key"
every good. Mrs Marker, you can
60 Now we are making little prog
ress Our lady enters the room, adj
vances to the bureau and either opens
it or tries to do So While she is thus
engaged young Willoughby Smith en-
tiers the room In her hurry to with
draw the key she makes this scratch
upon the door. He seizes her, and she,
snatching up the nearest object, which
happens to be this knife. strikes at him
The blow is fatal one. He falls. and
she escapes, either with or without the
object for which she has come. LIS SUI
san, the maid, there? Could any one
have got away through that door after
the time that you heard the cry, SUI
SAM"
NO, sir; it is impossible. Before
got down the stair I'd have seen any
one In the passage Besides, the door
never opened or | would have heard
It,"
"That settles this exit. Then no
doubt the lady went out the Way she
came. l understand that this other
passage leads only to the professors
room. There is no exit that way?"
mo, sir"
1--WE shall go down it and make the
acquaintance of the professor. Hello,
Hopkins this is very mportant-very
important indeed. The professors cor
ridor is also lined with cocoanut mat
ting"
"Well, sir. what of that?"
Don't you see any bearing upon the
case? Well, well. don't insist upon
it. No doubt am wrong. And yet 1t
seems to me to be suggestive. Come
with me and introduce me-"
We passed down the passage which
VOC nf 4ha sn,oe lon 9th as that which