The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-19

| 1lF OK d Hldn WHO Has IL Soll6SIlId Ieoh
before him.
My first movement, Watson" said
he, as he BUSTED into his frock-coat,
| must, as I said, be in the direction
of Blackheath.
"And why not Norwood"
Because We have in this case one
singular incident coming close to the
heels of another singular incident.
The police are making the mistake
of concentrating their attention upon
the second, because it happens to be
the one which is actually criminal
But it is evident to me that the logical
way to approach the case is to begin
by trying to throw some light upon
the first incident-the curious will.
so suddenly made, and to SO unexpect-
ed an heir. 1t may do something to
simplify what followed. No, my dear
fellow, / don't think you can help
me. There is no prospect of danger,
or / should not dream of stirring out
| without you. I trust that when I
see you in the evening, will be able
to report that have been able to do
something for this unfortunate
youngster who has thrown himself
upon my protection
1t was late when my friend re-
turned, and / could see, by a glance
at his haggard and anxious face, that
the high hopes with which he had
started had not been fulfilled. H'rr
an hour he droned away upon his
violin, endeavouring to soothe his own
ruffied spirits. AT last he flung down
the instrument, and plunged into a
detailed account of his misadyentures.
Its all going wrong, Watson--all
| as wrong as it can go. Kept DoIu
face before Lestrade, but, upon my
soul, believe that for once the TEL
low is on the right track and we are
OH the wrong. All my instincts are
one way, and all the facts are the
| other, and / much fear that British
| juries have not yet attained that pitch
of intelligence when they will give the
| preference to my theories over Les
trades facts
| ''Did you go to Blackheath?"
"Yes, Watson, / went there, and l
found very quickly that the late la
! mented Oldacre was a pretty consld-
erable blackguard. The father was
| away in search of his son. The moth
er was at home, a little, fluffy, blue
eyed person, in a tremor of fear and
| indignation. OF course, she would not
| admit even the possibility Of his guilt.
| But she would not express either sur
| prise or regret over the fate or Old
acre On the contrary, she spoke OF
| him with such bitterness that she
| was unconsciously considerably
strengthening the case of the police
/ for, of course. if her son had heard
! her speak Of the man in this fashion,
it would predispose him toward ha-
| tired and violence. He was more like
a malignant and cunning ape tn IN r
| human being said she, and he al
ways was, ever since he was a young
| man..
"'You knew him at that time"
said I.
"'Yes. I knew him well, in fact, he
was an old suitor of mine. Thank
! Heaven that / had the sense to turn
away from him, and to marry a bet
! ter, if poorer. man. / was engaged
! to him, Mr.. Holmes, when / heard a
| shocking story of how he had turned
| q cat loose in an aviary, and | was
| so Mortified at his brutal cruelhy that
/ l would have nothing more TO do with
! him.. She rummaged in a bureau,
and presently she produced photo
| graph of a woman, shamefully de-
| faced and mutilated with a knife.
That is my own photograph she said.
| He sent it to me in that state, with
his curse upon my wedding morning
"'WeIl,' said ], at least he has for
/ given YOU now, since he has left all
| his property to your son.
! "'Neither my son nor l. want any
/ thing from Jonas Oldacrc, dead or
| alive" she cried, with q proper spirit
There is a God i'll Heaven, Mr..
| Holmes, and that same God who has
! punished that wicked man will show,
| i'm His own good time. that my son S
| hands arc guiltlcss of his blood
"Well, tried one or two leads, but
could get at nothing which would
help our hypothesis, and several
! points which would make against it.
/ gave it up at last, and off / went
| to Norwood.
"This place, Deep Dene House, is a
! big modern villa OF staring brick,
| standing back in its own grounds,
! with Il laurel-clumped lawn in front
! of it, TO the right and some distance
| back from the road was the timber
yard which had been the scene of the
| fire Here's a rough plan on a leaf
/ Of my notebook. This window on
the left is the one which opens into
! Oldacres room You can look into
| il from the road, you see. That is
| about the only bit of consolation ]
| have had today. Lestrade was not
| there. but his head constable did the
i honours. They had just found a
great treasure -trove. They had spent
the morning ral1ing among the ashes
of the burned wood-pile, and besides
the charred organic remains they had
secured several diScoloured metal
discs. l examined them with care,
md there was no doubt that they
/ were trouser buttons. I even distin-
! guished that one OF them was marked
with the name Of 'Hyams.' who was
| Oldacrc's tailor. ] 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 some body
or buhdte had been dragged through
q low priyet hedge which is in line
with the wood-pilc. All that of
course. Gts III with the official theory
| / craWled about the lawn with an
| August sun ON my back, but | got up
Fat the end of an hour no wiser than
| before.
well, after this fiasco went into
| the bedroom and examined that also.
! The blood-Stains were very slight
| mere smearS and discoloration, 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 il. Footmarks Of
4 hot Ia lneu could hp made ont on the