The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-08-30


discharged at very close quarters
There was only the one pistol found in
the room. two barrels of which had
been emptied. Mr. Hilton Cubitt had
been shot through the heart 1t was
equally conceivable that he had shot
her and then himself or that she had
been the criminal, for the revolver lay
upon the door midway between them.
Has he been moved?' asked Holmes.
We have moved nothing except the
lady We could not leave her lying
wounded upon the floor
How long have you been here, doc
tor?"
Since 4 O'clock"
ANY one else?"
Eyes, the constable here"
And you have touched nothing"
Nothing"
You have acted with great discre-
zion. Who sent for you?"
THE housrmNih, Saunders"
Was it Size who gave the alarm?"
She and Mrs. King, the cook"
Where are they now?"
IN the kitchen. believe"
Then think we had better hear
their story at once"
The Old hall, oak paneled and high
windowed, had been turned into court
OF Investigation. Holmes sat in
great, Old fashioned chair, his inexora-
bic eyes cleaning out of his haggard
face. could read in them a set pur-
pose to devote his life to this quest
until the client whom he had failed to
save should at last be avenged. The
trim Inspector Martin, the old, gray
headed country doctor. myself and
stolid village policeman made up the
rest Of that strange company.
The two women told their story clear
ly enough They had been aroused
from their sleep by the sound Of an
explosion. which had been followed
minute later by second one. They
slept in adjoining rooms. and Mrs.
King had rushed in to Saunders To-
gether they had descended the stairs
The door Of the study was open, and
candle was burning upon the table.
Their master lay upon his face in the
center of the room. He was quite
dead. Near the window his wife was
crouching, her head leaning against
the wall She was horribly wounded.
and the side of her face was red with
blood She breathed heavily. but was
incapable Of saying anything The
passage os we'll as the room was full
Of smoke and the smell Of powder
The window was certainly shut and
Fastened upon the inside. Both wo-
men were positive upon the point
They had at once sent for the doctor
and for the constable Then, with the
aid of the groom and the stable boy
they had conveyed their injured mis-
tress to her room. Both she and her
husband had occupied the bed. She
was clad in her dress, he in his dress
ing gown. over his night clothes Moth
ing had been moved in the study SO
far as they knew. there had never been
any quarrel between husband and wife
They had always looked upon them as
a very united couple.
These were the main points Of the
spector Martin they We're clear t ev-
cry door was fastened upon the inside
and that no one could have escaped
from the house. In answer to Holmes
they both remembered that they were
conscious Of the smell Of powder from
the moment that they ran out Of their
rooms upon the top floor. 81 commend
that fact very carefully to your atten-
tion," said Holmes to his professional
colleague And now think that we
are in position to undertake a thor
ougIl examination of the room"
The study proved to be a small cham
and with a writing table facing an or
binary window. which looked out upon
the garden Our first attention was
given to the body Of the unfortunate
squire, whose huge frame lay stretch
ed across the room. His disordered
dress showed that he had been hastily
aroused from sleep. The bullet had
been fired at him from the front and
had remained In his body after pene-
trating the heart. His death had GER
tainly been instantaneous and painless.
There was no powder marking either
upon his dressing gown or on his
hands. According to the country sur
geon. the lady had stains upon her
face, but none upon her hand