Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-12
The Adventure of the Three Students
No. g of the Series

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 1t was a small pyramid of black. puttylike stuff, exactly like the one upon the table of the study. Holmes held it out on his open palm in the glare of the electric light.
 Your visitor seems to have left traces in your bedroom as well as in your sitting room, MT. Soames. What could be have wanted rnere7 2 "I think it is clear enough. You came back by an unexpected way, and 50 he had, no warning until you were at sthe very door What could he do: He taught up everything which would be- tray him, and he rushed into your bed room to conceal himself" Good gracious, Mir. Holmes, do you mean to tell me that all tue time was talking to Bannister in this room we had .he man prisoner if we had only Known it?' ztI Eae.+ t@4f | So read it." .-s Surely there is another alternative, MT. Holmes I don't know whether you observed my bedroom window" Lattice paned, lead framework. three separate windows, one swinging on hinge and large enough to admit man."
 l! Exactly. And it looks out on an angle of the courtyard so as to be partly invisible. The man might have effected his entrance there, left traces as he passed through the bedroom, and finally, finding the door open, have es- caped that way"
 Holmes shook his head impatiently. Let us be practical" said he. T understand you to say that there are three students who use this stair and are in the habit of passing your door" .J "Yes. there are"s h52Id HsS t%= And they are all in for this examina- tion?'
 "Yes.'
 Have you any reason to suspect any one of them more than the othersF' Soames hesitated. Tt is a very delicate question" said he. "One hardly likes to throw sus- picion where there are no proofs" C. Let us hear the suspicious. l will ~look after the proofs. -'. T will tell you, then, in few words the character of the three men who in- habit these rooms. The lower of the three is Gilchrist. fine scholar and . lox- in pirphv and the cricket team for the college and got his blue for the hurdles and the long jump. He is fine, manly fellow. His father was the notorious Sir Jabez saGilchrist. who ruined himself on the iiturf. My scholar has been left very poor, but he is hardworking and in -dustrious. He will do well.
 "The second floor is inhabited by Daulat Ras, the Indian. He is quiet, inscrutable fellow, as most of those Indians are. He is well up In hIs work. though his Greek Is his weak subject. He is steady and methodical. 'The top floor belongs to Miles Me sLaren. He is a brilliant fellow when the chooses to work-ene Of the bright est intellects of the unlversity-but he Is wayward. dissipated and unprinci- pied. He was nearly expelled over a card scandal h his first year. He has been idling all this term, and be must look forward with dread to the ex- animation
 s. Then ir Is he whom you suspect; !. "T dare not go So far as that, but of the three he is perhaps the least un- likely"
 Exactly. Now. Mir. soames. let US have a look at your servant. Bannis- ter,
 Re was a little. white faced. clean .shaven. grizzly haired fellow of fifty He was still suffering from this sud den disturbance of the quiet routine Q: his life. His plump face was twitchins with his nervousness. and his fnger' could not keep still.
 We are investigating this unhappy business. Bsnnister." said his master.
 "Yes. sir
 T understand said Holmes. 'tha' you left your key in the door:"
 "Yes. sir"
 Was 1t not very extraordinary tha you should do this on the very da! when there were these papers lnsideT'
 1T was most unfortunate. sir. But have occasionally dore the same thin; (. other times
 awhen did you enter the r0omT'
 Tt was about half past 1. That | Mr. Soames- lea tine
 How loEg did you stayy-
 "When I saw that he was absent. withdrew zt once
 ~Did you look at these papers Oa th' tableY
 .'No. sir. certainly not
 How cane yo1 to leave the key | the do5ry'
 T had the tea tray h ny hand thought I wOzId come back for th. key. Then I forgot
 -Hzs the outer door spring lOckE-
 -No. sir
 Then II was open all the tineT'
 ~1es. sir
 -Any one In tEe room c0sld ger ogty
 ~Yes. sir
 "when N-. S0a1e retz-Eed and c.lIed fer you yO1 were very much dis turt@iy-
 ~Yss. sir S9ca a thizz has zeve, happened during tle EzET years that I hsve ben here aezriy fsfnts1 ssy-