Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15


reward, my husband betrayed his own wife
and his companions Yes, we were all ar
rested upon his confession. Some OF US
found way to the gallows, and some to
Siberia. / was among these last. but my
term not for life My husband came
to England with his ill-gotten gains. ana
has lived in quiet ever since knowing well
that if the brotherhood knew where he was
not week would pass before justice wouio
be done
The old man reached out trembl ng
hand. and helped himself to a cigarette
Il am in your hands, Anna. sald ne.
You were always good TO me-
II have not yet told you the helght Oh
his villainy." said she. Among our com
rades of the. order there was one who was
the friend of my heart. He was noble, UNI
selfish Ioving-al that my husband was
not He hated violence. We were all guilty
If that is guilt-but he was not. He
wrote forever disturbing us from such
course. These letters would have saved
him So would my AIRY, in which from
day to day. l had entered both my feelings
toward him and the view which each of us
had taken. My husband found and kept
both diary and letters. He hid them, and
he tried hard to swear away the young
mans life. In this he failed. but Alexis
was sent convict to Siberia. where now,
"a this moment, he works in salt mine
Think of that. you villain, you v.llain!-
now, now, at this very moment, Alexis
man whose name you not worthy to
speak. works and lives like slave, and
yet l have your life in my hands, and L
let you CO.
You were always a noble woman Anna"
said the old man. putting at his cigarette
She had risen, but she fell back again
with little cry of pain
II must finish" she said. when my
term was over | set myself to get the diary
and letters which. II sent TO the Russian
government would procure my friends re-
lease. l knew that my husband had come
to England. After months of searching L
discovered where he was. | knew that he
still had the diary, for when l was in
Siberia l had letter from him once. re-
preaching me and quoting some passages
from its pages Yet | was sure that, with
his revengefu nature, he would never give
it to me of his own free will l must get
it for myself. With this object l engaged
an agent from private detective firm who
entered my husbands house as secretary
it was your second secretary, Sergius, the
one who left you so hurriedly. He found
that papers were kept in the cupboard, and
he got an impression of the key He would
not go farther. He furnished me with a
plan of the house, and he told that in
the forenoon the study was always empty,
as the secretary was employed up here. So
at last l took my courage in both hands,
and / came down to get the papers for
myself / succeeded; but at what cost!
Il had just taken the papers and was
locking the cupboard. when the young man
seized me. / had seen him already that
morning. He had met me on the road, and
l had asked him to tell me where Prof
Coram lived, not knowing that he was in
his employ
EXACTLY! exactly.' said Holmes. The
ployer of the woman he had met. Then
in his last breath. he tried to send mes
sage that it was she-the she whom he had
just discussed with him.
You must let me speak, said the wom-
an, in an imperative voice, and her face
contracted as if in pain. When he had
fallen | rushed from the room, chose the
wrong door. and found myself in my hus-
bands ROOM He spoke of giving up.
| showed him that if he did so, his life was
in my hands. If he gave me to the law
DIV to ha lV~fAr f1sAr~ItT,
was not that | wished to live for my own
sake, but it was that / desired to accom-
plish my purpose. He knew that 1 would
do what | said-that his own fate was in
volved in mine. For that reason. and for |
other, he shielded me. He thrust me
into that dark hiding place-a relic of old |
days, known only to himself. He took his |
meals in his own room, and so was able to |
give me part of his food 1t was agreed |
that when the police left the house l should |
slip away by night and come back no more. |
But in some way you have read our plans"
She tore from the bosom of her dress a
small packet. These are my last words
said she; here is the packet which will
save Alexis. l conftde il to your honor and
to your love of justice. Take it! You will
deliver it at the Russian embassy. Now
have done my duty, and
Stop herr cried Holmes. He had
bounded across the room and had wrenched
a small phial from her hand
Too late she said sinking back on the
bed. Too late! l took the poison before
l left my hiding place My head swms!
l am going! charge you sir, to remem-
Der the packet
"A simple case and yet. in some ways,
instructive one" Holmes remarked, as
W. travelled back TO town. 1T hinged from
the outset upon the pince-neZ. But for the
fortunate chance of the diving man having
seized these l am not sure that could
ever have reached our solution. 1t was
clear to me- from the strength of the
glasses, that the wearer must have been
very blind and helpless when deprived of
them. When you asked me to believe that
she walked along a narrow strip of grass
without once making a false step, L re-
marked, as you may remember, that it was
a noteworthy performance. In my mind |
set 1t down as an impossible performance
save In the unlikely case that she had a
second pair of glasses. | was forced, there
fore. TO seriously consider the hypothesis
that she had remained within the house
On perceiving the similarity of the two cor
ridors. it became clear that she might very
easily have made such mistake and, in
that case, it was evident that she must
have entered the professors room. l was
keenly on the alert. therefore, for whatever
would bear out this supposition and l ex-
amined the room narrowly for anything in
the shape of a hiding place. The CARPET
seemed continuous and firmly nailed, so |
dismissed the idea of a trap door. There
might well be recess behind the books.
As you are aware, such devices are COM
mon in old libraries. l observed that books
were piled on the floor at all other points
but that one bookcase was left clear This,
then, might be the door. | could see no
marks to guide me. but the carpet was of
dun color, which lends itself very we'll to
examination. I therefore smoked a great
number of those excellent cigarettes and
1 dropped the ash all over the space in
front of the suspected bookcase 1t was a
simple trick. but exceedingly effective l
then went downstairs. and l ascertained in
your presence. Watson, without your per-
celving the drift of my remarks, that Prof.
Ccram's consumption of food had increased
-as one would expect when he is supply
ing a second person We then assembled
to the room again, when. by upsetting the
cigarette box, obtained a very excellent
view of the floor. and was able to see quite
clearly. from the traces upon the cigarette
ash, that the prisoner had in our absence
come out from her retreat. Well HOPKINS
here we are at Charing Cross, and / con-
graduate you on having brought your case
TO successful conclusion. You are going
to headquarters. no doubt l think Wat
son, you and 1 will drive together to the
Russian embassy