Morris tribune., 1905-10-07

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/ have got our ,'Ase-one of the most re
markable In our collection But, dea
me, how slow witted / have been ant
how nearly have committed the blum
der of my lifetime! Now, l think that
with few missing links, my chain il
almost complete"
''You have got your men?''
Man, Watson, man. Only one, bu
very formidable person. Strong as
| a lion-Witness the blow that bent thai
| poker! Six foot three in height active
as a squirrel, dexterous with his fin
gers; finally, remarkably quick witted
for this whole ingenious story is of his
| connection. Yes, Watson, we have
come upon the handiwork of a very re
markable Individual. And yet, in that
bell rope he has given us a clew which
should not have left us doubt"
"Where was the clew?"
"Well, if you were to pull down a
bell rope, Watson, where would you
expect it to break? Surely at the spot
where it is attached to the wire. Why
should it break three inches from the
top, as this one has done?'
Because it is frayed there?"
exactly. This end which we can
examine, is frayed. He was cunning
enough to do that with his knife. But
the other end is not frayed. You could
not observe that from here, but if you
were on the mantelpiece you would
see that it is cut clean off without any
mark of fraying whatever. You can
reconstruct what occurred. The man
needed the rope. He would not tear
It down for fear of giving the alarm
by ringing the bell. What did he do?
He sprang upon the mantelpiece,. could
not quite reach it, put his knee on the
bracket-you will see the impression in
the dust-and so got his knife to bear
upon the cord l could not reach the
place by at least three inches, from
which / infer that he is at least three
inches bigger man than am Look at
that mark upon the seat of the oaken
chair. What is it,"
s'Blood"
Undoubtedly it is blood. This alone
puts the lady's story out of court If
she We're seated on the chair when
the crime was done, how comes that
mark? No, no; she was placed in the
chair after the death of her husband.
I'll wager that the black dress shows
corresponding mark to this. We
have not yet met our Waterloo, Wat
son, but this is our Marengo, for it
begins in defeat and ends in victory.
l should like now to have a few words
with the nurse, Theresa. We must be
wary for awhile if we are to get the
information which we want"
She was an interesting person, this
stern Australian -taciturn, sus-
picious, ungracious. 1t took some time
before Holmes pleasant manner and
frank acceptance of all she said thaw
ed her into corresponding amiability.
She Gid not attempt to conceal her ha-
tired for her late employer.
Eyes, sir, it is true that he threw the
decanter at me. | heard him call my
mistress a name, and l told him that
he would not dare to speak SO if her
brother had been there Then it was
that he threw it at me. He might have
thrown a dozen if he had but left my
bonny bird alone. He was forever i'll
treating her, and she too proud to com
plain She will not even tell me all
that he has done to her. She never told
me of those marks on her arm that you
saw this morning, but l know very
well that they come from a stab with
a hatpin. The sly devil-God forgive
me that | should speak of him so now
that he is dead! But a devil he was If
ever one walked the earth. He was all
honey when first we met him, only
eighteen months ago. and we both feel
as if it We're eighteen years. She had
only just arrived in London Yes, it
was her first voyage. she had never
been from home before. He won her
with his title and his money and his
false London ways. If she made
mistake she has paid for it if ever
woman did What month did we meet
him? Well, ItelI you it was just aft
err we arrived We arrived in June.
and it was July. They were married
in January Of last year. Yes. she is
down in the oasaing room again, and
[ have no doubt she will see you, but
you must not ask too much of her, for
she has gone through all that flesh and
bl2od viii stanu.'
Tafyz <2Ilfg-.lI3s II 7y-s7s 57.ocIi7ai,los on