Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-03

upon his face.
 Some one has been tampering with it," he said.
 There could be no doubt of the fact. The woodwork was cut, and the scratches showed white through the paint, as if they had been that instant done. Holmes had been examining the window
 Some one has tried to force this also. Whoever it was has failed to make his way in. He must have been a very poor burglar"
 "This is a most extraordinary thing, :" said the inspector. T could swear that these marks were not here yester- day evening"
 Some curious person from the vil- lage. perhaps" suggested.
 "Very unlikely. Few of them would dare to set foot in the grounds. far less try to force their way into the cabin. What do you think of it, Mir. Holmes:'
 T think that fortune is very kind to us"
 You mean that the person will come again:"
 Tt Is very probable. He came ex- pecting' to find the door open. He tried to get fin with the blade of a very small penknife. He could not manage it. What would he do!'
 Come again next night with more useful tool"
 ''So I should say. It will be our fault if we are not there to receive him. Meanwhile let me see the inside of the cabin"
 The traces of the tragedy had been removed, but the furniture within the little room still stood as dt had been on the night of the crime. For two hours with most intense concentration Holmes examined every object in turn. but his face showed that his quest was not successful one. Once only he paused in his patient investigation.
 Have you taken anything of this shelf. Hopkinsi"
 No: have moved nothing"
 Something has been taken There is less dust in this corner of the shelf than elsewhere It may have been a book lying on it's side. It may have been a box We'll. well, can do noth- ing more. Let us walk in these beau tiful woods, Watson. and give a few hours to the birds and the flowers. We shall meet you here later, Hopkins, and see if we can come to closer quar- ters with the gentleman who has paid this visit in the night
 It was past Il o'clock when we form ed our little ambuscade. Hopkins was for leaving the door of the hut open. but Holmes was of the opinion that this would rouse the suspicious of the stranger. The lock was a perfectly simple one, and only strong blade was needed to push it back. Holmes also suggested that we should wait. not inside the hut, but outside It among the bushes which grew round the far ther window. In this way we should
 be able to watch our man if he struck a light and see what his object was in this stealthy nocturnal visit.
 It was a long and melancholy vigil.
 and yet brought with 1t something of the thrill which the hunter feels when
 he lies beside the water pool and waits | for the coming of the thirsty beast of
 prey. What savage creature was It which might steal upon us out of the
 darknessg Was it fierce tiger of ! crime, which could only be taken fight | ing hard with flashing fang and claw.
 or would it prove to be some skulking Jackal. dangerous only to the weak and
 unguardedi
 ! Tn absolute silence we crouched among the bushes, waiting for what i ever might come. At first the steps ! of few belated villagers or the sound of voices from the village frightened our
 vigil, but one by one these interruptions I died away and an absolute stiffness fell upon us. save for the chimes of the dis < tant church, which told us of the prog l ress of the night. and for the rustic and | whisper of a fine rain falling amid the IOfthEe .NDiCu Ttoitu us ih-
 Half past 2 had chimed, and it was | the darkest hour which precedes the i dawn. when we all started as a low i but sharp click came from the direction
 of the gate. Some one had entered the ! drive. Again there was long silence,
 and had begun to fear that 1t was a [ false alarm, when a stealthy step was | heard upon the other side of the hut
 and moment later a metallic scrapins | and clinking. The man was trying tc
 force the lock. This time his skill wat
 greater or his tool was better. for thers
 was a sudden. snap and the creak o' { the hinges. Then a match was struck I and next instant the steady light from
 a candle filled the interior of the hut Through the gauge curtain our eyes were all riveted upon the scene within
 The nocturnal visitor was youni man. frail and thin. with black mus
 tsiche. which intensified the deadly
 palIor of his face. He could not have
 been much above twenty years of age.
 I have never seen any human being
 who appeared to be in such a pitis ble
 fright. for his teeth were visibly chat
 terinz. and he was shaking in every
 limb. He was dressed like gentle man. in Norfolk jacket and knicker-
 lockers. with cloth cap upon his
 head. We watched him staring round
 with frightened eyes Then he laid
 the candle end upon the table and dis
 n,,f.oarad yrorn our v-sr-r into oua sYs