Rock Island Argus., 1905-07-01

lis HIes InlS gentleman speaks OF
footsteps in the grass; but. after all, it
Is easy TO be mistaken on such a
point. As to the knife. it might well
be thrown far from the unfortunate
man as he fell 1t is possible that /
speak as a child, but to me it seems
that Willoughby Smith has met his
fate by his own hand"
Holmes seemed struck by the theory
thus put forward, and he continued to
walk up and down for some time, lost
In thought and consuming cigarette
after cigarette.
Tell me, Professor Coram," he said
nt last ''what is in that cupboard in
the bureau?"
Nothing that would help a thief
family papers, letters from my poor
wife, diplomas of universities which
have done me honor. Here is the key.
You can look for yourself"
Holmes picked up the key and look
ed at it for an instant; then he handed
1t back
mo; 1 hardly think that it would
help me-" said he. Il should prefer
to go quietly down to your garden and
turn the whole matter over in my
head. There is something to be said
for the theory of suicide which you
have put forward. We must apologize
for having intruded upon you, Pro
fessor COram, and l promise that we
won't disturb you until after lunch
At o'clock we Will come again and
report to you anything which may
have happened in the interval"
Holmes was curiously distrait, and
we walked up and down the garden
path for some time in silence.
''Have you clew?' l asked at last
'.It depends upon those cigarettes
that / smOkSd,' said he. 1T is posi-
bic that 1 am utterly mistaken. The
cigarettes will show me-
MY dear Holiness" l exclaimed
show on EARTH
-'Well, well, you may see for your
self. If not, there's no harm done.
OF course we always have the optician
clew to fall back upon. but l take a
short cut when / can get ii. All. here
is the good Mrs. Marker. Let us en-
Joy five minutes of Instructive con
vcrsation with her"
may have remarked before that
Holmes had, when ne liked, a peculiar
~ III - AtieiAih6 way hiAl4 hOil4ND anu
that he very readily established terms
of confidence with them. III half the
time which he had named he had cap
tured the housekeeper's good will and
was chatting with her as if he had
known her for years.
Yes, Mr.. Holmes, 1t is as you say.
sir. lie does smoke something terrible.
All day and sometimes all night sir
I've seen that room of ii morning-well,
sir, you'd have thought it was London
fog. Poor young Mr.. Smith. he was Il
smoker also, but not as bad as the pro
fessOr. His health-well / don't know
that it's better nor worse for the Smok-
ing"
"Ah,'' said Holmes, but it kills the
appetite"
''Well, ] don't know about that, sir"
II suppose the professor eats hardly
anything"
"Weil, he is variable. I'll say that for
him."
IN wager he took no breakfast this
morning and won't face his lunch after
all the cigarettes saw him consume"
well, you're out there, sir. as it hap
pens, for he ate remarkably big
breakfast this morning / don't know
when I've known him make better
one and he's ordered good dish of
outlets for his lunch. I'm surprised
myself, for since | came into that room
yesterday and saw young Mr. Smith
lying there on the floor l couldn't bear
to look at food. Well. II takes all sorts
to make world. and the professor
hasn't LET II take his appetite away"
We loitered the morning away in the
garden. Stanley Hopkins had gone
down to the village to look into some
rumors of n strange woman who had
been seen by some children on the
Chatham road the previous morning.
As to my friend, all his usual energy
seemed to have deserted him. / had
never known him handle case I'm
such half hearted fashion. Even the
news brought back by Hopkins that he
had found the children and that they
had undoubtedly seen a woman exact
ly corresponding with Holmes deScrip-
tion and wearing either spectacles or
eyeglasses failed TO rouse any sign of
keen interest. He was more attentive
when Susan. who waited upon us AT
lunch. volunteered the information that
she believed MIR. Smith had been cut fo-