Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-12-14

- ~ - S@io. -1lu YET YOU must
admit that the three glasses are very
remarkable, Hopkins. What? You see
nothing remarkable? Well. we'll. let il
pass. Perhaps when q mar has special
knowledge and special powers like my
W 1t rather encourages him to seek
a complex explanation when a simpler
one is at hand. OF course it must he n
mere chance about the glasses. Well,
good morning. Hopkins. | don't see
that l can be of any use to Won, and
you appear to have Your case very clear.
o Will let me know when Randall is
arrested and any further developments
winch may occur. I trust that l shall
soon have to congratulate you upon a
successful conclusion. Come, Watson:
l fancy that we may employ ourselves
more %protitably at home"
During our return journey I could
see by Holmes face that he was much
puzzled by something which he had
observed. Every now and then by an
eHor he would throw off the impress
sion and talk as if the matter were
gear, but Their his doubts would settle
DIV upon him again, and his knitted
brows and distracted eyes would show
tnat his thoughts had gone back once
more to the great dining room of the
ABBEY Grange in which this midnight
Tragedy had been enacted. At last by
a sudden impulse just as our train was
crawling out Of a suburban station he
sprang on to the platform and pulled
me out after him.
Excuse me, my dear fellow" said
be as we watched the rear carriages Of
our train disappearing round a curve.
I am sorry to make you the victim Of
what may seem a mere whim: but, on
ny life, Watson, I simply can't leave
that case in this condition. Every in
stnct that 1 possess cries out against
1t. It's wrone-it's all Wrongful
swear that it's wrong. And vet the
lady's story was complete, the maids
confederation was sufficient. the detail
was fairly exact. What nave l to put
up against that? Three wineglasses-
that is all. But if l had not taken
things for granted. if l had examined
everything with the care which l should
have shown had we approached the
case do move and had no cut and dried
story to warp my mind, should I not
then have found something more def
mite to 60 upon? OF course l should.
Sit down OH this bench, Watson. until
a train for Chiselhurst arrives. and
allow me to lay the evidence before
you, imploring you in the first instance
to dismiss from your mind the idea
that anything which the maid or her
mistress may have said must neces-
sarily be true. The lady's charming
personality must not be permitted to
warp-our judgment.
Surely there are details in her sto-
~ which. if We looked at in cold blood.
would excite our suspicion. These bur
glars made a considerable haul at Sy-
denham a fortnight ago. Some account
Of them and Of their appearance was
in the papers and would naturally oc-
cur to any n who wished to invent q
story in which imaginary robbers
should play a part. AS q matter Of
fact, burglars who have done a good
IiOh' vi ptioIllCSS ! DIS IL rune. i
too glad to enjoy the proceeds in peace
and quiet without embarking on anoth-
er perilous undertaking. Again, it is
unusual for burglars to operate at so
early an hour; it is unusual for bur
glars to strike a lady to prevent her
screaming, since enc would imagine
that was the sure way to make her
scream; 1t is unusual for them to com
NIT murder when their numbers are
sufficient to Overpower one man: it is
unusual for them to be content with a
limited plumber when there was much
more within their reach, ana, finally. [
should say that it was very unusual
ror such incl to leave a bottle half
strike you, Natson!'
Their cumulative effect is certainly
considerable, and yet each of them is
quite possible in itself. The most unu-
sual thing of all, as it seems to me, IS
that the lady should be tied to the
chair"
We'll, am not so clear about that,
ToIooH, III II is cNlucDL mat they
must either kill her or else secure her
IN such a way that she could not give
immediate notice of their escape. But
at any rate l have shown, have l not,
that there is a certain element Of i'm
probability about the lady's story? And
now, on the top of this, comes the Incl
dent Of the wineglasses."
what about the wineglasses:"
Can you see them in your minds
eyer
II see them clearly"
I'VE are told that three men drank
from them. Does that strike you as
likely?"
"Why not? There was wine in a
glass"
Exactly, but there was becswing
only in n glass. You must have no
ticed that fact. What does that sug-
gest to your mind?"
'The last glass filled would be most
likely to contain beeswing."
"Not at all. The bottle was full Of
1t, and 1t Is ~inconceivable that the first
glasses were clear and the third