Morris tribune., 1905-09-02

Hopkins plan of Yorlsg Old Place.
nature Of a distinct impression, but the
grass was trodden down and some one
had undoubtedly passed. 1t could only
have been the murderer since neither
the gardener nor any one else had been
there that morning and the rain had
only begun during the night"
zone moment" said Holmes. "Where
does this path lead to?"
'To the road"
"How long is it?"
ga hundred yards or So"
cat the point where the path passes
through the gate you could surely pick
up the tracks,"
Unfortunately the path was tiled
at that point"
"Well, on the road itself?'
mo, it was all trodden into mire."
'"Tut tut! Well, then, these tracks
upon the grass, were they coming or
goingW
was never any outline"
"A large foot or a Small!'
''You could rot distinguish
Holmes gave an ejaculation Of i'm
patience.
1T has been pouring rain and blow
ing a hurricane ever SINCE" said he
at will be harder to read now than
that palimpsest. Well, we'll, it can't
be helped. What did you do, Hop
kins, after you had made certain that
you had made certain of nothing?
Il think 1 made certain of a good
deal, Mr.. Holmes. knew that some
one had entered the house cautiously
from without l next examined the
corridor. 1t is lined With cocoanut
mating and had taken no impression
of any kind. This brought me into
the study itself 1t is a scantily fur
large writing table with a fixed
bureau. This bureau consists of
double column of taalwers, with cen
trail small cupboard between them.
The drawers were open, the cupboard
locked. The drawers, it seems, were
always open, and nothing of value
was kept in them. There were some
papers of Importance in the cupboard,
but there were no signs that this had
been tempered with, and the professor
assures me that nothing was missing.
1t is certain that no robbery has been
committed.
Il come now to the body Of the young
man. 1t was found near the bureau,
and just to the left of it, as marked
upon that chart The stab was on the
right side of the neck and from behind
forward, so that it is almost impossi-
f1icted."
unless he fell upon the knife" said
Holmes.
Exactly. The idea crossed my
mind. But we found the knife some
feet away from the body, so that
seems impossible. Then, of course,
there are the mans own dying words.
And, finally, there was this very i'm
portant piece Of evidence which was
found clasped in the dead mans right
hand"
From his pocket Stanley Hopkins
drew small paper packet. He I'M
folded it and disclosed a golden pince
nez, with two broken ends of black
silk cord dangling from the end of it.
''Willoughby Smith had excellent
sight," he added. ''There can be no
question that this was snatched from |
the face or the person of the assassin"
Sherlock Holmes took the glasses in
to his hand and examined them with |
The utmost attention and interest. He |
held them on his nose endeavored to !
read through them, went to the win
low and stared up the street with |
hem, looked at them most infinitely in |
The full light Of the lamp and finally, |
with a chuckle, seated himself at the |
able and wrote few lines upon a
sheet of paper, which he tossed across
% Stanley Hopkins.
"That's the best | can do for you,"
said het ct may prove to be of some
lse.'
The astonished detective read the [
lote aloud 1t ran as follows:
Wanted, a woman of good address, at
ired like a lady. She has a remarkably
hick nose, with eyes which are set close
lpon either side of 1t. She has a pucker-
I'd forehead, peering expression and
probably rounded shoulders. There are
Indications that she has had recourse to
In optician at least twice during the last
ew months. AS her glasses are of re-
strength and as opticians are
,Ot MI oh ha |
In tracing her,
Holmes smiled at the establishment
# Hopkins, which must have been
effected upon my features.
Surely my deductions are simplicity
Itself" said he. TT would be difficult
Q name any articles which afford a
lner field for inference than a pair of
'iasses, especially SO remarkable pair
8 these That they belong to a woman