Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-09-26

"Ai;d why not NORWOOD?
| Because we have in this case one
singular incident coming close to the
heels of another singular Incident The
| police are making the mistake OF con-
centrating their attention upon the
second because 1t happens to be the
one which is actually criminal. But
it Is evident to me that the logical
way to approach the case Is upon
| the first incidept-the curious will, SO
suddenly made and to so unexpect.
| ed an heir. II may 10 something to
simplify what followed. No, my dear
| fellow, | don't think you can help me.
There is no prospect of danger, or l
| should not dre:nl OF stirring out with
| out you. trust that when l see you
in the evening | will he able to report
| that | have been able to do something
for this unfortunate youngster who has
| thrown himself upon my protection"
I II was late wien my friend returned,
and | could see by a glance ut his hag-
gard and anxious face that the high
hopes with which he had started had
not been fulfilled. For an hour he
| droned away upon his violin, endeavor-
ing to soothe his own ruled spirits. AT
last he flung down the instrument and
plunged into detailed account OF his
misadventures.
"It's all going wrong, Watson-all as
wrong as it can go kept bold face
| before Lestrade, but, upon my soul. l
believe that for once the fellow is on
the right track and we are on the
wrong. All my instincts are one way,
and all the facts are the other, and l
| much fear that British juries have not
yet attained that pitch of intelligence
when they will give the preference to
my theories over Lestrade's facts"
"Did you go to Blackheath?'
"Yes, Watson. went there, and |
found very quickly that the late Ia
mented Oldacre was pretty consid-
erable blackguard. The father was
away in search of his son. The mother
was at home-a little, fluffy, blue eyed
DpFSOll, III lTelIlOl VI lSui anu 'iiNi'S
nation. OF course she would not admit
even the possibility of his guilt. But
she would not express either surprise
or regret over the fate Of Oldacre. On
the contrary, she spoke Of him with
such bitterness that she was uncon-
sciously considerably strengthening the
case Of the police, for, of course, If her
son had heard her speak Of the man In
this fashion it would predispose him
| toward hatred and violence. Tie was
more like Il malignant and cunning ape
than human being said she, and he
always was, ever since he was young
man.
"'YOu knew him at that time| said l.
eyes, | knew him well; In fact, he
was an old suitor Of mine. Thank heav-
ell that I had the sense to turn away
from him and to marry better. II
poorer, man. I was engaged to him,
| Mr.. Holmes, when l heard shocking
story Of how he had turned a cat loose
In an aviary, and was so Mortified at
his brutal cruelty that l would have
nothing more to do with him. She rum
mayed in bureau. and presently she
produced photograph OF a woman
shamefully defaced and mutilated with
a knife. That Is my own photograph,
she said. lie sent 1t to me in that
state, with his curse, upon my wedding
morning.
"'Well,' said 1, at least he has for.
given you now, since he has left oil his
property to your son.
"'Neither my son nor / want any
thing from Jonas Oldacre, dead or
alive" she cried, with proper spirit
There is God In heaven, Mr.. Holmes
and that same God who has punished
that wicked man will show in his own
good time that my sons hands are
guiltless Of his blood
"Well, tried one or two leads, but
could get at nothing which would help
our hypothesis and several points
which would make against 1t. l gave
1t up at last, and off I went to Nor.
wood.
"This place, Deep Dene House, Is q
big modern villa Of staring brick stand.
Ing back In its own grounds, with q
laurel dumped lawn In front Of 1t. To
| the right and some distance back from
the road was the timber yard which
had been tie scene Of the fire. Here's
rough plan on leaf Of my notebook
This window on the left is the one
| which opens into Oldacre's room. You
can look into 1t from the road, you see
That is about the only bit Of cOnsola.
ton I have had today. LeStrade was
not there, but his head constable did
the honors. They had just found q
great treasure trove. They had spent
the morning raking among the ashes
Of the burned wood pile. and besides
the charreI organic remains they had
secured several discolored metal disks
examined them with care, and there
was 10 doubt that they were trousel
buttons. | even distinguished that one
Of them was marked with the name OF
Hyams, who was Oldacre's tailor.
then worked the lawn very carefully
for signs and traces, but this drought
has made everything as hard as iron
Nothing was to be seen save that some
body or bundle had been dragged
through low privet hedge which Is IN
line with the wood pile. All that, OF
course, fits In with the official theory
crawled about the lawn with an
August sun on my back, but l got up
at the end of an hour no wiser than
before.
"Well, after this fiasco went into
the bedroom and examined that also
The blood stains were very slight, mere
smears and discolorations, but un
doubtedly fresh. The stick had been
removed, but there also the marks
were slight. There is nO-doubt about
the stick belonging to our client. He
admits 1t. Footmarks Of both mel
could be made out on the carpet, but
none of any third person. which again
is Il trick for the other side. They
were piling up their score all the time
aid we were at Il stanGstil1.
"Only one little g!eam Of hope did
get, and yet 1t amounted to nothing
examined the contents Of the safe
most of which had been taken out and
left on the table. The papers had beer
made up into sealed envelopes. one oi