The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-16

Susan is a country girl" said he, and you know tae incredible stupid ity of that class. I fancy that the poor fellow murmured some inco- herent, delirious words. and that she twisted them Into this meaningless message"
 T see. You have no explanation yourself of the tragedy?"
 Possibly an accident possibly-I only breathe 1t among ourselves-a suicide. Young men have their hidden troublesome affair of the heart, perhaps, which We have never known. It is more probable supposition than murder"
 But the eye-glasses?"
 An! am only a student-a man of dreams I cannot explain the practical things of life. But still we are aware, my friend, that love-gages may take strange shapes. By all means take an- other cigarette. It is a pleasure to see anyone appreciate them so. A fan, a glove, glasses-who knows what article may be carried as a token or treas ured when man puts an end to his life? This gentleman speaks of foot steps in the grass. but, after all, 1t 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 It is possible that I speak as a child, but to me it seeems 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 ann down for some time, lost in thought and consuming cigarette after cigarette.
 Tell me. Professor Coram' he said at 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 looked at it for an instant, then he handed it back.
 "No. I hardly think that it would help me" said he. 'I 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- lessor Coram, and I promise that we won't disturb you until after lunch. At two o'clock we will come again, and report to you anything which may have happened in the interval"
 Holmes was curiously dstrait, and we walked up and down the garden path for some time in silence.
 Have you a clue?' I asked at last.
 Tt depends upon those cigarettes that I smoked" said he. Tt is possi- ble that I am utterly mistaken. The cigarettes will show me-
 My dear Holmes.'' I exclaimed, "how on earth
 Well, well. you may see for your self. If not, there's no harm done. Of course, we always have the optieian clue to fall back upon. but 1 take a short cut when I can get it. An, here is the good Mrs. Marker. Let us en- joy five minutes of instructive conver- sation with her.
 I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a pecu- liarly ingratiating way with women, and that ne very readily established terms of confidence with them. In half the time which he had named, he had captured the housekeeper's good will, and was chatting with her as if he had known her for years.
 Yes. MT. Holmes. it is as you say, sir. He does smoke something terri ble. All day and sometimes all night, sir. I've seen that room of a morn ing-well, sir you'd have thought 1t was a London fog. Poor young MT. Smith. he was a smoker also, but not as bad as the professor. His health well, I don't know that it's better nor worse for the smoklng''
 "Ah," said Holmes. but it kills the appetite"
 ''I suppose the professor eats hardly anything2"
 Well. he is variable. I'll say that for him"
 'Ill wager he took nn breakfast this morning. and won't face his lunch after all the cigarettes I saw him con- sume."
 Well. you're out there, sir, as it happens, for he ato remarkable big breakfast this morning. I don't know when I've known him make a better one, and he's ordered a good dish of outlets for his lunch. I'm surprised myself for since I came into that room yesterday and saw young MT. Smith lying there on the floor, I couldn't bear to look at food Well, it takes all sorts to make a world, and the professor hasn't let 1t take his appetite away"
 We loitered the morning away in the garden. Stanley Hopkins had gone down to the village to look into some rnmors of a strange woman who had been seen by some children on the Chatham roau the previous morning. As to my friend. all his usual energy seemed to have deserted him. I had never known him handle a case in such half-hearted fashion Even the news broug t ba,& by Hopkins that he had found the children and that they had undoubtedly seen a woman exactly corresponding with Holmes description, and wearing either specta- cles or eyeglasses, failed to rouse any sign of keen interest He was more attentive when Susan who wait cd a I,o information that she believed MT. Smith had b0en out for a walk yester- day morning. and that he had only re- turned half an hour before the trag- edy occurred. I could not myself see the bearing of this incident, but I clearly perceived that Holmes was weaving 1t into the general scheme which he had formed in his brain Suddenly he sprang from his chair and glanced at his watch. 1.-TWO o'clock, gentlemen" said he. We must go up and have 1t out with our friend, the professor
 The old man had just finished his lunch, and certainly his empty dish bore evidence to the good appetite with which his housekeeper had cred ited him. He was. indeed weird figure as he turned his white mane and glowing eyes toward us. The eter- nal cigarette smouldered in his mouth. He had been dressed and was seated in an armchair by the fire.
 Well. MT. Holmes, have you solved this mystery yet?'' He showed the large tin of cigarettes which stood on a table beside him toward my com panion. Holmes stretched out his hand at the same moment and be- tween them they tipped the box over the edge. For minute or two we were all on our knees retrieving stray cigarettes from impossible places When we rose again. I observed