The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-09

thought. Our client appeared to have taken
fresh heart at the little glimpse of hope which
had been presented to him, and he even broke
Into desultory chat with me over his bust
ness affairs. short railway Journey and
shorter walk brought us to Fairbank, the
modest residence Of the great fnancier.
Fairbank was good-sized square house OF
white stone, standing back little from the
road. double carriage-sweep, with a snow
large iron gates which closed the entrance.
On the right side small wooden thicket,
which led into narrow path between two neat
hedges stretching from the road to the kitchen
On the left a lane which led to the stables,
and was not itself within the grounds at all, /
being public, tho little used thorofare.
Holmes left |us standing at the door, and !
walked slowly all round the house, across the /
'front.' down the tradesmen's path. and so !
round by the garden behind into the stable !
lane. SO long was he that Mr.. Holder and
went into the diningroom and waited by the |
fire until he should return. We were sitting |
there in silence when the door opened and !
young lady came in. She was rather above |
the middle height, slim, with dark hair and
eyes, which seemed the darker against the
absolute pallor of her skin. l do not think
that 1 have such deadly paleness in
woman's face. Her lips; too, We're blood
less, but her eyes We're flushed with crying. !
AS she swept silently into the she i'm
pressed me with greater sense of grief than
the banker had done in the morning, and 1T
the striking in her she evil
IDENTIFY woman of strong character, with i'm
mense capacity for self-restraint Disregard
ing my presence she went straight to her
UNCLE and passed her hand over his head with
a sweet wOmanly caress.
''You have given orders that Arthur should
be liberated, have you not, dad?'' she asked.
'No, no, my girl, the matter must be probed
to the bottom -. -.-..a. - . ' =
''But 1 am so sure that he is innocent. You
know what women's instincts are. know that
he has done harm and that you will be
sorry for having acted so harshly.' !. ~
.s1o,,+ h1S ~ SVro noy,fS
''Who knows? Perhaps because he was SO
| angry that you should suspect him. 81
GLOW could I help suspecting him, when
actually saw him with the coronet in his
hand?'' .-. ..~..
ooh, but he had only picked it up to look
! at it. Oh do, do take my word for it that he
is innocent. Let the matter drop and say no
more. 1t is SO dreadful to think of our dear
| Arthur in PRISON.! ,f... s&s 49,
81 shall never let it drop until the gems
are found-never, Mary! Your affection for
| Arthur blinds you to the awful consequences
| to Far from hushing the thing up, 1 have
| brought a gentleman down from London to In
quire more deeply into it, ;
'This gentleman" she asked, facing round
| to me.
"No, his friend. He wished US to leave him
alone He is round in the stable lane now =.
| 1.-THE stable lane?'' She raised her dark eye
brows. ''What can he hope to find there? All,
| this, I suppose, is he. I trust, sir, that you
will succeed in proving, what I feel sure is
the truth, that my cousin Arthur Is innocent
of this crime
81 fully share your opinion, and trust with
you, that we may prove it, returned Holmes,
going back to the mat to knock the snow from
his shoes. 81 believe 1 have the honor of ad-
dressing Miss Mary Holder. Might I ask you a
.:Pray do, sir, if it may help to clear this
horrible affair up" . '-r.
| ''You heard nothing yourself last night"'
| Nothing, until my uncle here began to speak
loudly. I heard that and I came down."
( shut no yOdOyV nd
! night before Did you fasten all the windows!'
| Yes" -r'a, s-,-
We're they all fastened this morning?"
''You have a maid who has a sweetheart?
think that you remarked to your uncle last
night that she had been out to see h1m:'
Eyes, and she was the girl who waited IN
the drawingroom, and who may have heard
uncle's remarks about the coronet' o..
81 see. You refer that she may have gone zone
out to tell her sweetheart, and that the two
may have planned the robbery -,
| "But what is the good OF all these vague
theories cried the banker, impatiently, when
1 have told you that saw Arthur with the
coronet in his hands?'
back to that About this girl, Miss Holder.
You saw her return by the kitchen door, pre-
sume?"
fastened for the night met her slipping in.
saw the man, too, in the GLOOM.
"Do you know him?'
our vegetable round. His name is Francis
Prosper
door-that is to say, farther up the path than
is necessary to reach the docr!
eyes, he did" - re-
"And he is a man with wooden leg?'
Something like fear sprang up IN the young
lady's expressive black eyes. "Why, you are
like magician said she. "How do you
know that?'' She smiled, but there was no an
swering smile in Holiness thin eager face.
81 should be very glad now to go upstairs
said he. 81 shall probably wish to go over the
outside of the house again. Perhaps had bet
, ter take look at the lower windows before
go uD.' ..-..
other pausing only at the large one which
, looked from the hall onto the stable lane. This
he opened, and made very careful exalnina-
, ton of the sill with his powerful magnifying
lens. "Now we shall 60 upstairs said he'
at last
/ The bankers dressingroom was plainly fur.
nished little chamber, with gray carpet,
large bureau, and a long. mirror Holmes Went
, to the bureau first and locked hard at the lock
(Which key used to open it!'' he asked
.'That which my son himself indicated-that
of the cupboard of the lumDerroom.
E 'Eave you it here?' ..,.- .a
srrhat is it on the dressing table, Z
Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the
! bureau. r.
D at is a nofseless lock- said ne. 'It is nj
wonder that it did not wake you: This case
q presume contains the coronet. We must have
u q look at it, He opened the case, and, taking
out the diadem, he laid 1t upon the table i
] was magnificent specimen of the Jewellerf
art and the thirty-six stones were the finest
: that I have ever seen. At one side OF the cor
a onet was cracked edge, where corner hold
E ing three gems had been torn away.
Snow Mr. Holder said Holmes, there II
d the corner which corresponds to that which has
: been so unfortunately lost. Might Deg ina
you will break it off.
e The banker recoiled in horror. Il should no
dream of trying" said he.
. ..Then WILL Holmes suddenly bent hi
q strength upon it, but without result. II fee
If give little,'' said he; "but, though an
4 exceptionally strong in the fingers, 1t woul'
' take me all my time to break it. An ordinar!
r man could not do it. Now, what do you th1nl
+ would happen If did break it, Mr.. Holder
+ There would be noise like pistol shot d.
6 | Won tell me that all this happened within
t few yards of your bed, and that you hear
t nothing Of it,"
= Il do not know what to think 1t is al
v dark to sme.
= ssBut perhaps it may grow. lighter as we 60
= What do you think, Miss Holder?''
- II confess that 1 still share my uncle's per
plexity.
o you saw him.?
= teHe had nothing on save only MS trouser
and SHIRT"
, '.Thank you. We have certainly been ia
: yored with extraordinary luck during this in
:, auiry and it will be entirely our own fault
: we do not succeed in clearing the matter up
. With your permission, Mr.. Holder, I shall nov
= continue my Investigations outside. ?"
= He went alone, at his own request, for h
: | explained that any unnecessary footmarks nigh
. make his task. more difficult. For an hour Q
rofu mo q