Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-26
"Where are they now7"

'"Then l think we had better hear
their story at once
The old hall, oak paneled and high
windowed, had been turned into court
of investigation. Holmes sat in a
great, old fashioned chair, his ineXora-
BE eyes cleaning out of his haggard
face | could read in them set pur-
pose to devote his life to this quest
until the client whom he had failed to
save should at last be avenged. The
trim Inspector Martin, the old, gray
headed country doctor, myself and a
stolid village policeman made UP the
rest of that strange company.
The two women told their story clear
~ enough. They had been aroused
from their sleep by the sound of an
explosion, which had been followed a
minute later by second one. They
slept in adjoining rooms. and Mrs.
King had rushed in to Saunders. To-
gether they had descended the stairs.
The door Of the study was open, and
candle was burning upon the table.
Their master lay upon his face in the
center of the room. He was quite
dead. Near the window his wife was
crouchng, her head leaning against
the wall She was horribly wounded,
and the side Of her face was red with
blood. She breathed heavily, but was
incapable of saying anything. The
passage as well as the room was full
Of smoke and the smell of powder.
The window was certainly shut and
fastened upon the inside. Both wo-
men were positive upon the point.
They had at once sent for the doctor
and for the constable. Then, with the
aid Of the groom and the stable boy,
they had conveyed their injured mis-
tress to her room. Both she and her
husband had occupied the bed. She
was clad in her dress, he in his dress
ing gown, over his night clothes. Moth.
ing had been moved in the study. So
far as they knew, there had never been
any quarrel between husband and wife.
They had always looked upon them as
very united couple.
These were the main points OF the
servants evidence. In answer to In
spector Martin they were clear tat ev-
cry door was fastened upon the inside
and that no one could have escaped
from the house. In answer to Holmes
they both remembered that they were
conscious of the smell of powder from
the moment that they ran out of their
rooms upon the top floor. 81 commend
that fact very carefully to " 9tten-
tion,'' said Holmes toNhis pro- ;ional
colleague. "And now I think that we
are in position to undertake thor
ough examination of the room
The study proved to be small cham
Der lined on three sides with books
and with writing table facing an OF.
binary window, which looked out upon
the garden. Our first attention was
given to the body Of the unfortunate
squire, whose huge frame lay stretch
ed across the room. His disordered
dress showed that he had been hastily
aroused from sleep. The bullet had
been fired at him from the front and
had remained in his body after pene-
trating the heart. His death had Ger.
tainly been instantaneous and painless.
There was 10 powder marking either
upon his dressing gown or on his
hands. According to the country sur
geon, the lady had stains upon her
face, but none upon her hand.
"The absence of the latter means
nothing, though it's presence may mean
everything" said Holmes. "Unless the
powder from badly fitting cartridge
happens to squirt backward one may
fire many shots without leaving sign.
l would suggest that Mr.. Cubitt's body
may now be removed. suppose, doc
tor, you have not recovered the bullet
which wounded the lady!'
"a serious operation will be necessa-.
ry before that can be done But there
are still four cartridges in the revolver.
Two have been fired and two wounds
inflicted. so that each bullet can be ac-
counted for
$50 it would SEEM" said Holmes.
Perhaps you can account also for the
bullet which has so obviously struck
the edge Of the Window"
He had turned suddenly, and his
long, thin finger was pointing to hole
which had been drilled right through
the lower window sash about an inch
above the bottom.
"By George cried the inspector.
"How ever did you see that?"
Because l looked for it."
"Wonderful!' said the country doc
tor You are certainly right, sir. Then
third shot has been fired, and there
fore a third person must have been
present. But who could that have been
and how could he have got away?"
'"That is the problem which we are
now about to solve" said Sherlock
Holmes. You remember, Inspector
Martin, when the servants said that on
leaving their room they were at once
conscious Of smell of powder l re-
marked that the point was an extreme
ly important one?"
Eyes, Sir; but 1 confess l did not
quite follow YOU
st suggested that at the time of the
firing the window as well as the door
Of the room had been open. Otherwise
the fumes of powder could not have
been blown SO rapidly through the
house A draft in the room was nee
essary for that Both door and win
dow were only open for very short
+;,,,o