Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-24

~ h.
NHH a combination Of events
XXI into which l need not en-.
ter caused Mr. Sherlock
N6GR04N Holmes and myself To
ES0H0&@I spend some weeks In one
of our great university
towns. and 1t was during this time that
the small but instructive adventure
which l am about to relate befelI us.
1t Will be obvious that any details
which would help the reader to exact
ly identify the college or the criminal
would be inJudicious and offensive. So
painful a scandal may well be allowed
to die out With due discretion the in
cident itself may, however. be describ-
ed, since 1t serves TO illustrate some OF
those qualities for which my friend
was remarkable. l will endeavor in
my statement to avoid such terms as
would serve to limit the events to any
particular place or give a clew as to
the people concerned.
We were residing at the time In fur
nished lodgings close to q library where
Sherlock Holmes was pursuing some
laborious researches In early English
charters-researches which led TO re-
+ suits so striking that they may be the
subject OF one of my future narratives
Here il was that one evening we re
ceIved visit from an acquaintance,
Mr.. Hilton Soames, tutor and lecturer
at the College of st. Luke's. Mr.. Soames
was tall, spare man. OF a nervous and
excitable temperament. l had always
known him to be restless in his man
ner. but on this particular occasion he
was In such state OF uncomfortable
agitation that 1t was clear something
very unusual had occurred.
II trust, Mr. Holmes, that you can
spare me a few hours of your valuable
time. We have had a very painful in
cident at st. Luke's. and really. but
for the happy chance or your being In
town. l should have been at a loss
what to do"
81 am very busy Just now, and de-
sire no distractions" my friend an
Swered IT should much prefer that
you called I'm the aid OF the police"
mo. no, my dear sir; such a course
Is utterly impossible. When once the
law is evoked 1t cannot be stayed
again, and this is just one OF those
cases where. for the credit OF the col
Iege, II Is most essential to avoid scan-
DIAL. Your discretion is as well known
as your powers, and you are the one
man in the world who can help me-
! beg You. Mr.. Holmes, to do what you
can
My friends temper had not improv-
ed since be had been deprived OF the
eongeniaI surroundings OF Baker
street. Without his scrapbook, his
chemicals and his homeIy untidiness
D. g.
shrugged his shoulders I'm ungracious
acquiescence, while our visitor in hur-
ried words and with much excitable
gesticulation poured forth his story.
81 must explain to you. Mr. Holmes,
that tomorrow is the first day of the
examination for the Fortescue scholar
ship. / am one OF the examiners. My
subject il Greek. and the first OF the
papers consists OF a large passage OF
Greek translation which the candidate
has not seen. This passage il printed
on the examination paper. and IL
would naturally be an immense ad-
vantage II the candidate could prepare
IL In advance. For this reason great
care IL taken TO keep the paper secret.
To-day about O'Clock the proofs
OF this paper arrived from the printers.
The exercise consists OF half u chapter
Of Thucydides. l had 10 read II over
carefully, as the text must he abso-
lutely correct. At 4:30 my task was
not yet completed. l had. however.
promised TO take tea in a friends
rooms, so 1 left the proof upon my
desk was absent more than an hour.
You are aware. Ar. Holmes. that
,,.,. onfla1a doors HOalhta-a svrapfa
baize one within and a heavy oak one
without As l approached my outer
door ] was amazed 10 see key in IL.
For an instant l imagined that l had
left my own there. but on feeling IN my
pocket l found that il was all right.
The only duplicate which existed. SO
far as knew, was that which belonged
TO my servant. Bannister. a man who
has looked after my room for ten years
and whose honesty is absolutely above
suspicion. found that the key was
indeed his. that he had entered my
room TO know IL / wanted tea and that
he had very carelessly left the key in
the door when he came out His visit
10 nv room must have been within a
very few minutes OF my leaving It. His
forSetfulness about the key would have
mattered little upon any other occa-
sion, but ON this one day IL has pro
duced the most deplorable conse-
Quences.
The moment looked at my table l
was aware that some one had rum
mayed among my papers. The proof
was in three long slips. I had left
them all together. Now found that
one OF them was lying on the noor. one
was on the side table near the window
and the third was where had left IT,"
Holmes stirred for the first time.
The first page on the door. the sec
ond ia the window, the third where you
left Itf'' said he
Exactly. Alr. Holmes. You amaze