Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-18
be made GU. on the carpet but none of any

be made out on the carpet. but none of any
| third person. which again Is a trick for the
| other side. They were piling up their score
| all the time. and we were at a standstill.
only one little CLEAN 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 been made up into sealed en-
| opened by the police. They were not so
| far as could judge, of any great value,
| nor did the bank book show that Mr.. Old
| acre was In such very affiuent circum-
| stances. But II seemed to me that all the
| papers were not there. There were illusions
| to some deeds-possibly the more valuable
| which could not find This, of course,
IL we could definitely prove it. would turn
| LeStrade'S argument against himself for
| who would steal thing if he knew that
| he would shortly inherit it?
| Finally, having drawn every other cover
and picked up no scent. l tried my luck
| with the housekeeper. Mrs. Lexington is
| her name-a little, dark, silent person, with
| suspicious and sidelong eyes. She could
| tell US something if she WOULD am con-
v1nced OF 1t. But she was as close as wax
| Yes, she had let Mr.. McFarlane in at half
| past 8. She wished her hand had withered
| before she had done so. She had gone to
| bed at half-past TO- Her room was at the
| other end of the house. and she could hear
! nothing of what passed. Mr.. McFarlane
| had left his hat, and to the best of her
| belief his stick in the hail. She had been
| dNdheHtO ny aldTIH Oh HTe- tleI pOOI :,
dear master had certainly been murdered.
| Had he any enemies? Well, every man
| had enemies, but Mr.. Oldacre kept himself
very much to himself, and only met people
! in the way of business. She had seen the
| buttons. and was sure that they belonged
| to the clothes which he had worn last
| night. The wood pile was very dry, for it
| had not rained for a month. 1t burned like
| finder, and by the time she reached the
spot nothing could be seen but flames She
| and all the flremen smeled the burned
| flesh from inside it. She knew nothing of
| the papers, nor of Mr.. Oidacre's private
| affairs.
$50. my dear Watson. there's my report
| in failure. And yet-and yet-"-he
clenched his thin hands in paroxysm of
| convicton-"I know it's all wrong. 1 feel
| Il in my bones There is something that
has not come out, and that housekeeper
| knows it. There a sort of sulky de-
| fiance in her eyes. which only goes with
! guilty knowledge. However, there's no good
| talking any more about it, Watson; but
| unless some lucky chance comes our way
| l fear that the Norwood Disappearance
| Case VIII not figure in that chronicle of our
| successes which L toresee that a patient
| public will sooner or later have to endure
| Surely" said |. the mans appearance
would go far with any jury?"
| THAT is dangerous argument, my dear
| Watson. You remember that terrible muir
| derer, Bert Stevens, who wanted us to get
| him off in 81? Was there ever a more
mild-mannered, Sunday school young
| MANI
ut is true"
| Unless we succeed in establishing an
| alternative theory, this man is lost. You
can hardly find a flaw in the case which
can now be presented against him. and all
| further investigation has served 10
| strengthen it. By the way, there is one
| curious little point about those papers
| which may serve us as the starting point
| for an inquiry. On looking over the bank
| book L found that the low state of the
balance was principally due to large checks
| which have been made out during the last
| year to Mr.. Cornelius. L confess that ! should
| be interested to know who this Mr.. Cor
| nelius may be with whom a retired builder
| Sible that he has had Il hand in the affair
| Cornelius might be a broker, but we have
found no scrip to correspond with these
| large payments. Failing any other indica-
| ton. my researches must now take the di-
| rection of an inquiry at the bank for the
| gentleman who has Cashed these cheques
But 1 fear my dear fellow, that our case
| will end ingloriously by Lestrade hanging
Triumph for Scotland Yard"
| l do not know how far Sherlock Holmes
| took any sleep that night, but when | came
| down to breakfast | found him pale and
| harassed his bright eyes the brighter foi
the dark shadows round them. The carpet
| round his chair was Uttered with cigarette
| ends and with the early editions of the
| morning papers. An open telegram lay upon
| the table. ----
what do you think of this, Watson?" he
| asked, tossing it across.
| 1t was from Norwood, and ran as follows
| important fresh evidence to hand Nc
Farlanes guilt dsffnitelg- established Ad
wise you to abandon case-Lestrade.'
''This sounds serious said l.
| cit is Lestrade's little cock-a-doodle Of
| victory" ttaIHlas answered, with a bitter
| smile. and yet it may be premature to
abandon the case. After all, important