The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-27

r~ at the same time
~ M most conducive
kH> to a display of
N~/ those peculiar
3G.V powers for which
my friend was
famous. AS l
HI turn over the
fT m pages, l see my
~ M ~ notes upon the
- repulsiVe story OF
Ga@- the red leech
the terrible death of Crosby. the bank
err. Here also I find an account of the
Addiction tragedy, and the singular
contents of the ancient British bar
row The famous Smith-Mortimer
succession case comes also within this
period, and SO does the tracking and
arrest of Huret, the boulevard assas-
sin-an exploit which Won for Holmes
an autograph letter of thanks from the
French president and the Order OF the
Legion OF Honor. Each of these would
furnish a narrative. but on the whole
l am Of opinion that none OF them
unites SO many singular points OF IN.
terest as the episode of YoXiey Old
Place, which includes not only the
lamenta5le death of young Willoughby
Smith, but also those subsequent de-
~velonments which threw so curious q
light upon the causes Of the crime.
1t was a wild, tempestuous night,
towards the close of November. Holmes
and l sat together in silence all the
evening. he engaged with a powerful
lens deciphering the remain of the or
igiral inscription upon a palimpsest,
l deep in a recent treatise upon surg
cry. Outside the wind howled down
Baker street, while the rain beat fierce
ly against the windows. 1t was strange
there, in the very depths of the town,
with ten miles of mans handiwork on
every side of us, to feel the iron grip Of
,o+,ra op5 10 no cnncoinl1c that tn the
huge elemental forces all London was
no more thar the molehills that dot the
fields. 1 walked to the window and
looked out on the deserted street. The
occasional lamps cleaned on the ex-
panse of muddy road n shining
ing it's way from the Oxford street end.
well, Watson, it's as we'll we have
not to turn out tonight" said Holmes
laying aside his lens and rolling up
the palimpsest. I've done enough for
one sitting. 1t is trying work for the
eyes. So far as 1 can make out, it is
nothing more exciting than an abbey's
accounts dating from the second half
OF the fifteenth century. Halloa! hall
loa! halloa! What's this?"
had come the stamping OF a horses
hoofs. and the long grind of a wheel
as it rasped against the curb. The
cab which l had seen had pulled up at
u door.
what can he want?" 1 calculated,
as a man stepped out of it.
Want? He wants US. And we, my
poor Watson, want overcoats and
cravats and g%aloshes, and every aid
that man ever invented to fight the
weather. Wait a bit, though! There's
the cab off again! There's hope yet.
He'd have kept it II he had wanted us
to come. Run down, my dear fellow.
and open the door, for all v%irtuous folk
have been long in bed"
When the light of the hall lamp fell
upon our midnight visitor l had no
difficulty in recognizing him. 1t was
young Stanley Hopkins. a promising
detective, in whose career Holmes had
several times shown a very practical
interest.
rs he in?" he asked, eagerly.
Come up, my lear sir" said Holmes
voice from above. 81 hope you have
no designs upon US such a night as
this"
The detective mounted the stairs,
and our lamp cleaned upon his shin
ing waterproof. 1 helped him out of
OF the logs in the crate.
Nov. my deal Hopkins, draw up
and warm your toes" said he. Here's
a cigar, and the doctor has a prescrip-
ton containing hot water and a lemon,
which is good medicine or a night
like this. It must be something i'm
portant which has brought you out in
such a gale"
1T is indeed, Mr.. Holmes. I've had
a busting afternoon, I promise you.
case in the latest editions?'
I've seen nothing later han the
fifteenth century today"
We'll, 1t was only a paragraph, and
all wrong at that, SO you have not
missed anything. l haven't let the
C,.nc ~ r~0yy 4, n ~, nv F4o< ~ l-.-- r.
Kent, sever miles from Chatham and
three from the railway line. I was
wired for at 3:15, reached Yoxley Old
Place at s, conducted my investigation.
was back at Charing Cross by the last
train. and straight to you by cab"
Which means, I suppose, that you
are not quite clear about your case?'
ut means that l can make neither
head nor tail Of 1t. So far as 1 can
see. it is just as tangled a business as
ever l handled, and yet at first it
seemed SO simple that one couldn't go
That's what bothers mel can't put
my hand on a motive. Here's a man
dead-there's no denying that-but, SO
far as l can see, no reason on earth
why any one should wish him HARM"
Holmes lit his cigar and leaned back
in his chair.
Let US hear about it, said he.
I've got my facts pretty Clear" said
Stanley Hopkins. "An 1 want now is
to know what they all mean. The
story, SO far as l can make it out, is
like this: Some years ago this coun-
try house. YoNley Old Place, was talk
en- by an elderly man, who gave the
name of Professor Coram. He was
an invalid, keeping his bed half the
time, and the other half hobbling round
The house with a stick or being pushed
tbout tie grounds by the gardener
IN a bath chair. He was we'll liked by
the few %neighbors who called upon him,
and he has the reputation down there
of being a very learned man. His
household used to consist Of an elderly
housekeeper, Mrs. Marker, and of a
maid, Susan Tarlton. These have both
been with him since his arrival, and
they seem to be women of excellent
character. The professor is writing a
learned book, and he found it neces-
sary, about a year CO., to engage a
secretary. The first two that he tried
We're not successes, but the third, Mr..
M~llloughby Smith, a very young man
straight from the university, seems TO