The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-02-23

his shoulder I caught a glimpse OF one
or two uniformed policemen outside.
Mr.. John Hector McFarlane?! ," eaid
Lestrade.
Our unfortunate client rose with a
CHASTITY face.
Il arrest you for the wilful murder
OF Mr.. Jonas Oldacre, of Lower Nor
wood"
ture of despair, INC ank into his chair
once more like n who is crushed.
zone moment. Lestrade," said
Holmes. Half ar hour more or less
can make no difference to you. and the
gentleman was o to give us an ac-
count of this very interesting affair,
which might aid us in clearing it up."
Il think there will be no difficulty in
clearing 1t up" said desirable, grimly.
None the less, with u permission,
] should be much Interested to hear
his account"
We'll. Mr.. Holmes, it Is difficult for
me to refuse you anything, for you
have been of use to the force once or
twice in the past, and we owe you a
good turn at Scotland Yard said Les
trade. A h same time l must re-
main with my prisoner. and l am
bound to warn him hat anything he
may say will appear in evidence
against him.
Il wish nothing better" said our
client. "All I ask is that you should
hear and recognize the absolute truth"
Lestrade looked at his watch. IN
give YOU half an hour" said he.
Il u explain first" said McFar-
that 1 knew nothing of Mr.. Jonas
Oldacre. His name was familiar to
me, for many years ago my parents
We're acquainted with him, but they
drlfted apart. 1 was very much sur
prised. therefore, when yesterday,
about three o'clock in the afternoon,
he walked into my Office in the city.
But I was still more %astonished when
he old me the object of his visit He
had in mis- hand several sheets of a
note book. covered with scribbled writ
they are-and he laid them
on my table.
Here is my WILL said he. 7 want
you. MIR. McFarlane. to cast it into
proper legal shape. I will sit here
while you do So
II set myself to copy 1T, and you
can imagine my establishment when I
found that. with some reservations. he
had left all his property to me. He
with white %eyelashes. and when I
looked up at him 1 found his keen,
grey eyes fixed upon me with an
amused expression I could hardly be-
live my own senses as l read the terms
OF the will: but he explained that he
was a bachelor with hardly any living
relation. that he had known my par
ents in his youth, and that he had al
ways heard of me as d very deserving
young man, and vas assured that his
money would be in worthy hands. OF
course. l could only stammer out my
thanks The will Ia duly finished,
signed and witnessed by my clerk.
NhfS io ~ ~, %n~ 49,
slips, as I have explained. are the rough
draft. Mr.. Jonas Oldacre then In
formed me that there We're a number
OF documents-building leases. title
deeds, mortgages. scrip and so forth
which 1T was necessary that I should
see and understand. He said that his
mind would not be easy until the whole
thing was settled, and he begged me
to come out to his house at Norwood
that night. bringing the will with me,
and to arrange matters. Remember,
my boy. not one word to your parents
about the affair until everything is
settled. We will keep it as a little
surprise for Them He was very in
sistent upon this point, and made me
promise 1t faithfully.
You can imagine, MI. Holmes, that
l was not in a humor to refuse him
anything that he might ask. He was
my b~enefactor. and all my desire was
to carry out his wishes in every par
ttcular. 1 sent a telegram home. there
fore, to Ia that l had Important BUSH
ness on hand, and that 1t was impos-
stble for me to say how late I might
be. Mr.. Oldacre had told me that he
would k me to have supper with
him at nine. as he might not be home
before that hour. I had some diff
Guilty in finding his house, however, and
1t was nearly half-past before I
reached it. I found him"
One moment" said Holmes who
opened the door?"
"A middle aged woman. who was, I
suppose, his housekeeper."
And 1T was she, I presume, who
mentioned your Eame?"
Exactly" said McFarlane.
Pray proceed"
McErarlane wiped his damp brow. and
then continued his narrative.
u was shown by this woman into a
sitting room where a frugal supper
was laid out. Afterwards, Mr.. Jonas
Oldacre led me into his bed room. in
which there stood a heavy safe. This
he opened and took out a mass OF docu-
ments, which we went over together.
1t was between eleven and twelve
when we finished. He remarked that
we must not disturb the housekeeper.
He showed me out through his own
French window, which had been open
all the time"
Was the blind down." asked
Holmes.
II will not be sure. but I believe that
1t was only half down. Yes. 1 remem-
Der 10Y he pulled it up in order to
swing open the window. l could not
find my stick, and he said, Never
mind, my boy. l shall see a good deal
OF you now, I hope, and 1 will keep
your stick until you come back again
to claim IT. I left him there. the safe
open. and the papers made up in
packets upon the table. 1t was so
late that 1 could not get back to Black
heath, so I spent the night at the An
erley Arms, and I knew nothing more
until l read of this horrible affair in
the morning"
Anything more that you would Nike
to ask. Mr.. Holiness said Lestrade.
whose eyebrows had gone up once or
twice during this remarkable explana-
ton.
Not until 1 have been to Black
heath"
You mean to Norwood" said Les
trade.
"oh. yes, no doubt that is what 1
must have meant" said Holmes with
his ~enigmatical smile. Lestrade had
learned by more experiences than he