Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-03-09

| low. 1T was pretty clear where he was.
thought he had not the nerve to lie
nuiet before an alarm of fire. We could,
OF course, have gone in and taken him.,
but IL amused ms TO make him reVeai
himself, besides, / owed you a little
| mystihcation. Lestrade, for your chan
i'm the morning.
well. sir. you certainly got equal
with me on TIA But how in the world
| did you know that he was in the house
at all?"
''The thumb mark, Lestrade. You
said il was final; and so IL a In a
very different sense. l knew IL had
/ not been there the day before. l pay a
good deal of attention to matters OF de-
| tail. as you may have observed, and L
had examined the hall, and was sure
hat the wall was clear. Therefore, 1t
| had been put on during the night"
Blu how"
were sealed up. Jonas Oldacre got
NTcFarlane to secure one of the seals
by putting his thumb upon the soft
wax. 1t would be dom so quickly and
so naturally that | dare sal the young
man himself has no recollection OF IL.
Very likely 1t just so happened, and
| OIdacre had himself no notion OF the
use he would put IT to. Brooding over
| the case in that den of his, ii suddenly
struck him what absolutely damning
evidence he could make gains
McFarlane by using that thumb mark.
Ii was the simplest thing In the world
for him to take q wax impression from
the seal, to moisten it in as much blood
| as he could get from a pin prick, and
to put the mark upon the wall during
the night, either with his own hand
or with that of his housekeeper. If you
examine among those documents which
ne took with him into his retreat, L
will lay you a wager that you find the
seal with the thumb mark upon IT."
Wonderful" said Lestrade. Won
derful! It's all as clear as crystal, as
you put It. But what is the object OF
this deep deception, Mr.. Holiness"
1t was amusing TO me to see how the
| detectives oYerbearing manne had
changed suddenly to that of a child
asking questions OF it's teacher.
We'll, 1 don't think that is very hard
to explain. A very deep, malicious,
vindictive person is the gentleman
who Is now waiting us downstairs.
You know that he was nee refused by
| McFarlane's mother? You don't? /
told you that you should go to Black
heath first and Norwood afterwards.
Well, this injury, as he would consider
II. has ranked in his wicked, scheming
vengeance, but never seen his chance.
During the last year or two things
have gone against him-secret specula-
ton. | think-and he find himself in
a bad way. He determines to swindle
his creditors. and for this purpose he
pays large checks to a certain Mr..
Cornelius, who is, l imagine, himself
under another name. l have not traced
these checks yet, but l have no doubt
that they were banked under hat name
at some provincial town where Old
acre from time to time led a double
existence. He intended to change his
name altogether, draw his money, and
vanish, starting life again elsewhere"
We'll, that's likely enough"
1T would strike him that n disap-
pearing he might throw all pursuit off
his track, and at the same time have
an ample and crushing revenge upon
his old sweetheart, if he could give the
impression hat he had been murdered
by her only child. 1t was q master
piece of viliainy, and he carried it out
like a master. The idea of the will,
which would give az obvious motive
for the crime, the secret visit unknown
TO his own parents, the ent of
the stick, the blood. and the animal re-
mains and buttons in the wood pile,
all were admirable. 1t was a net from
which il seemed to me, n few hours
ago, that there was no possible escape
But he had not that supreme gift OF
the artist, the knowledge of when to
stop. He wished to improve that
which was already perfect-to draw the
rope tighter yet around he neck of his
unfortunate victim-and so he ruined
all, Let us descend, Lestrade. There
are just one or two questions that ]
would ask him"
The malignant creature was seated
In his own parlor, with a policeman
upon each side of him..
1T was a joke, my good sir--a prac.
teal joke, nothing more" he whinet
necessarily. II assure you, sir, hat
simply concealed myself in order to see
the effect OF my disappearance, anc
I am sure that you would not be sc
unjust as to imagine that l would have
allowed m harm TO befal poor young
McFarlane."
That's for a jury 10 decide" sale
Lestrade. Anyhow, we shall nave yot
on a charge OF conspiracy, IL not for at.
tempted murder"
And you'll probably find that your
creditors will impound the banking &C
count of Mr.. Cornelius" said Holmes.
The little man started, and turneC
his malignant yes upon my friend.
II have to thank you for a good
deal" said he. Perhaps I'll pay m
debt some day."
Holmes smiled :rduigcnt!y.
Il fancy that, for some few years, yol
will find your time very fully occu
!, Pied said he. by the way, what wa
il you put into the wood pile besides
your old trousers? A dead dog, or rab
bits, or what? You won't tell? Dea
me, how very unkind of you. Wei
well. / dare say that a couple of rabbit
would account both for the blood am
!, for the charred ashes. II you eve
write an account. Watson, you "a
, make rabbits serve your turn"
/ fContinued Next Week)