Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-02-23

once more IKE one no lS CTuSHtu.
zone moment, Lestrade." said
Holmes. Half an hour more or less
can make no difference to you, and the
gentleman was about TO give US an ac-
count OF this very interesting affair,
which might aid US in clearing 1t up"
II think there will be no difficulty in
clearing ii up" said Lestrade. grimly.
None the less. with your permission.
J should be much Interested 10 hear
his account"
We'll, Mr.. Holmes, IL is difficult for
me TO refuse o anything. for you
have been OF use to the force once or
twice in the past, and we W you a
good turn at Scotland Yard" said Les
trade A the same time / must re-
main with my prisoner. and I am
bound to warn him that anything he
may say will appear In evidence
against him.
II wish nothing better" said our
client. IAN | ask Is that you should
hear and recognize the absolute truth"
Lestrade looked az his watch. "Pll
give you half an hour" said he.
Il must explain first" said McFar-
lane. that knew nothing of Mr.. Jonas
His name was familiar to
me, for many years & my parents
We're acquainted with him, but they
drifted apart. / was very much sur
prised. therefore, when yesterday.
about three o'clock In the afternoon,
he walked into my office in the city.
But | was still more ~astonished when
he told me the object of his visit. He
had in his hand several sheets Of a
note book, covered with scrubbed writ
ing-here they are-and he laid them
on my table.
Here is my WILL said he. I want
you, Mr.. McFarlane, to cast 1t into
proper legal shape, / will sit here
while o do So
II set myself to copy 1t, and you
can imagine my establishment when l
found that, with some reservations, he
had left all his property to me. He
was a strange little ferret-like man..
with white eyelashes, and when I
looked up at him l found his keen.
grey eyes fixed upon me with an
unused expression l could hardly be-
live my own senses as / read the terms
of the will: but he explained that he
was a bachelor with hardly any living
relation, that he a known my par
ents in his youth, and that he had al
ways heard of me az q very deserving
young man., and was assured that his
money would be in worthy hands. or
course, l could only stammer out my
thanks The Will was duly finished.
signed and witnessed by my clerk.
This is Il on the blue paper, and these
~ 90 4 y CAIAditINh, 4 vi lpukh
draft. Mr.. Jonas Oldacre then In
formed me that there were a number
or Observation-Disclosures leases, title
deeds. mortgages. scrip ard so forth
which IL was necessary that l should
see n 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 10 arrange matters. Remember,
my boy, not n word 10 your parents
about the affair until everything is
settled. We Will keep 1t as a little
surprise for them He was very in
sistent Upon this point. and made me
promise IL faithfully.
You can imagine, Mr.. Holmes. that
l was not In a humor to refuse him
anything that he might ask. He was
my benefactor, and all my desire was
to carry out his wishes In every par
ticular. | sent a telegram home, there
fore, TO say hat / had important busi-
ness on hand. and that 1t was impos-
sible for me to say how late / might
be. Mr.. Oldacre had told me that he
would like me to have supper with
him at nine. as he might not be home
before that hour, / had some diff
Guilty In finding his house, however. and
IL was nearly half-past before I
reached 1t. / found him"
"One moment" q Holmes 'Whs
opened the door,"
"a middle aged woman who was, !
suppose, his housekeeper."
And 1t was she, I presume, who
mentioned YOU name?"
Exactly" said McFarlane.
Pray proceed"
McFarlane wiped his damp brow, and
then continued his narrative.
Il 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 n mass of docu-
ments, which we went over together.
II was between eleven and twelve
when we finished. He remarked tina
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.
Il win not be sure, but / believe that
1t was only half down. Yes, I remem-
Der how he pulled 1t up In order 10
swing open the window. / could not
find my stick, and he said. Never
mind. my boy. l shall see a good deal
OF you now, I hope, and / will keep
your stick until you come back again
W &ldkii ~. 4 ACIt hit tiCbt . lhAc Sdic
open. and the papers made up IL
packets upon the table. 1t was so
late that I could not get back to Black
heath, so l spent the night at the An
erley Arms. and I knew nothing more
until ! read of this horrible affair in
the morning"
Anything more that you would like
to ask. Mr.. Holmes?" said Lestrade,
whose eyebrows had gone up once or
twice during this remarkable explana-
ton.
Not until / have been TO Black
heath"
You mean to Norwood" said Les
trade.
"Oh, yes. no doubt hat is what I
must have meant" said Holmes with
his enigmatical smile. Lestrade had
learned by more experiences than he
would care TO ack nowledge that that
razor-like braiii could cut through thai
which was impenetrable To him. Isaw
him look curiously at my compan-
ion.
Il think l should like TO have a word
with you presently, Mr.. Sherlock
Holiness" said he. Now, Mr.. McFar
lane, two of my constables are at the