The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-09-06


One is that after the second glass was
| fIIed the bottle was violently agltateu,
and so the third glass received tne
heeswing. That does not ~ppear prop
able. No. no. l am sure ''a' l am
right" o.,
aNvhat, then, do you SUPPOSE?
THAT only two glasses We're used,
and that the dregS of both were poured
into q third glass, so as to give the false
impression hi three people had been
here. In that way all the beesWlng
would be il the last glass. would IT
not? Yes. I am convinced that his is
so. But if l have hit upon the true eX-
PLANTATION of this one small phenome-
non then in an instant the case rises
from the commonplace to the exceed
inglv remarkable. Tor it can only mean
that Lady .rackenstali her mald
We deliberately lied to us, that not
one word of their story is to be be-
lieved, that they have some very strong
reason for covering the real criminal,
and that we must construct our case
for ourselves without my help from
therl. That is the mission which now
II s before us. and here, Watson, is the
Sydenham train"
The household at the Abbey Grange
were much surprised at our return, but
Sherlock Holmes. finding that Stanley
Hopkins had gone off to report to head
quarters, took possession of the dining
room. lOcked the door upon the inside,
and devoted himself for two hours to
one of those minute and laborlous m
~vestigations which form the solid basis
on Which his brilliant editiceS of de-
duction We're reared. Seated in a cor
ner like an interested student who ob-
serves the demonstration of his profess
SOr. | followed { y step of that re-
markable research. r. e window, the
curtains, the carpet, he chair, the
rOne-alch in turn was minuteiy ex-
amined and duly pondered. The body
of the unfort nate baronet had been
removed, nd all else remained as we
had seen it in the morning. finally,
to my establishment, Holmes climbed
up on to the massive mantelpiece. Far
above his head huns the few inches Of
red cord which were still attached to
the wire. For Il long time he gazed up
wards at it, and then in an attempt to
get nearer to it he rested his knee upon
a wooden bracket or the wall. This
brought his hand within a few inches
of the broken end of the rope, but it
was not this so much as the bracket
itself which seemed to engage his at
tention. Finally, he sprang down with
an ejaculation of satisfaction.
It's all right, Watson said he. 1--WE
have got our case-one of the most re-
markable in our collection. But, dear
me. how s~low-witted l have been, and
how nearly l lave committed the
blunder of my lifetime! Now. 1 think
that. With a few missing links, my
chain is almost complete"
You have got your menu
Man, Watsv., man. Only one, but
a very formidable person. Strong as
a lion-witness the blow that bent hat
poker! Six DOT three in. height, active
as a squirrel, dcXtcrous With his n
gers, finally, remarkably uuick-witted,
for this whole ingenious story is of his
concoction. Yes, Watson, we have come
apo the handiWork of a very remark
able individual. And yet, in hat bell
rope, he has given us a clue which
should not have left US a doubt
Where was the clue?"
We'll, if you were to pull down 4
bell-rope, Watson, where would you ex-
pect it to break? Surely at the spot
where it is attached to the wire. Why
should it break three inches from the
top. as this one has done?"
Because it is frayed there?"
Exactly. This end, which we can ex-
anime, is frayed. He was cunning
enough to do that with his knife. But
the other end is not frayed. You could
not observe tina from here, but if you
were on the mantelpiece you would see
that it is cut clean off without any
mark of fraying whatever. You can
reconstruct What occurred. The man
needed the rope. He would not tear it
down for fear of giving the alarm by
ringing the bell. What did he do? He
sprsng up or the m~antelpiece, could
not quite reach it. put his knee on the
bracket-you will see the impression in
the husband so got his knife to bear
upon the cord. I could not reach the
place by at least three inches-from
Which I infer that he is at least three
inches q bigger MAJ than I. Look at
that mark upon the seat Of the oaken
chair! What is it?"
Blood"
Undoubtedly it is blood. This alone
puts the lady's story out of court. If
she We're seated on the chair when the
crime was done, hoy. comes that mark.
No, no, she was placed in the chair
after the death of her husband. I'll
wager that the black dress shows a
corresponding mark to this. We have
not yet met u Waterloo, Watson. but
this is our Marengo, for it begins in
defeat and ends in victory. 1 should
like now to have a few words with the
nurse, Theresa. We must be wary for
awhile, II we are to get the informa-
ton which we want"
She was an interesting person, this
stern Australian nurse-taciturn, sus-
picious, ungracious, it took some time
before Holmes pleasant manner and
thaWed her into a corresponding anna
bility. She did not attempt to conceal
her hatred for her late employer.
Continued Next Week.)
Poverty and Crime. /,