The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-07-27

famous. AS l
III turn over the
| W N pages, l see my
" III 49,, notes upon the
~ repulsive story of
-@ze@4 the red leech and
the terrible death of Crosby. the bank
er. Here also 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 narrative, but on the whole
l am CT opinion that none OF them
untes so many singular points of in
terest as the episode Of Yoxley Old
| Place, which includes not only the
lamentable death of young Willoughby
Smith, but also those subsequent de-
velopments which threw so curious a
| 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 powerful
lens deciphering the remains of the or
! iginal Inscription upon palimpsest,
l deep in a recent treatise upon surg
| cry. oulSluG lIle Wllu uo"leu w" AZ
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
nature. and to be conscious that to the
| huge elemental forces all London was
no more than the molehills that dot the
fields. walked to the window and
looked out on the deserted street. The
occasional lamps cleaned on the ex-
panse of muddy road and shining
pavement. A single cab was splash
ing it's way from the Oxford street end.
well, Watson. it's as we'll we have
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 l can make out. 1t 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?"
Amid the droning Of the wind there
had come the stamping of horses
hoofs, and the long grind Of wheel
as it rasped against the curb. The
| cab which had seen had pulled up at
our door.
what can he want?" I calculated
as, a man stepped out of it.
want? He wants US. And we, my
poor Watson, want overcoats and
cravats and galoshes, 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.
to come. Run down, my dear fellow.
and open the door, for all virtuous folk
have been long in bed"
When the light Of the hall lamp fell
upon our midnight visitor had no
difficulty in recognizing him. 1t was
young Stanley Hopkins. promising
| detective. in whose career Holmes had
| several times shown a very practical
| interest.
'Ts he in?" he asked, eagerly.
Come up, my dear SIR said Holmes
voice from above. Il hope you have
no designs upon us such night as
! this"
| = The detective mounted the stairs,
and our lamp cleaned upon his shin
ing waterproof. I helped him out of
| it. while Holmes knocked a blaze out
Of the logs in the CRATE.
| Nov, my dear Hopkins, draw up
and warm your toes" said he. Here's
| ton containing hot water and a lemon,
which is good medicine on a night
| like this. 1t must be something i'm
portant which, has brought you out in
| such gale"
1T is indeed, Mr.. Holmes. I've had
a bustling afternoon, l promise you.
Did you see anything of the YoXley
case in the latest editions?"
I've seen nothing later than the
| fifteenth century today"
We'll, it was only paragraph, and
all wrong at that, so you have not
missed anything. 1 haven't let the
grass grow under my feet. It's down in
three from the railway line. I was
wired for at 3:15, reached Yoxley Old
Place at 5, conducted my investigation,
was back at Charing Cross by the last
train, and straight to you by cab"
(Which means, suppose, that you
are not quite clear about your case?"
1T means that l can make neither
| head nor tail Of it. So far as l 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
wrong. There's no motive, Mr.. Holmes.
That's what bothers mel can't put
my hand on motive. Here's a man
far as 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. "All | want now is
| to know what they all mean. The
story, so far as can make it out, is
like this: Some years ago this coun-
try house, Yoxley Old Place, was TAX
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
about the grounds by the gardener
in bath chair. He was well 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
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 year ago. to engage a
secretary. The first two that he TILED
were not successes. but the third, Mr..
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