Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-08-09

The blow is Il fatal one. lie falls anC
she escapes. either with or without
the object for which she has come. /.
Susan. The maid. there? Could anyon,
have got away through that door after
the time that you heard The cry, Su-
SAM"
no, sir. it is impossible. Before
got down the stair. Ia have seen any
one in the passage. Besides, the door
never o ened. or l would have heard
it"
That settles that exit. Then no doubt
the lady went out the way she calue
understand that this other passage
leads only to the professors room.
There is no exit that -~ay?"
I've shan go down it and make the
acquaintance of the professor. lI1lloa,
Hopkins. his is Very important. very
important indeed. The professors cor
ridor is also lined With c|ocoanut mat
tins"
We'll. sir. what of that?'
Don't YOU see amy bearing upon tho
case? We'll, we'll. l don't insist upon ii.
No doubt | am wrong. And yet i,
seems to mo to be suggestive. Come
with me and introduce me"
We passed down the passage. which
was OF the same length as that which
led to the garden. At the end was a
short flight of steps ending in a door.
Our guide then uSneraI
US into the professors bedroom.
1t was a very large chamber, lined
with innumerable volumes, which had
overfloWed from the shelves and lay in
pies in the corners. or We're stacked
all round at the base of the cases. The
bed was in the ce.i;er of the room, ana
IN 1t, proppcd up with pillows, WAS the
owner of the house. | have seldom
seen a more remarkable looking per-
son. Ill WAS n Ir11.nT 1nniIii4a gao.
which was turned towards us, with
piercing dark eyes, which lurked In
deep hollows under overhung and
tufted brows. His hair and beard were
white, save h n the latter was curious
~ stained with yellow around his
mouth y cigarette glowed amid
the tansle of white hair. and
the air of the room was fetil
with stale tobacco-smokc. AS he held out
his hand to Holmes. l perceived that it
was also stained with yellow nicotine.
"A smoker. MIR. Iiolmes?' said he,
speaking IN weli-chosen English. with u
curious littlc mlncing accent. Pray take
u cisaret. And you. sir? i can recon-
mend thofn, for | have them especially
prepared by lonides, of Alexandria. He
sends me a thousand at n time, and /
gricve to say that l have to arrange for a
fresh supply every fortnight. BAD, sir,
very bad. but an old man has few pleas
ure-s. tobacco ana my ~work-that is all
that is left TO me"
Holmes had 1t a cigarot. and was shoot
ing little darting glances all over the
room.
Tobacco and my work. but now only
tohacco, the old man exclaimed. Alas
what a fatal Interruption, Who could have
foreseen such a terrible catastrophe? So
estmable a young man. i assure YOU
that. after a few months training he was
an admirable assistant. What do you
think of the matter, MIR. IIolines?'
II have not yet made up my mind"
II shall indeed lie indebted TO YOU if YOU
can throw Il light where all is so dark
To us. To a poor boohworm and invalid
like myself such a blow is paralyzing. l
seem to have lost the faculty of thought.
But YOU are a man of action-you are Il
man OF affairs. Ii is part of the everyday
routine of your life. You can preserve
your balance in every emergency. We are
fortunate. indeed. in having you at our
side"
Holmes was pacing up and down one
side of the room whilst the old professor
w2s talking. / observed tina he was
mokin with extraordinary rapidity. 1t
Was evident that he shared our hosts lik-
ing for the fresh Alesandrian cigarets.
Yes. s.r, it is a crushing blow said the
old man. THAT is my magnurn oYus-the
pile of papers on the side table yonder.
1t is my analysis of the documents found
in the CGptic monasterics of SYRIA and
Egypt, a work which will cut deep at the
very foundation of revealed religion. With
my enfoebled health ! do not know wheth-
or l shall ever be able to complete IL. now
that nay assistant has been taken from
me. Dear me, MIR. Holmes. why, You are
even a quicker smoker than l am myself"
Holmes smiled.
Il am a conno,ssour," said he, taking
another cigaret from the box-his fourth
and lighting it from the stub of that which
he had finished. Il Will not trouble you
with any lengthy cross-cxamination, Pro-
fcssor Coraln. since / gather that YOU
were in bed at the time of the crime, and
could know nothing about It. | would only
ask this. What do you imagine that this
poor fellow meant by his last words: The
Professor-it was she'?'
The professor shook his head.
Susan is Il country girl" said he. "and
you know the incredible stupidity OF that
class. | fancy that the poor fellow muir
INJURED some incohcrcnt. dclirious words.
and that she twisted them into this mean
ingless message"
II see. You have no explanation YOUR
self of the tragedy?'
"Possibly an accident. possibly-T only
breathe 1t among ourselvcs-a suicide.
Young men have their hidden troubles
some affair of the heart. perhaps. which
We have never known. 1t is a more prob
able supposItion than murder"
But the cye-glasses?"
"Ah, l am only d student-a man of
drcams l cannot explain the practical
things Of life. But still. we are aware.
my friend. that ~lovc-gages may take
strange shapes. BY all means take an
other c.saret. 1t is a pleasure TO see any
one appreciate them SO. y fan. a glove.
glasses-who knows what article may be
carried as n token or treasured when a