The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03
x.-THE ADVENTURE OF THE
GOLDEN PlNcE.NEz.-continued.

YOU arrive at lAe QouDle WISH 10 tne
cptician."
Holmes took the glasses in his hand.
You will perceive" said he, " that
the clips are lined with tiny bands of
cork to soften the pressure upon the
nose. One of these is discolored and
worn to some slight extent, but the
other is new. Evidently n has fallen
off and been replaced. I should judge
that the older of them has not been
there more than a few months. They
exactly correspond. so l gather that the
lady went back to the same establish
ment for the second"
by George. 1T is marvelous!" cried
Hopkins. in an ecstacy of admiration.
ITO think that l had all that evidence
in my hand and never knew it! l had
intended. however, to go the round of
the London opticians"
"Of course you would. Meanwhile,
ave you anything more to tell us about
the case?"
Nothing. Mr.. Holmes. 1 think that
you know as much as l do now-prob-
ably more. We have had inquiries
made as to any stranger seen on the
country roads or at the railway station.
We have heard of none. What beats
me is the utter want of all object in
the crime. Not n ghost of a motive can
anyone suggest"
"Ah! there L am not in a position to
help You. But suppose you want us
W COllle OUT lOiloIToW
IF it is not asking too much, Mr..
Holmes. There's a train from Charing
Cross to Chatham at six in the morn
ing, and we SHOULD be at YoNley Old
Place between eight and nine"
Then we shall take it. Your case
has certainly some eatures of great
interest, and l shall be delighted to
look into it. Well, it's nearly one, and
we had best get q few hours sleep.
dare say you can manage all right on
the sofa in front of the fire. I'll light
my spirit lamp and give you a cup of
coffee before we start"
The gale had blown itself out next
day, out it was a bitter morning when
we started upon our journey. We saw
the cold winter sun rise over the dreary
marshes of the Thames and the long,
sullen reaches of the river, which I
shall ever associate with our pursuit of
the Andaman islander in the earlier
days of our career. After a long and
weary journey, we alighted at a small
station some miles from Chatham.
While a horse was being put into Il trap
at the local inn, we snatched q hurried
breakfast, and so we We're all ready
for business when we at last arrived at
YoXley Old Place. a constable met us
at the garden gate.
We'll, Wilson, any news?"
mo, sir-nothing."
mo reports of any stranger seen?"
mo, sir. Down at the station they
are certain that no stranger either
came or went Yesterday"
Have you had inquiries made at inns
and lodgings?"
Yes, sir; there is no one that we
cannot account Tor"
We'll. it's only a reasonable walk to
Chatham. Anyone might stay there or
take q train without being observed.
This is the garden path of which 1
spoke, Mr.. Holmes. I'll pledge my void
there was no mark on it yesterday"
"On which side were the marks on
the grass"
This side. sir. This narrow margin
of grass between the path and the
tlowerbcd. / can't see the traces now,
but they We're clear to me then"
Yes, yes; someone has passed along"
said Holmes, STOPPING owe the grass
border. Our lady must hav picked
her steps carefully. must she not, since
on the one side she would leave a
track on the path. and on the other an
even clearer one on the soft bed?'
Yes, sir, she must have been a cool
hand"
I saw an intent look pass over
Holmes face.
You say that she must have come
back this way?"
Yes, sir, there is no other"
"On this strip of grass?"
Certainly, Mr.. Holmes"
Hum! 1t was a very remarkable
performance-very remarkable. Well, /
think we ave exhausted the path. Let
us go farther. This garden door is
usually kept open, I suppose? Then
this visitor had nothing to do but to
walk in. The idea of murder was not
in her mind, or she would ave pro-
Nided herself with some sort of Weapon.
instead of having to pick this knife off
the writing table. She advanced along
this corridor, leaving no traces upon
tho 00onnl,1f. p,,nff;,,- T1,o~ CHI, ~,,,,
h-~~o'f in this study. How long was
she there? We nave no means of
judging"
mot more than a few minutes, sir.
1 forgot to tell you that Mrs. Marker,
the housekeeper, had been in there
tidying not very long before-about a
quarter of an hour. she says"
well, that gives us u limit. Our
lady enters this room, and what does
she do? She goes over to the writing
table. What for? Not for anything
in the drawers. If there had been any
thing worth her taking, it would sure
ly have been LOCKED up. No, it was for
something in that wooden bureau. Hal
loa! what is that scratch upon the face
of it? Just hold a match, Watson.
Why did you not tell lie Of this. Hop
kins?"
The mark which he was examining
began upon the brasswork on the right
hand side of the keyhole, and ex-
tended for about four inches, where it
a scratched the varnish from the
surface.
II noticed it, Mr.. Holmes, but you'll
always find scratches round a key
hole"
This is recent, quite recent. See how
the brass shines Where it is cut. An
old scratch would be the same color as
the surface. Look at it through my
lens. There's the varnish, too, like
earth on each side of a furrow. Is Mrs.
Marker there?"
A sad-faced, elderly woman came into
the room.
Did you dust this bureau yesterday
mcrning?"
Yes, sir"
Did YOU notice this scratch?"
mo, sir, 1 did not"
II am sure you did not, for a buster
would have swept away these shreds of
varnish. Who has the key of hi
bureau?"
The professor keeps it on his watch
chain"
rs it a simple key?"
mo, sir, it is a Chubb's key"
Very good. Mrs. Marker, you can
go. Now we are making a little prog
,-o,o o,, 1~1,