Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-07-12
stair as you entered the outer door ?.,,

broke his pencil, and had, as you OBJ
serve, to sharpen it again. This is OF
interest, Watson. The pencil was not
an ordinary one. 1t was above the
usual size, with soft lead. the outer
color was dark blue. the makers name
was printed in silver lettering, and the
piece remaining Is only about an inch
and a half long. Look for such a pen
ell, MIR. SSoames, and you have got your
man. When add that he possessed
n large and very blunt knife. you have
an additional aid"
Mr.. Soames was somewhat over
whelmed by this flood of information.
II can follow the other points" said he.
but really, in this matter of the
length
Holmes held out small chip with
the letters nm anG space of clear
wood after Them
You see?"
NO. l fear that even now
Watson, 1 have always done you
an injustice. There are others. What
could this mn be? 1t is at the end
of word You are aware that Johann
Faber is the most common makers
name Is it not clear that there is
Just as much of the pencil left as usu-
ally follows the johanna" He held the
small table sideways to the electric
light. Il was hoping that if the paper
on which he wrote was thin, some trace
of it might come through upon this
pol4Situ ANO, SEE IlOlN1nR.
don't think there is anything more to
be learned here. Now for the central
table. This small pellet is, presume.
the black, doughty mass you spoke of.
Roughly pyramidal in shape and hol-
lowed out, l perceive. AS you say,
there appear to be grains of sawdust
in it. Dear me, this is Very interest
ing. And the cut--a positive tear,
see. 1t began with a thin scratch and
ended in Il jagged hole am much
indebted to you for directing my at
tention to this case, Mr.. Soames.
Where does that door lead to?"
ITO my bedroom"
Have you been in it since your adj
venture?"
NO, 1 came straight awaS' for YOU
II should like to have a glance round.
What IL charming, old fashioned room
Perhaps you will kindly Wait a min
ute, until l have examined the floor.
No, i see nothing. What about this
curtain? You hang your clothes be-
hind it. ii anyone We're forced to con-
ce;ll himself i'm this room he must do it
there, since the bed is too low and the
wardrobe too shallow. No one there.
| suppose"
AS Holmes drew the curtain I was
aware, from some little rigidity and
alertness of his attitude. that he was
prepared for AN emergency. AS Il mat
ter of fact, the drawn curtain disclosed
nothing but three or four suits of
clothes hanging from a line of pegs.
Holmes turned away, and stopped sud-
denly to the floor.
"Halloa. What's this?" said he.
1t was a small pyramid of black. put
tS-like stuff. exactly like the one upon
the table of the study. Holmes held 1t
out on his open palm in the glare of
the electric light.
Your visitor seems to have left
traces in your bedroom as we'll as in
your sitting room. Mr.. Soames.
What could he have wanted there?"
II think it is clear enough. You came
back by an unexpected way, and so he
had no warning until you We're at the
| very door. What could he do? He
caught up everything which would be-
tray him, and he rushed into your bed
| room to conceal himself"
Good gracious. MIR. Holmes, do you
mean to tell me that. all the time was
talking to Bannister in this room. we
had the man prisoner if we had only
| known it?s
$50 read it,
Surely there is another alternative,
Mr.. Holmes j don't know whether you
| observed my bedroom Window"
| 'Lattice-paned, lead framework, three
| separate windows, one swinging on
hinge, and large enough to admit
| man."
EXACTLY And it looks out on an
angle of the courtyard so as to be
| partly invisible. The man might have
I effected his entrance there, left traces
us he passed through the bedroom and
| finally, finding the door open, have es-
4 capped that way.
| Holmes shook his head impatiently.
Let us be practical" said he. II
understand you to say that there are
three students who use this stair, and
are in the habit of passing your door,"
| Yes, there are.
And they are all in for this exami-
nation?"
Yes"
Have YOU any reason TO suspect any
one of them more than the others?"
1T is a very delicate question:" said
Soamcs. "One hardly likes to throw
suspicion whore there are no proofs"
Let us hear the suspicious. l will
look after the proofs
| II will tell you, in a few words the
! character of the three men who in
habit these rooms. The lower of the
three is Ciilchrist q fine scholar and
athlete, plays in the Rugby team and
the cricket team for the college. and
got his blue for the hurdles and the
1 long jump He is a fine, manly fellow.
| His father was the notorious Sir Jabez
Gilchrist. who ruined himself on the
turf. My scholar has been left very
poor, but lie is hard-worlling and indus
trious. He will do Well.
The second floor is inhabited by
Daulal Ras, the Indian. He is a quiet.
| inscrutaole fellow as most of those
Indians are. He is Well up in his
work. though his Greek is his weak
subject. He is steady ANA methodical.
The top floor belongs to Miles Nc
Laren. He is a brilliant fellow when
he chooses to work-one of the bright
est intellects of the university; but he
is maynard dissipated. and unprin-
cipled. He was nearly expelled over
u card scandal i'm his first year. He
has been idlng all this term, and he
| must look forward with dread to the
4 examination
Then it is he whom you suspect?"
Il dare not go so far as that. But,
of the three. he is perhaps the least
unlikely"
Exactly. Now. Mr. soames, let us
have look at your servant, Bannis-
| ter
He was Il little, w-.lite-faced, clean
shaven grizzly haired fellow of so. He
WAS still suffering from this sudden
| disturbance of the quiet routine of his
life. His plump face was twitching
With his nervousness, and his fingers
could not keep still.
We are investigating this unhappy
business. Bannister." said his master.
Yes. sir
Continued Next Week.
Raising Girl the Wrong Way.
Atchison Globe: An Atchison girl
of fifteen gets up in the morning, eats