Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-09-28
BY A. CONAN Y
Copyright. 1908.
by Mcclure. Phiilips a Co.

holmes, Tor having FeIuSeQ 10 Spedh
more freely, and you on your side viii
not. / am sure, think the worse OF me
because / desire, even against his will
to share my husbands anxieties. once
more / beg that you will say nothing
Of my visit
She looked back at us from the door
and ] had a last impression Of that
beautiful haunted face, the startled
! eyes, and the drawn mouth. Then she
was gone.
Now, Watson, the fair sex is your
department" said Holmes. with a smile
when the dwindling frou-frou of skirts
had ended in the slam of the front
door. What was the fair lady's game
What did she really want?'
Surely her w abatement il clear
and her anxiety very natural
Fun! Think of her appearance,
Watson-her manner, her suppressed
excitement, her restlessness, her ten
acity in asking questions. Remember
that she comes of a caste who do not
lightly show emotion
She was certainly much moved"
Remember also the curious earnest
ness with which she assured us that
1t was best for her husband that she
should know all. What did she mean
by that? And you must have observ-
ed. Watson. how she m"aneuvered to
have the light at her back. She did
not wish us to read her expression"
Yes, she chose the one chair in the
room"
And yet the motives of women are
so inscrutable. You remember the
woman at Margate whom I suspected
for the same reason. No powder on
her nose-that proved to be IN cor
rect solution. How can you build on
such a q~uicksand? Their most trivial
action may mean volumes, or their
most extraordinary conduct may de-
pend upon a hairpin or a curling tongs.
Good morning, Watson"
you are off ?"
Eyes. I will while away the morning
at Godolphin street with our friends
of the regular establishment. With
Eduardo Lucas lies the solution of
our problem, though l must admit that
/ have not an inkling as to what form
1t may take, 1t is n capital mistake
to theorize in advance of the facts.
Do you stay on guard, my good Wat
son, n receive any fresh visitors. I'll
join you at lunch if l am able"
All that day and the neXr and the
ext Holmes was in a mood which
his friends would call taciturn, and
others morose. He ran out and ran in.
smoked necessarily, played snatches on
his violin. sank into reverie3. devour-
ed sandwiches at irregular hours, and
hardly answered the casual questions
which / put TO him. 1t was evident
to me that things were not going well
with him or his quest. He would say
nothing Of the case, and it was from
the papers that ! learned the particu-
lars of the inquest, and the arrest with
the subsequent release Of John Milton,
the valet Of the deceased. The cor
oner's jury brought in the obvious
"Wilful Murder" but the parties re-
manned as unknown as ever. No mo-
tive was suggested. The room was full
of articles of value, but none had been
taken. The dead mans papers had not
been tempered with. They were care
fully examined, and showed that he
was a keen student OF international
politics, an interchangeable gossip, a re-
markable %linguist, and an untiring let
ter writer. He had been on intimate
terms with the leading politicians OF
several countries. But nothing sensa-
tional was discovered among the docu-
ment3 which filled his drawers. AS to
his relations with women, they appear
ed to have beer promiscuous but sup
CRITICAL. He had many acquaintance
them, but few friends. and no
one whom he loved. His habits were
regular, his conduct inoffensive. His
death was an absolute mystery. and
likely to remain SO.
As to the arrest Of John Milton, the
valet, it was a council of despair as
an alternative to absolute inaction. But
no case could be sustained against him.
He had visited friends in Hammer
smith that night. The alibi was COM
plete. 1t is true that he started home
at an hour which should have
brought him to Westminster before
tha fir0a yNhnn fhn orinaa NruC die
covered, but his own explanation that
he had walked part of the way
seemed probable enough in view of the
fneness of the night. He had actually
arrived at II o'clock, and appeared to
be overwhelmed by the unexpected
tragedy. He had always beer on good
terms with his master. Several of the
dead mans possessions-notably n
small case of raZors-had been found
in the Wallets boxes, but he explained
that they had been presents from the
deceased, and the housa5eeper was able
to c~orroborate the story. Milton had
been in Lucas employment for three
years. 1t was noticeable hat Lucas
did not take Milton on the continent
with him. Sometimes he visited Paris
for three months on end, but Milton
was left in charge of the Godolphin
street house. AS TO the housekeeper.
she had heard nothing on the night of
the crime. If her master had n visi-
tor he had himself admitted him.
So for three mornings the mystery
remained, so far as | could follow it
In the papers. If Holmes knew more.
he kept his own counsel, but, as he told
me that Inspector Lestrade had taken
him into his confidence in the case, |
knew that he was in close touch with
every development. Upon the fourth
day there appeared a long telegram
from Paris which seemed to solve the
whole question.
"A discovery has just beer made by
the Parisian police" said the Daily
Telegraph. which raises the veil which
hung round the tragic fate of Mr.. Edu-
ardo Lucas, who met his dea;h Sy PRO
lence last Monday night at Godolphin
street, Westminster. Our readers will
remember that the deceased gentleman
was found stabbed in his room, and
hat some suspicion attached TO his
valet, but that the ease broke down or
an alibi. Yesterday a lady. who has
been known as Nine. Henri Fournaye
occupying a small villa In the Rue Aus,
terlitz. YVES reported 10 the authorities
by her servants as being insane. Al
examination showed that she had in.
deed developed mania of a dangerou:
and permanent form. On inquiry. TIT
police have discovered that Mime. Henri
Fournaye only returned from a journe,
to London On Tuesday last. and Their
Is evidence to connect her with tn,
crime at Westminster. A comparison
OF photographs has proved conclusive,
ly that M. Henri Fournaye and Edu