Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-08-09
x.-THE ADVENTURE OF THE
GOLDEN Observation-Disclosures.

t'iS zap a.t IN hAGl biAAy II VI
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 ono has SALEM
off and been replaced. l should judge
that the older OF them has not been
there more than Il few months. They
exactly correspond. 50 | gather that the
lady vent back to the same establish
ment for the second"
by George, it is marvelous." cried
Hopkins, In an ecs,acy of admiration.
ITO think that l had all that evidence
in my hand and never knew ii. l had
intended, however, to go the round of
the London opticians"
O course YOU would. Meanwhile,
have you anything more to tell us about
the case?"
Nothing. Mr.. Holmes. l think that
you know as much as l dc ~now-prob-
ably more. We have had INQUIRIES
made as 10 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 Il ghost of a motive can
anyone suggest"
All! there | am not in Il position to
help you. But l suppose you want us
to come out tomorrow"
If it Is not asking too much. Mr..
Holmes. There's Il train from Charing
Cross to Chatham at six in the morn
ing. and We should be at Yoxley Old
Place between eight and nine"
Then we shall take it. Your case
has certainly some features of great
interest. and l shall be delighted to
look into it. Well. it's nearly one. and
we bad best get Il few hours sleep.
l 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"
Tho un1p had h1nu-,, ;tcnIc o.t $780,.
day. but it was a bitter morning when
we started upo our journey. We saw
the cold winter sun rise over the dreary
marshes of the Thames n the long.
sullen reaches of the river. which
shall ever associate with our pursuit OF
the Andaman Islander in the earlier
days of career. After Il long and
weary journey, We alis!lted at a small
station some miles from Chatham.
While n horse was being put into a trap
at the local inn, we snatchcd u hurried
breakfast, and so We were all ready
for business when We at last arrived at
YoXley Old Place. \ constable met us
at the garden gate.
well. Wilson. any news?'
mo. sir-nothing."
n reports of any stranger SEEM"
mo, sir. Down at the station they
are certain that no stranger either
came or went Yesterday"
IlsiNc YOU ll!u injuries made ut inns
and l~odgings?"
Yes. sir; there is no one thai we
cannot account for"
We'll, its only q reasonable walk to
Chatham. Anyone might stay there or
take a train without being observed.
This is the garden path OF which /
spoke. Mr.. Holmes. I'll pledge my word
there was no mark OH ii yesterday.'
ION which side were the marks on
the grass
This side, sir. This narrow margin
of grass bctween the path ana the
tlowerbod- L can't see the traces now,
but they We're clear to me then
Yes. yes; someone has passed along"
said Holmes, STOPPING over the grass
border. our lady must have picked
her steps carefully. nus she not, since
on h one side She would leave n
track ON the path. and on the other an
ever clearer II ON the soft bed
Yes, Sir. she must have been a cool
hand
1 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 Il very remarkable
performance-very remarkable. We'll. |
mink we have exhausted the path. Let
us go farther. This garden door is
usually kept open, | suppose? Then
this visitor had nothing to do but Ia
walk IN. II idea of murder was not
IN her mind. or she would have pro-
Vided 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
the cocoanut mating. Then she found
h--N'f in this study. How long was
she there? We have no means of
judging"
Not more than a few minutes. sir.
l forgot to tell you that Mrs. Marker.
the h~ousekeeper. had been in there
tldy1ng not very long before-about a
quarter OF an hour, she says
We'll, that gives us = limit. Our
lady enters this ROOM. and what does
she 40? she goes over to the writing
table. What for? Not for anything
in the drawers. If there had been any
thing worth her taking, 1t would sure
ly nave 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 4 match. Watson.
Why did you not tell lie of this. Hon
kins?"
The mark which he was examining
began upon h brasswork on the right
hand side of the keyhole. and ex-
tended for about -four inches, where II
had 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 ZACH side of a furrow. Is Mrs.
Marker there?"
A sad-faced, elderly woman came into
the room.
Did o dust his bureau Yesterday
morning."
Yes, sir"
Die you notice this scratch"
NO. sir, did not"
II am sure you did not. for a buster
would nave swept away these shreds of
varnish. Who has the key of this
bureau"
The professor keeps it on his watch
rs it n simple key"
NO. sir. ii is a Chubb's key"
Very good. Mrs. Marker. you can
go. Now we are making a little prog
ress. Our lady enters the room. adj
fances to the hureau and either opens
1t or tries to do So. While she is linus
engaged. young N"llloughby Smith en-
tors Tie ggonl. IN her hurry 10 win
80. 49,