The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-03-01
1.-THE ADVENTURE OF the
NORWOOD BUIlDE ontinued.

the keenest interest upon his face.
There are some points about that
document. Lestrndc. are there not"
said he. pushing them over.
The official looked ut them with n
puzzled expression.
Il can read the first few lines. and
these I'm the middle of the second page.
and one or two at the end. Those
are ns clear as print" said he. but
the writing IN between II very bad. and
there are three places where cannot
read IL ut all"
what do you make of that" said
Holmes.
Well. what do you make OF L."
That Il was written In "A train. The
good writing represents stations. the
bad writing movement. and the very
bad writing passing over points.
scientific expert would pronounce at
once that this was drawn up on
suburban line, since nowhere save In
the immediate vicinity OF "A great city
could there be so quick n succession OF
points. Granting that his whole jour
ney was occupied In drawing up the
will. then the train was an express.
oriy stopping once between Norwood
and London Bridge.
Lestrade began to laugh.
You are too many for me when you
begin to get on your theories, Mr.
Holmes" said he. How does this bear
on the case"
well. Il corroborates the young
mans story To the extent that the will
was drawn UP by Jonas oidacre In his
Journey yesterday. II is curious-is IL
not that n man should draw up so
important document In so haphazard
n fashion. IL suggests that he did not
think Il was going to be OF much prac-
teal importance. II man drew up n
viii which he did not intend ever TO be
/ effective. he might do Il 60"
well. he drew UP his own death
warrant at the same time" said Les
trade.
"oh. you think So"
Don't you
Well. IL IL quite possible. but the
case IL not clear to me yet"
Not clear? Well. II that isn't clear.
what could be clear? Here In n young
man who learns suddenly that. IL a
certain older man dies. he will succeed
TO fortune. What does he do? lie
says nothing 90 anyone. but he ar
ranges that he shall GO out on some
prctext TO see his client that night.
He waits until the only other person
In the house Is In bed. and then I'm the
solitude OF the mans room he muir
I ders him. burns his body In the wood
pile. and departs To a neighboring hotel.
I The blood stains I'm the room and also
on the stick are very slight. IL ~
probable that he imagined his crime
Co be n bloodless one. and hoped that
II the body were consumed IL would
hide all traces OF the method of his
death--trnces OF which. for some rea-
son must have pointed To him. II not
all this obvious
1T strikes me. my good Lestradc. rs
being just n tribe too obvious" said
Holmes. You do not add imagination
TO your other great qualities. but " you
could for one moment put yourself In
the place OF this young man. would you
choose the very night after the VIII
had been made 10 commit your crime =
Would 10 not seem dangerous To you
TO make 40 very close a relation be-
tween the two incidents? Again.
would you choose an occasion when
you are known to be I'm the house. when
a servant has let you In? And. finally,
would you take the great pains to
conceal the body. and yet leave your
own stick IA sign that you were the
criminal? Confess. Lestrade. that all
this In very unlikely"
AS TO the stick. Mr.. Holmes. you
know ns well as I do that a criminal
IL often Hurried. and does such things,
which n cool man would avoid. He was
very likely afraid 10 go back To- the
room. Give me another theory that
would 1T the facts"
Il could easily give you half a dozen. s.
said Holmes. Here. for example. In
a very possible and even probable one.
make yosi a free present OF IL. The
older man IL showing documents which
are OF evident value. A passing tramp
sees them through the window. the
blind OF which r. only half down. Exit
the solicitor. Enter the tramp, He
seizes n stick. which he observes there
kills oldacre. and departs after burn
Ing the body"
why should the tramp burn the
body"
FOR the matter OF that. why should
o. McFar.aneF"
TO hide some evidence"
Possibly the tramp wanted 90 hide
that any murder at all had been com.
United"
And why did the tramp take moth,
: ing7"
Because they were papers that h,
: could not negotiate"
Lestrade shook his head. though q
: seemed TO me that his manner wa,
!. less absolutely assured than before.
well. Mr.. Sherlock Holmes. you ma,
o look for your tramp. and while you arr
!, finding him we VIII hold on To our man
!, The future will show which IL right
a Just notice this point. Nr. Holmes
q that so far as we know. none OF tn
o papers were removed. and that tn
prisoner Is the one man In the wori,
. who had TO reason Tor removing them
J.. since lac was heir-nt-law. and woul
a come into them In any case"
J. My friend seemed struck by this re-
l. mark.
!, Il don't mean 10 deny that the EVIL
z dcnce is In some ways very strongl
i In favor OF your theory" said ne.
u only wish to point out that there ar
n other theories possible. ~ you sal
"a the future will decide Good morn
ing, dare say that In the course q
y the day shall drop In at Norwood an
u see how you are getting on"
p When the detective departed ~
l. friend rose and made his preparation
ic for the days work with the alert nj
a 81 man who has i Congcnial task b.
IN fore him.
My first movement Watson" pal
N he. as hc BUSTED into his frock Goa
s must. as ! said. Ice IN the direction
y BlnCkhcath."
n And why not Norwood?
" Because We have la this case OF
y. singular incident coming close To- q
Oh heels OF another singular inc
20 dent. Tho police are making q
~ mistake Of concentrating their a
~ tcntion upon the second.
10 cause IL happens To be the one viii,
In actually criminal. But 10 n ev
den TO me that the logical way To al
=, proach the case ~ Co begin by tryIi
-, TO throw some light upon the FIRST II
" eident-the curious will. so sudden
~ ...a. ,nn 90 an unarnarfad ~ D..