Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-07-19
BY a. CONAN DOYLE.
Ix.-THE ADVENTURE OF THREE
STUDENTS.-Conti

! lx.-THE ADVENTURE OF THREE
STUDENTS.econtin
II understands" said Holmes, chat
YOU left your key in the door?"
Yes. SIR"
WAS it not very extraordinary that
you should do this on the very day
when there We're these papers inside?"
1t was most unfortunate. sir. But
have occasionally done the same thing
at other times"
When did YOU enter the room?"
! ut was about 4:3O. That is MIR.
! Soames' tea time
How long did you stay?"
When / saw that he was absent 1
withdrew at once"
Did you look at these papers on the
/, table,"
! mo. sir-certainly not"
How came YOU to leave the key in
the door?'
| Il had the tea tray in my hand. 1
| thought l would come back for the key.
| Then / forgot"
Has the outer door a spring lock %
No. sir
Then it was open all the time?"
Yes sir
anyone in the room could get out Q"
Yes, sir
! when MIR. Soames returned and
turbed?"
Yes sir. Such thing has never
\ happened during the many years that l
have been here. nearly tainted sir
so l understand. Where We're you
when YOU began To feel bad?"
Where was l, sir? Why. here, near
| the door,
THAT is singular, because you sat
down i'm that chair over yonder near
the corner. Why did you pass these
other chairs?''
Il don't know, sir, it didn't matter to
me where l sat-
II really don't think he knew much
/ about it Mr.. dimes. He was looking
very bad--quite CHASTITY"
You stayed here when your master
left?"
only for a minute or so. Then 1
locked the door and Went TO my room.
Whom do you suspect?"
oh, 1 would not venture to say, sir.
l don't believe there is amy gentleman
in this university who is capable OF
profiting by such am action. No, sir,
III not believe it,"
THANK you. that will do" said
Holmes. oh. one more word You
have not mentioned to amy of the three
gentlemen whom you attend that any
thing is amiss?"
NO. sir--not IL word
You haven't seen amy of them?"
mo. sir
Very good. Now. Mr.. soames, we
| Will take a walk i'm the quadrangle, If
| you please"
Three yellow squares of light shone
above us in the gathering gloom.
Your three birds are all In their
nests" said Holmes. looking up. Hal
loa! What's that? One OF them seems
restless enough"
IT was the Indian. whose dark sill
rod n l,tr
blind. He was pacing swiftly up and
| down his room
Il should like to have peep at each
of them." said Holmes. is it pos
sble?"
NO difficulty in the world" soames
the Oldest in the college, and it is not
unusual for visitors to go over them
Come along, and l will personally con-
duct YOU
No names, please." said Holmes. as
we knocked at Chemists door. A tall
flaxen-haired, slim young fellow opened
1T. and made us welcome when he un
derstood our errand. There were some
really curious pieces of medaeval do
1 nestle architecture within. Holmes
was so charmed with one of them that
he insisted on drawing it in his note
book. broke his pencil, had to borrow
one from our host, and finally borrowed
a knife to sharpen his own. The same
curious accident happened to him in
the rooms of the Indiana silent. little
hook-nosed fellow. who eyed US
askance, and was obviously glad wher
Holmes architectural studies had come
to an end. / could not see that III
either case Holmes had come upon the
clue for which he was searching. Only
/ at the third die our visit prove abor-
! tive. The outer door would not oper
to our knock, and nothing more sub
han. tor #
came from behind it. II don't care
who you are. You can go to bazes.'
roared the angry voice. "romorrow's
the exam, and | won't be drawn by
any one
"A rude fellow" said our guide
down the stair. "Of course he did NOT
realize that it was who was Knocking
\ but none the less his conduct was very
uncourteous and, indeed. under The
circumstances rather suspicious"
Holmes response Was a curious one
"C;ln you tell me his exact height 2
he asked.
.Really. Mr. Holmes, ! cannot under
take to say. He is taller than Tho. In
dian, not so tall as C;ilchrist. sup.
pose FIVE foot six would be about it.
That is very important" sale
wish you goodnight
Our guide cried aloud in his aston
ishment and dismay. Good gracious
Mr.. Holmes, you are surely not going
to leave me in this abrupt fashion,
/ You don't seem to realize the position
Tomorrow is the examination. mus
take some definite action tonight
cannot allow the examination to be-
held IL one of the papers has oeen tam
pered with. The situation must be
faced"
You must leave it as 1T is. I shall
drop round early tomorrow morning
and chat the matter over 1t is posi-
BILE that l may be in a position Their
to Indicate some course of action
Meanwhile, you change nothing-noth
ing at ALL"
Very good. Mr.. Holmes"
You can be perfectly easy in you
mind. We shall certainly find som,
way out of your difficulties. l viii
take the black clay with me, also tn,
pencil cuttings. Goodby."
When we We're out in the darkness:
of the quadrangle we again looked vi
a: the windows. The Indian still paced
his room. The others were invisible.
Well. Watson. what do you think o.
it?" Holmes asked, as we came GU
into the main street quite II little
parlor game-sort of three card trick
is it not? There are your three men
1t must be one of them. You take your
choice Which is yours?"
The foul-mouthed fellow at the top
He is the one with the worst record
And yet that Indian WAS sly fellow
also. Why should he be pacing hi.
room all the time?"
IT.,