Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-05
XllI.-THE ADVENTURE OF THE
SECOND STAlN.-Continucd.

We'll, take my advice. Examine hin
carefully. Don't DO IL before us. WEI
wait here. You take him into the baCl
room. Youll be more likely TO &c
a confession out Of him alone. As hin
how he dared TO admit people and icav,
them alone in this DOM. Don't asI
him If he has done it. Take it 70
granted. Tell him you know someon
has been here. Press him. Tell hin
that "A full confession is his only chanc.
Of forgiveness. DO exactly what tel
youi"
by George, IL he knows I'll have i
out or him. cried Lestrade. lie dart.
ed into the hall. and a few moment.
later his bullying voice sounded from
the back room.
Now, Watson, now" cried Holmes
with frenZied eageTness. All the de,
moniacai force of the man masked be
hind that ~listless manner burst out II
a paroXysm of energy. He tore the
drugget from the floor, and in an in
slant was down on his hands clawing
at each of the squares of wood beneath
1t. one turned sideways rs he dug his
nails into the edge of Il. It hinged
back like the lid of a box. \ small
: black cavity opened beneath ii. Holmes
plunged his eager hand INTO it, and
drew it out with a bitter snarl of an
ger and disappointment. II was empty.
QdiNhs dlSpilt iulth ptl II DUCK
again!" The wooden lid was replaced,
and the drugget had only just been
drawn straight when Lestrade's voice
was heard in the passage. He found
Holmes leaning languidly against the
m~antlepiece, resigned and patient, en-
~deavoriEC TO conceal his irrepressible
avn
Sorry to keep you waiting. Mr..
Holmes. ! can see that you are bored
to death with the whole affair. Well,
he has confessed, all right. Come in
here, Macpherson. Let these gentle
men hear of your most ineXcusable
conduct
The big constable. very hot and peni-
tent, sided into the room.
Il meant no harm, sir. I'm sure. The
young woman came to the door last
evening-mistook the house, she did.
And then we got TO talking. It's lone
some, when you're IN duty here all
day"
well. what happened Their >"
She wanted to see where the crime
was done-hsd read about il in the
papers, she said. She was a very re-
spectacle. ~well-spoken young woman
sir, and / say no harm in letting her
have Il peep. When she saw that mark
on the carpet, down she dropped on The
floor, and lay as If she were dead. |
ran 10 the Jack and got some water,
but l could not bring her to. Then 1
went around the corner TO the Ivy
Plant for soroe brandy, and by the time
l had brought it back the young
woman had recovered and was Off
ashamed of herself, ] daresay, and dar-
ed not face me-"
How about moving that drugget?'
Well, sir, it was a bit rumpled. GER
tatniy, when | came back. You see, she
fell on il and 1t lies on a polished floor
with nothing 10 keep it in place. I
Strengthened it out afterward."
It's a lesson to you that YOU can't
deceive me, Constable MACPHERSON"
said Lestrade, with dignity. NO doubt
you thought that your breach OF duty
could never be discovered, and yet a
mere glance at that drugget was
enough to convince me that someone
had been admitted To the room. It's
lucky for you, my man, that nothing is
missing, OF you would find yourself I'm
Queer street. I'm sorry to have called
you down over such a petty business,
Mr.. Holmes. but l thought the point
of the second stain not corresponding
with the first would interest you"
Certainly, 1t was most interesting,
Has this woman only been here once,
constable?"
Yes. sir, only once"
"Who was she?"
Don't know the name. sir. Was an
swering an advertisements about type
writing, and came to the wrong mum
ber-very pleasant, gentecl young
woman, sir"
TALL. Handsome"
Yes, sir. she was a well-grown
young IN / suppose you might
say she was handsome. Perhaps some
would say she was very handsome.
oh, officer, do let me have a peep,'
avs she. She had pretty, coaxing
ways as vol might say, and | thought
there was no harm in letting her just
put her head through the door,
How was she dressed?"
Quiet, sir-a long mantle down to
her feet"
What time was it?"
1T was just growing dusk at the
time. They We're lighting the lamps as
/ anne back with the brandy"
Very good" said Holmes. Come,
Watson, | think that we have more inn
portant work elsewhere
AS we left the house Lestrade remained
In the front room, while the repentant con-
stable opened the door to let us out.
Holmes turned on the step and held up
something in his hand. The constable
stared i~ntently.
Good Lord. sir" he cried, with amaze
ment on his face. Holmes put his finger
III iio hp1, lSIl0NCd HIS udHu III MS breast
pocket, and burst out laughing as we
turned down the street. Excellent said
he. Come, friend Watson, the curtain
rings up for the last act. You will be
relieved TO hear that there will be no war.
that the Right Honorable Trelawney Hope
Will suffer no setback in his brilliant ca
rcer, that the indiscreet sovereign will re-
ceive no punishment for his indiscretion,
that the prime minister will have no Eu-
ropean complication to deal with. and that
with q little tact and management upon
our part nobody will be a penny the worse
for what might have been a very ugly in
cident."
My mind filed with admiration for this
extraordinary man.
You have solved IT." / cried,
Hardly that, Watson. There arc some
points which are as dark as ever. But We
IL we cannot get the rest. We will go
straight TO Whitehall Terrace and bring
the matter TO a mead"
When We arrived at the residence OF
the European secretary II was for Lady
Hilda Trelawney Hope that Sherlock
Holmes inquired. We were shown into the
morning room.
MIR. Holiness said the lady. and heI
face was pink In her indignation, this
Is surely most unfair and ungenerous upon
your part. i desired. as / have explained
to keep my visit 10 you Il secret, lest my
husband should think that l was in.
truding into his affairs. And yet yea
compromise me by coming here and sc
showing that there are business rela