The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-13

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be described, since it serves to Illus
trate some of those qualities for Which
my friend was remarkable. l will en-
deavor, in my statement. to avoid such
terms as would serve to limit the
events to any particular place, or give
a clue as to the people concerned.
We were residing at the time in fur
snished lodgings close to a library where
Sherlock Holmes was pursuing some
iaboriOus researches in early English
.charters-researches which led to re-
suits so striking that they may be the
subject of n of my future narratives.
Here it was that one evening we re-
.Ceived a visit from an acquaintance,
Mr.. Hilton Soames, tutor and lecturer
at the college of st. Luke's. Mr.. Soames
was a tall, spare man, of nervous and
.excitable temperament. I a always
klaOWtl Il1l5 10 UG ESSllCSS III Ills Ii1dllllGI,
but on this particular occasion he was
IN such a state of uncomfortable agi-
tation that it was clear something very
unusual had occurred.
II trust, Mr.. Holmes, that you can
spare me a few hours of your valuable
time. We have had a very painful in
scident at st. Luke's, and really, but for
the happy chance of your being in
town, I should have been at a loss
what to do"
II am very busy just now, and I de-
sire no distractions" my friend an
swered IT should much prefer that
you called in h aid of the police"
mo, no, my dear sir; such a course
'is utterly impossible. When n ce the
again. and his is just one of those
eases where, for the credit of the col
lege, it is most essential to avoid a
scandal. Your discretion is as we'll
known as your overs, and you are the
sone man in he world who can help
me. I beg YOU, Mr.. Holmes. to do
what you
My friends temper had not improved
since he a been deprived of the con-
genial surroundings of Baker street.
Without his scrap books, his chemicals
II his homely untidiness. he was an
uncomfortable man. He shrugged his
shoulders in ungracious acquiescence.
WAllS Jul NlSllOI III IuITleu WOFOS dllu
with much excitable g~esticulation
poured forth his story.
must explain to you, Mr.. Holmes,
thai tomorrow is b first day of the
/. examination for the Fortescue scholar
: ship. I am one Of the examiners. My
I: subject is Greek. and the first of the
i papers consits OF a large passage Of
Greek translation which the candidate
has not seen. This passage is printed
ON the examination paper, and it would
naturally be an immense advantage IL
the candidate could prepare 1t in ad-
vance. For this reaso great care is
taken to keep the paper secret.
To-day, about three o'clock, the
proofs of his paper arrived from the
printers. The exercise consists of half
a chapter of Thucyides. I had to read
1t ove carefully, as the text must be
absolutely correct. About four-thirty
my task was not yet completed. I had,
however to take tea in a friends rooms,
SO I left the proof upon my desk. l
was absent rather more than an hour.
rYou are aware Mr.. Holmes, that our
college doors are double-a green baize
one within and a heavy oak one with
out. AS I approached my outer door,
I was amazed to see a key in it. For
an instant I imagined 1 had left my
oWn there. but on feeling in my pocket
I found that it was all right. The
only duplicate which existed, SO far as
L knew, was hat which belonged to
my servant, Bannister-a man who has
looked after my room for ten years,
ard whose honesty is absolutely above
suspicion. I found that the key was
indeed his, hat he had entered my
room to know if I wanted tea, and that
he had very carelessly left the key In
The doOr when he came out. His visit to
my room u have been within a
very few minutes of my leaving it.
His forgetfulness about the key would
have mattered little upon N other oc-
CASTOR. but OF this one day 1t has pro-
duced the most deplorable conse-
Quences.
The moment 1 looked at my table,
n was aware hat someone had rum
.fnaged among my papers The proof
was in three long slips. / had left
them all together. Now, I found that
sone of them was lying on the floor,
one was on the side table near the
window. and the third was where I had
left it."
Holmes stirred for the first time.
The first page on the floor, the sec.
>ond in the window, the third where you
left It," said he.
Exactly, Mr.. Holmes. You amaze
me. How could you possibly nov
that?"
pray continue your very interestine
statement"
For an instant I imagined that Ban.
mister had taken the objectionable lib.
.erty of examining my papers. He de.
anied it, however. with the utmost earn.
~.estness, and I am convinced that he
wa speaking the truth. The a1terra.
tive was hat meon passing nad %.
served the key in the door, had known
that I was out, and had entered te
look at the papers. A large sum OF
money is at stake, for the scholarship
is a very valuable one. an un,
scrupulous man might vel ell run a
risk in order to gain an advantage ove
his fellows.
..Bannister was very much upset by
the incident. He had nearly tainted
when he found that the papers had
undoubtedly been tempered with.