The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-07-12

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be described, since it serves to illus
trate some of those qualities for which
my friend was remarkable. l will Ell
deaVor, in my statement. to avoid such
terms as would serve to limit the
events to n particular place, or give
a clue as to the people concerned.
We were residing at the time in fur
nished lodgings close to a library where
Sherlock Holmes was pur1uing some
l~aborious researches in early English
charters-reSearches which led to re-
suits so striking that they may be the
subject of one 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 and
eXcitable temperament. I had always
known him to be restless in his manner
but on this particular occasion he was
in such Il state of uncomfortable agi-
tation that it was clear something very
unusual had occurred.
Il trust, Mr.. Holmes, that you can
spare me a few hours of your valuable
III we ildNS ilSlu ii very DilllluI III
cldent 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. II should much prefer thai
you called in the aid Of tie police"
No, no, my dear sir; such a course
is utterly impossible. When once the
law is evoked, it cannot be stayed
again, and this is just one of those
cases where, for the credit of the col
lege, 1t is most essential to avoid a
scandal. Your discretion is as we'll
known as your powers. and you are the
one man in the world who can help
me. beg YOU. Mr.. Holmes, to 10
what you cam"
My friends temper had not improved
since he had been deprived of the con-
genial surroundings of Baker street.
Without his scrap books, his chemicals
his homely untidiness, he was an
uncomfortable man. He shrugged his
shoulders in u~ngracious acquiescence,
while our visitor in hurried words and
with much excitable gesticulation
poured forth his story.
must explain to you, Mr.. Holmes,
THAI tomorrow is the first day of the
examination for the Fortescue scholar
ship. I am one of the examiners. My
subject is Greek, n the first of the
papers cons1ts of a large passage of
Greek translation which the candidate
has not seen. This passage is printed
on the examination paper, n it would
naturally be an immense advantage if
the candidate could prepare Il In ad-
vance. Fol this reason great care is
taken to keep the paper secret.
To-day, about three o'clock, the
proofs of this paper arrived from the
printers. The exercise consists of half
a chapter of T~hucyides. I had to read
it over carefully, as the text must be
absolutely correct. About four-thirty
however to take tea in a friends rooms,
so l left the proof upon my desk. I
was absent rather more than an hour.
You are aware Mr.. Holmes, that our
college doors are double-a green baize
one within II a heavy oak one with
out. AS | approached my outer door,
L was amazed to see a key in it. For
an instant l imagined I had left ny
own there, but on feeling in my pocket
I found that it was all right. The
only duplicate which existed, SO far as
I knew, was that which belonged to
servant, Bannister-a man who has
looked after my room for ten years,
and whose honesty is absolutely above
suspicion. I found that the key was
NiS Ailo SilSa ilS itlS H.
o to know if I wanted tea, and that
had very carelessly left the key in
the door when he came out. His visit to
my room must have been within a
very few minutes of my leaving it.
His forgetfulness about the key would
have mattered little Upon any other oc-
casion, but on this one day it has pro-
duced the most deplorable conse-
quences.
The moment I looked at my table,
I was aware that someone had rum
mayed among my papers,. The proof
was in three long slips. I had left
them all together. Now, I found that
one of them was lying on the floor,
one was on the side table neal the
window, and the third was .-There 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
How could you possibly know
that?"
Pray continue your very Interesting
statement"
For an instant / imagined that Ban
mister had taken h objectionable lib
erty of examining my papers. He de-
it, however, with the utmost earn
estness, n I am convinced that he
speaking the truth. The a.lterna.
tive was that someone passing mao o.
served the key in the door. had known
I was out, and had entered to
look at the papers. A large sum of
money is at stake, for the ~cholarship
is a yery valuable one. an uni
scrlpulous man might vel. seil run a
risk In order to gain an advantage over
his fellows.
"Bannister vas very much upset by
the incident. He had nearly tainted
he found that the papers had
undoubtedly been tempered with. III