The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-04
xuI.-Ing ApvENTuRe OF rHE
SECOND. STAiN.---coutinusd


Look here. Isestrade." said he. has
that constable In the passage been In
charge OF the place all the time
Yea he has"
"well. take my advice. Examine him
carefully. Don't do II before us. Wen
walt here. You take him Into the back
room. You'll be more likely TO get
n confession out OF him alone. As him
how he dared TO admit people and leave
them alone In this room Don't ask
him n he has done II. Take II for
granted. Tell him you know someone
has been here. Press him. Tell him
that full confession II HIS only chance
of forgiveness. Do exactly what tell
youi"
by George. n he knows I'll have u
out OF himi" cried Lcstrade. He dart
ed into the hall. and n few moments
later his bullying voice sounded from
the back room.
with frcnzIed eagerness. All the de-
moniacai force OF toe man masked be-
hind that listless manner burst out In
n paroxysm OF energy. He tore the
druggct from the floor. and In an In
slant was down on his hands ciawing
at each OF the squares OF wood beneath
IL. One turned sideways as he dug his
nails into the edge OF 10. II hinged
back like the lid OF n box. A small
black cavity opened beneath e. Holmes
plunged his eager hand into II. and
drew IL out with n bitter smart OF an
ger and disappointment. II was empty.
''ouick. Watson. quick. Get u back
againi" The wooden lid was replaced.
and the drugget had only just been
drawn straight when Lestrndes voice
was heard In the passage. He found
Holmes leaning languidly against the
mRntlepiecc. resigned and patient. en-
deavoring TO conceal his irrepressible
yawns
Sorry 20 keep you waiting. Mr..
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 pcni-
tent. sided into the room.
Il meant no harm. sir. I'm sure. The
young woman came TO the door last
eveping--rnistook the house. she did.
And then we got TO talking. It's lone
some. when you're on duty here all
day"
swell. what happened them
"She wanted 20 see where the crime
was done-hnd read about IL I'm the
papers, she said. She was n very re-
spectacle. wcIi-spoken young woman.
sir, and l saw no harm In letting her
have n peep. When she saw that mark
on the carpet. down she dropped on the
floor. and lay as IL she were dead. I
ran TO the back and got some water.
but l could not bring her To. Then
Plant for some brandy. and by the time
I had brought IL back the young
woman had recovered and was or
ashamed OF herself / daresny. and dar-
ed not face me-
How about moving that drugget7'
well. sir. II was bit rumpled. GER.
tninly. when I came back. You see. she
fell on II and IL lies on n polished floor
with nothing to keep IL In place.
Strengthened IL out afterwnrd."
IT'S lesson TO you that you can't
deceive me. Constable MACPHERSON"
said Lcstrade. with dignity. NO doubt
you thought that your breach OF duty
could never be discovered. and yet a
mere glance ut 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. or you would find yourself in
Queer street. I'm sorry to have called
you down over such a petty business.
Mr.. Holmes. but I thought the point
OF the second stain not corresponding
with the FIRST would interest you"
Certainly. Il was most interesting.
Has this woman only been here once,
constable?"
Yes. sir. only once"
who was sheg'
Don't know the name. sir. Was an
swering an advertisement about type
writing. and came TO the WRONG num-
| ber--very pleasant. genteel young
woman. sir"
Tall? Hnndsome?"
Yes. sir. she was n well-grown
| young woman. I suppose you might
say she was handsome. Perhaps some
would say she was very handsome.
| oh. officer. do let me have n peepl'
says she. She had pretty. coaxing
ways. as YOU might saw. and I thought
there was no harm In letting her Just
put her head through the door"
"How was she dressedg''
Quiet, sir--a long mantle down TO
her feet"
what time was IT."
1T was Just growing dusk at the
time. They were lighting the lamps as
/ came back with the brandy"
VERY good" said Holmes. Come.
| Watson. think that we have more i'm,
portant work elsewhere"
As we left the house Lcstradc remained
IN the front room. while the rcpcntant con.
stable opened the door 90 let us out
Holmes turned on the step aid held up
something In his hand. The constable
stared intently.
Good Lord, sir" he cried. with amaze.
ment on his face. Holmes put his finger
on his lips. replaced his hand Ia his breast
pocket. and burst out laughing as We
turned down the street. Excellent" said
he. Gene. friend Watson. the curtain
rings up for the last act. You viii hs
relieved TO hear that there viii be no war
that tho Right Honorable Trelnwncy Hope
will suffer no setback In his brilliant ca.
rcer, that the indlEcrcct sovereign will re-
cclve no punishment for his lndscrction
that the prime minister will have no Eu
ropoan complication TO deal with. and that
with little tact and management upon
our part nobody Will be penny the wOrs,
for wha' might have been n very ugly In
cidcns"
My mind filed with admiration for thii
extraordinary man.
you have solved it, cried
! "Fardly that. Watson. There are SONS
points which are as dark ever. But W.
have so much that Il will be our own faul
II We cannot get the rest. We will ~
straight to whitehall Terrace and brlni
the matter to a mead"
when we arrived at the residence o.
the European secretary II was for Ladl
Hilda Trclnwney Hope that Sherloci
Holmes Inquired. We were shown into tn