The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-07-12

"a 80
be described. since II serves TO Illus
.rate some Of those qualities for which
my friend was remarkable. 1 VIII en-
ieavor. I'm my statement. to avoid such
terms as would serve TO limit the
events To n particular place. or give
q clue as to the people concerned.
We were residing nj the time In fur
nished lodgings close TO a library where
Sherlock Holmes was purnuing some
laborious 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 Il was that n evening we re-
seived n visit from an acquaintance.
Mr.. Hilton Soames. tutor and lecturer
at the college OF 81. Luke's. Mr.. Soamcs
n n tall, spare man. OF nervous n
sxcitable temperament. l had always
known him To be restless In his manner
but on this particular occasion he was
In such u state OF uncomfortable agi-
tation that IL was clear something very
unusual had occurred.
II trust. Mr.. Holmes. that you oan
spare me "A few our OF your valuable
! time. We have had "A very painful In
cident at -. Luke's. and really. but for
the happy chance OF your being In
town. I should have been nj "A loss
what To do"
II nm very busy Just now. and / de-
sire no distractions" my friend an
swered. II should much prefer that
you called In the aid OF the police"
mo. no., my lear sir: such a course
IN utterly impossible. When once the
law ls evoked. Il cannot be stayed
again. and this In just one OF those
cases where. for the credit OF the co.,
iege. Il is most essential TO avoid n
scandal. Your discretion Is as well
known rs your powers. and you are the
one man I'm the world who can help
me. I beg you. Mr.. Holmes. TO do
what you can"
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
and his homely untidiness. he was an
uncomfortable man. He shrugged his
shoulders In ~ungracious acquiescence
while our visitor I'm hurried words and
with much exci,nble ~gesticulation
poured forth his story.
Il must explain TO you. Mr.. Holmes.
that tomorrow In h first day OF the
examination for the Fortescue scholar
ship. / am one OF the examiners. My
subject Is Greek. and the first OF the
papers consits % u large passage OF
Greek translation which the candidate
has not seen. This passage Is printed
on the examination paper. and Il wsuld
naturally be an immense advantage II
the candidate could prepare IL I'm i'd
vance. For 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 Thucyides. ] had To e
it over carefully. rs the text must be
absolutely correct. About f~our-thirty
my task was not yet completed. i had,
however TO take tea I'm n friends rooms
SO I left the proof upon my desk. ]
was absent rather more than an hour,
You are aware Mr.. Holmes. that OUT
! college doors are double-a green baize
, one within and n heavy oak one with
out. AZ I approached my outer door,
I was amazed TO see n key In II. For
an instant I imagined i had left my
own there. but on feeling In my pocket
I found hat II was all right. The
only duplicate which existed. so far as
I knew. was that which belonged &c
my servant. Bannister-a man who has
looked after my room for ten years
and whose honesty In absolutely above
suspicion. I found hat the key was
indeed his. taat he n entered my
room 10 know II ! wanted tea, and that
he had very carelessly left h key In
| the door WUfH ht Naillt mn hSah ~
my room must have been within q
very few minutes OF my leaving q
His forgetfuiness about the key would
have mattered little upon any other oc'
cnsion, u on this one day II has pro
duced the most d~eplorable conse'
quences.
The moment ! looked ut my table
/ was aware hat someone had rum
mayed among my papers. The proof
was In three long slips. had LET
them all together. Now. l found tina
one OF them was lying on the floor
one was on the side table near tn
window. and the third was where l haC
left It."
Holmes stirred for the first time.
The first page on the floor. h sec
ond In the window. the third where yoI
left &c." said he.
Exactly. Mr.. Holmes. You amaz'
me. How could you possibly know
that"
pray continue your very interesting
statement"
For an instant I imagined that Ban
mister had taken the objectionable lib
erty OF examining my papers. He de
MED IL. however. with the utmost earn
estness. and / am convinced that h
was speaking the truth. The alterna
tive was that someone passing had oh
served the key In the door. had know
that I ives out. ~ had entered q
look at the papers. A large sum o
money II at stake. for the scholarship
IS n very valuable one rnd an un
scrupulous man might very well run {
risk in order TO gain an advantage owe
his fellows.
'Bannister was very much upset 81
the incident. He had nearly tainted
when he found that the papers haS
t. - 40