The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

must apologize for having intrndea uron
you. Professor Coram, and 1 promise that
we won't disturb you until after lunch. At
two o'clock we will come again. and re-
port to you anything which may nave
happened in the interval"
Holmes was curiously d~istrait. and we
walked up and down the garden oath for
some time In silence.
Have you a clue?" I asked, at last.
III depends upon those cigarets that I
smoked" said he. 'It is possible that ]
am utterly mistaken. Tho cigarets viii
show me-"
My dear Holiness 1 exclaimed. chow
on earth"
We'll, we'll. you may see for yourcelf.
If not there's no harm done. OF coutse
we always have the optician clue to fail.
back upon, but | lake a short cut when I
can get 1t. All, here Is the good Mrs.
Marker! Let us enjoy five minutes of m
structive conversation with her"
l may have remarked before that
Holmes had, when he liked, a peculiarly
ingratiating way with women, and that
he very readily established terms of conf
dence with them. In half the time which
he had named. he had captured the house
Keepers good will. and was chatting with
her as If he had known her for Years.
yes, Mr.. Holmes, it is as you say, sir.
He does smoke something terrible. All
day and sometimes all night, sir. I've
seen that room of a ~morning-well, sir,
you'd have thought it was a London fog.
Poor young MIR. Smith. he was a smoker
also. but not as bad as the professor. His
health-well. 1 don't know thai it's better
nor worse for the smoking"
"Ah." said Holmes, "but it kills the
Appetite"
well, 1 don't know about that, sir"
II suppose that the professor eats hard
ly anytiling"
well. he is variable. I'll say that for
him.
"Ill wager he took no breakfast this
morning, and won't face his lunch after
all the cigarets l saw him consume"
We'll, you're out there, sir, as it hap
pens, for he ate a remarkable big break
fast this morning. L don't know when
I've known him make a better one, and
he's ordered a good dish of outlets for his
lunch. I'm surprised myself, for since 1
came into that room yesterday and saw
young Mr.. Smith lying there on the floor,
l couldn't bear to look at food. Well, it
takes all sorts to make a world, and the
professor hasn't let it take his appetite
away"
We loitered the morning away in the
garden. Stanley Hopkins had gone down
to the village to look INTO some rumors of
a Strange woman who had been seen by
some children on the Chatham road the
previous morning. AS to my friend, all
his usual energy seemed to have deserted
him. | had never known him handle a
case in such a half-hearted fashion. Even
the news brought back by Hopkins that
he had found the children, and that they
had undoubtedly seen a woman exactly
corresponding with Holmes description,
and wearing either spectacles or eye
glasses, failed to rouse any sign of keen
interest. He was more attentive when
Susan, who waited upon US at lunch, VOL
unteered the formatio that she believed
Mr.. Smith had been out for a walk yester-
day morning, and that he had only re-
turred half an hour before the tragedy oc-
CURED. l could not myself see the bear
ing of this incident, but 1 clearly per-
ceived that Holmes was weaving it into
the general scheme which he had formed
in his brain.
Suddenly he sprang from his
chair and glanced at his watch; 1.-Two
go up and have it out with our friend,
the professor"
The old man had just finished his LUNCH.
and certainly his empty dish bore evil
dence to the good appetite with which his
ho~usckeeper had credited him. He was,
indeed. a weird figure as he turned his
white name and his glowing eyes towards
US. The eternal cigaret smouldered in
his mouth. He had been dressed, and
was seated in an armchair by the fire.
We'll. Mr.. Holmes. have you solved
this mystery yet?" He showed the large
WI OF clSdfesS Wnlcn stood on a table be-
side him towards my companion. Holmes
stretched out his hand at the same mo-
ment, and between them they tipped the
box over the edge. For a minute or two
we We're all on our knees retrieving stray
cigarets from impossible places. When
We rose again, 1 observed Holmes eyes
We're shining and his cheeks tinged with
color. Only at a crisis have 1 seen those
battle-signals flying.
YES" said he, Il nave solved it"
Stanley Hopkins and stared in amaze
ment. Something like a sheer quivered
fessor.
Indeed. In the garden?"
NO, here"
"Here. When?'
'This instant"
You are surely joking, Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes. You compel me to tell you that
this IS too serious a matter to be trea ted
in such a fashion.
II have forged and tested every link of
my chain, Professor Coram. and am
sure that it is sound. What your motives
are, or what exact part you play in this
strange business, / am not vet able to
say. In a few minutes l shall probably
hear it from your own lips. Meanwhile
| will reconstruct what is past for your
benefit, SO that YOU may know the infor.
nation which / still require.
CONTINUED Next Week.
Mr.. Burbank's Latest Miracle.
Hamilton Wright. in the World To-
day for April: The spineless cactus.