The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-26
CONTINUED From Yesterday,

CONTINUED From Yesterday.)
Phelps seized his hand and kissed 1t.
God bless your he cried. you have
saved my honor"
"Well, my own was at stake, you
know said Holmes. II assure you it
is just as hateful to me to fail in a
case as it can be to you to blunder
over a commission
Phelps thrust away the precious doc
ument into tho innermost pocket of
his coat.
"I have not the heart to interrupt
your breakfast any further, and yet I
am dying to know how you got it and
where it was"
Sherlock Holmes swallowed a cup of
coffee and turned his attention to the
ham and eggs. Then he rose, lit his
pipe. and settled himself down itno his
chair.
I'll tell you what l did first, and
how / came to 10 it afterwards" said
he, After leaving you at the station
| went for a charming walk through
some admirable Surrey scenery to a
pretty little village called Ripley. where
I had my tea at an inn, and took the
precaution of filling my flask and Of
putting a paper of sandwiches in my
pocket. Then l remained until evening,
when l set off for Working again, and
found myself in the high road outside
Brlarbrae just after sunset.
'Nell. 1 waited until the road was
clear-it is never a very %frequented
one at any time. I fancy-and then
clambered over the fence into the
grounds"
Surely the gate was open!'' ejacu-
lated Phelps.
Eyes, but L have a peculiar taste in
these matters. l chose the place where
the three fir trees stand, and behind
their screen ] got over without the
least chance of any one in the house
being able to see me. l crouched down
among the bushes on the other side,
n crawled from one Ito the other
witness the disreputable state of my
~trouser knees-until l had reached the
clump of rhododendrons Just opposite
to- your bedroom window. There /
squatted down and awaited Develop
ments.
"The blind was not down in your
room and 1 could see Miss Harrison
sitting there reading by the table. 1t
was quarter past 10 when she closed
her book, fastened the shutters and
retired.
81 heard her shut the door. and felt
quite sure that she la turned the
key in the lock"
THE key!" calculated Phelps.
Yes; | had given Miss Harrison in
structions to lock the door on the out
side and take the key with her when
she went to bed. She carried out every
one of my injunctions to the letter,
and certainly without her cooperation
you would not nav that paper in your
coat pocket. She departed then and
the lights went out, and / was left
squatting in the rhododendron bush.
THE night was fine, but still 1t was a
very weary vigil. OF course it has the
sort of excitement about 1t that the
sportsman feels when he lies beside the
w-atercourse and waits for big game.
1t was very long. though-almost as
long. Watson, as when you and
waited in that deadly room when we
looked into the little problem of the
Speckled Band. There was a church
clock down at Working which struck
the quarters, and l thought more than
once that 1t had stopped. At last,
however, about > in the morning. ]
suddenly heard the gentle sound Of a
bolt being pushed back and the creak-
ing of a key. a moment later the SER
wants door was opened, and Mr.. Joseph
Harrison stepped out into the moon
light"
Joseph calculated Phelps.
He was bare-headed, but he had a
black cloak thrown over his shoulder
so that he could conceal his face in
az instant if there were any alarm
He walked on tiptoe under the shadow
of the wall, and when he reached the
window he worked a long-bladed knife
through the sash and pushed back the
catch. Then he flung open the window.
and putting his knife through the crack
in the shutters, he thrust the bar up
and swung them open.
From where / lay 1 had a perfect
view of the inside of the room and of
every one of his movements. He lit the
two candles which stood upon the man
telpiece, and then he proceeded to turn
back the corner Of the carpet in the
n%eighborhod of the door. Presently he
stopped and picked out a square piece
of board. such as is usually left to
enable plumbers to get at the joints
of the gas pipes. This one covered, as
a matter of fact. the # joint which
gives off the pipe which supplies the
kitchen underneath. Out of this hiding
place he drew that little cylinder of
paper, pushed down the board,
ranged the carpet, blew out the can
dies, and walked straight into my arms
as l stood waiting for him outside the
window.
well, he has rather more yiciousness
than l gave him credit for, has Mas.
ter Joseph, He flew at me with his
knife, and I had to grass him twice
and got a cut over the knuckles before
| Ind tic INNER hand Of him. He looked