The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-03
which the landlady wanted you to put

its snow-white muzzle proclaimed that
it had already exceeded the usual term
of canine existence. I placed 1t upon
a cushion on the rug.
II will now cut one OF these pills In
two" said Holmes, and drawing his
penknife, he suited the action to the
word. "One half we return into the
box for future purposes. The other
half I will place in this wine-glass, In
which is a te%aspoonful Of water. You
perceive that our friend. the doctor, is
right, and that it readily dissolves."
"This may be very interesting said
Lestrade. in the injured tone of one
who suspects that he is being laughed
at. 81 cannot see, however, what 1t
has to do with the death Of Mr.. Joseph
Stangerson."
Patience, my friend, patiencel You
will find in time that it has everything
to do with it. I shall now add a little
milk to make the mixture palatable.
and on presenting it to the dog we find
that he laps 1t up readily enough.
AS he spoke he turned the contents
of the wine-glass into a saucer and
placed it in front of the terrier, who
speedily licked 1t dry. Sherlock
a. > col fHtsla oClilCdIlOt ildQ 81 ldl
convinced US that we all sat In silence,
watching the animal intently. and ex-
pecting some startling effect. None
such appeared, however. The dog con-
tinued to lie stretched upon the cush-
ion, breathing in a labored way, but
apparently neither the better nor the
worse for it's draught.
Holmes had taken out his watch,
and as minute followed minute with
out result, an expression of the utmost
chagrin and disappointment appeared
upon his features. He gnawed his lip,
drummed his fingers upon the table,
and showed every other symptom of
acute Impotence. So great ri his
emotion that I felt sincerely sorry for
him, while the two detectives smiled
derisively, by no means displeased at
this check which he had met.
1T can't be a coincidence" he cried.
at last springing from his chair and
pacing wildly up and down the room;
at is impossible that It should be a
mere coincidence. The very pills which
I suspected In the case of Drebber are
actually found after the death of
Stangerson. And yet they are inert.
What can 1t mean? Surely my whole
chain of reasoning cannot have been
false. 1t is impossible! And yet this
wretched dog is none the worse. All, !
have it! 1 have it," With a perfect
shrek of delight he rushed to the box,
cut the other pill in two. dissolved It,
added milk, and presented 1t to the ter
rier. The unfortunate creatures ton
que seemed hardly to have been mois-
tened in 1t before 1t gave a convulsive
SILVER in every limb, and lay as rigid
and lifeless as IL it had been struck by
lightning.
Sherlock Holmes drew a long breath,
and wiped the perspiration from his
forehead.
II should have more faith,'' he said;
81 ought to know by this time thai
when a fact appears to be opposed to
a long train of deductions it invariably
proves to be capable of bearing some
other Interpretation. OF the two pills
in that box one was the most deadly
poison and the other was entirely
harmless. I ought to have known that
before ever I saw the box at ALL"
This last statement appeared to me
to be 10 startling, that / could hardly
believe that he was in his sober senses.
There was the dead dog, however, tc
prove hat his conjecture had been cor
rect. 1t seemed to me that the mists
in my own mind We're gradually clear
ing away, and I began to AVE a dim,
vague perception of the truth.
"All this seems strange to you" con-
tinued Holmes, because you failed al
the beginning OF the inquiry to grasp
the Importance Of the single real clue
which was presented to you. l had the
good fortune to seize upon that, and
everything which has occurred since
then has served to confirm my Original
supposition, and, indeed, was the logica'
sequence of it. Hence, things which
have perplexed you and made the case
more obscure have served to enlighter
me and to strengthen my conclusions
It is a mistake to confound strangeness
with mystery. The most commonplace
crime is often the most mysterious be-
cause il presents no new or specia'
features from which deductions may be
drawn. This murder would have beer
infinitely more difficult to unravel had
the body of the victim been simply
found lying in the roadway without
any of those outre n sensational ac-
compartments which have rendered II
remarkable. These strange details, fal
from making the case more difficult,
have really the effect of making 1t less
So"
Mr.. Gregson, who had listened to this
address with considerable impatience
could contain himself no longer.
Look here, Mr.. Sherlock Holmes
he said. 1--WE are all ready to acknowl-
edge that you are a smart man, and
that you have you own methods OF
working. We want something more
than mere theory and preaching now,
though. 1t is a case of taking the man
I have made my case out, and it seems
I was wrong. Young Charpentier could
not have been engaged in this second
affair. Lestrade went after this man.
Stangerson, and it appears that he was
wrong, too. You have thrown out hints
here and hints there, and seem to know
more than we do, but the time pas
come when we feel that we have a right
to ask you straight how much you do
know of the business. Can you name
the mar who did it?"
81 cannot help feeling that Gregson
is right, sir" remarked Lestrade. I'VE
have both tried and we have both
failed. You have remarked more than
once since I have been in the room
that you had all the evidence which
you require. Surely you will not with
hold 1t any longer"
ANY delay in arresting the as
- - - r .txI Give him