The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-07
The Circular Study
Anna Katharine Green's Greatest Detective Story
tcspyrsh ~ Doubleday. q Company
book IA STRANGE CRIME.
iBOOK IA STRANGE CRIME.

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAP
IElsa,-Mr, uryee. clever aud disiih
guisAed detective, wearl.d by long service a.
police headquarters, and IN the absence q
any sensational cases OF particular interest
Is contemplating retiring 10 small farm
which be owns when he suddenly has his atien
ton called TO a mysterious crime which has
iast been committed. A telephone message
formation that boy has been sent In from
the street by lady. according 10 his story,
10 say that strange crime has been per
near by. The word strange arouses Mr..
GryeeS eager interest al once, and he has
tens 10 investigate the case. The boy 10 an
able 10 giye any further information OF
giving her name, and the boy could only
describe her as being q "slnnner, and
richly dressed. Mr.. 6ryce knows the old
mansion to have been occupied by Mr..
Adams, wealthy reeluse OF literary tastes
aud scientific attachments, living In great
s-elusion with only an elderly man'seryani.
The detective forces bis way through the
richly furnished and decorated study, circular
In ,hapc, nnds, lying ON bearskin rus,
Mace upiurned, the master Of the house,
yer buried deeply In his heart, and on
CAST a cross Of gold which upon in
'. cation proves TO have been hastily torn
from It's place upon the wall. The man
had been dead but a very short time. and
his face bore very singular expression OF
Auuu VI lcait
pain or surprise. The apartment and house /
furnishing very few and slight clews, Mr.. /
Gryee finds himself plunged deeply into
very exciting mystery, which is not lessened
each one Of which when pressed foods the
study with q different colored light. Hav.
ing closely examined the fittings OF the study,
the old detective addresses himself with
ardor TO the task Of solving the mysterious
murder Suspicion is at first directed to-
ward the old man servant, by reason OF his
having been discovered going through sin
gular pantomimic action which appears to be
a ro'enaciment Of the murder scene. Upon
questioning him, Mr.. Gryce Is startled 10
find that he is clearly deaf and dumb, and
also demented. No further evidence is OBJ
tainabe from him. The next thrill which
Mr.. Gryce experiences in the old mansion is
a shrill cry from the dim recesses above
him Of the words. Remember Evelyni' In
several times repeated. 1t is soon learned
that the words come from an English star. Z,
ling, and Mr.. Gryce eSerts himself 10 ascer' b
tain II they can have any bearing on the o
grim tragedy. Meantime the deaf and dumb y
servant is kept under surveillance. While q
making further examination Of the circular !
study with an electrician, the detective heed .
lessly presses an electric button with the re-
suit that he and his companion are locked in "
10 the room by the sudden and unexpected slid Il
ng of heavy steel bar. Unable to release Il
themselves, IL is an hour before they are able nj
o attract the attention of persons outside, and
our hours more elapse before an opening can
o effect their escape. To young detective oil
famed Sweetwater, who is anxious to under. It
axe difficult work, Mr.. Gryce gives the APP m
'arently hopeless task of finding the woman i;
rho first gave notice of the murder, and then =, :,
o suddenly disappeared By the slight clew III
fforded by five tiny spangles found on the
Gene of the crime. Sweetwater succeeds in IN
,cating the lady, who greatly to Mr.. Gryce's es
urprise. proves to be Miss Amelia Butter
orth of Gramercy Park, most reputable of
erson who has sca tifnes assisted the police
rffe-rr~rve work. She is a friend of MI 81 81
ryce of long standing. Miss Butterworth vi
Splains that while passing the mysterious tai
1use she saw a young man hastily leaving
bearing in his arms a fainting young
oman of unusual beauty. When the pair n,
I'd disappeared, she entered the house and IN
scovered the murder, which had just been
,rpetrated After telling her story in some SIN
tail Miss Butterworth joins forces with wo
r. Gryce in an effort to learn the identity w
the young couple and their connection with eel
@ crime Miss Buterworth further relates
at Just as she was about to leave the house peS
was entered by an old gentleman of strik- Mr.
q appearance who stated that he had an tru
poinment there Although apparently I'M &c
1are of the tragedy which had occurred, he Va
t appeared to have a close connection with =
e victim of the crimel