The farmer and mechanic., 1911-07-11
4 REMINSCENCE OF
SHERLOCK HOLMES
Continued from Page Five.

faa"
For my education. Holmes
Education never ends, Watson. Tt is
= series of lessons with the greatest
for the last. This is an instructive
case There is neither money nor
credit in it. and yet one would wish to
4,dv it up. When dusk comes we should
find ourselves one stage advanced in
our Investigations.
When We returned to Mrs. Warren's
rooms the gloom of a London winter
evening had thickened into one grey
curtain. a dead monotone of colour,
broken only by the sharp yellow
sQlares of the windows and the
blurred haloes Of the gas-lamps AS
we peered from the darkened sitting
room Of the lodging-house, one more
dim light glimmered high up through
the Obscurity.
someone is moving in that room" ;"
said Holmes in a whisper. his gaunt
and eager face thrust forward to the
wndow-pane. Yes, l can see his
shadow. There he is again. He has
a candle in his hand. Now he is peer
ing across. He wants to be sure that
she is on the lookout. Now he begins
to flash. Take the message also. Wat
son. that we may check each other
A single fiash-that is "A surely
Now then. How many did you make
it Twenty. SO did l. That should
mean It AT-that'S intelligibe
enough! Another IT. Surely this is
the beginning Of a second word. Now.
then T L, n r A. Dead stop. That
can't be all, Watson. A T T E y T A
gives no sense. Nor is it any bet
ter as three words AT TEN. Ia
unless II A are a persons initials
There he goes again. What's that?
A 7 7 E-why, it is the same message
over again. Curious, Watson very
curious, Now he is off once more!
A T-why, he is repeating it for the
third time. "A T T E n T A three
times! How often will he repeat It?
No, that seems to be the finish. He
has withdrawn from the window.
What do you make of it, Watson?"
"A cipher message. Holiness
My companion gave sudden
chuckle of comprehension. And not
very obscure cipher, Watson said
he. Why. Of course, it is Italian!
The A means that it is addressed to
q woman. Beware Beware! Be
ware. How's that, Watson?"
Il believe you have hit it,
"Not a doubt of it. 1t is a very
urgent message, thrice repeated to
make it more so. But beware Of
what? Wait bit; he is coming to the
window once more"
Again we saw the dim Silhouette Of
CrOuChlng man and the Wh1Sk OF
the small flame across the window,
as the signals were renewed. They
came more rapidly than before-so
rapid that it was hard to follow
them.
"-P ERIC O l. O'-.pericolo'-
Eth. what's that. Watson? Danger,
isn't it? Yes, by Jove. it's a danger
signal. There he goes again! z E
r l.. Halloa. what on earth
1scrh ha1 nj
the gimmering square of window had
disappeared and the third floor form
ed dark band round the lofty build
ing. with its tiers Of shining case
ments That last warning cry had
been suddenly cut short. How. and
by whom? The same thought oc-
CURED on the instant to US both.
Holmes sprang up from where he
crouched by the window.
This is serious, Watson" he cried.
There is some devilry going for
ward. Why should such a message
stop in such a way? I should put
Scotland Yard in touch with this bust
neSs-and yet, it is too pressing for us
to leave"
shall go for the police?"
We must define the situation q
little more clearly 1t may bear some
more innocent Interpretation, Come.
watson. let us go across ourselves and
see what We can make Of it.
PART IT,
IS we walked rapidly down Howe
street / glanced back at the building
which We had left. There. dimly out
hned at the top window, l could see
the shadow Of a head, a woman's head
IazlnS Intensely. rigidly. out into the
night. waiting with breathless suspense
Tor the renewal of that Interrupted
message. At the doorway of the Howe
street flats a man, muffled in ora
vat and great coat. was leaning against
the railing. He started as the hall light
1ell upon our faces
'HolmeS! he cried.
Why. Gregson," said my compan-
Ion. as he shook hands with the Scot
land G2rd detective Journeys end