Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-19

ADVENTURE
OF TIL
DEVILS FOOT
One realised the red-hot energy
which underlay. Holiness phlegmat1c
exterior when ! saw the sudden:
change which cane over him from the
momsnt that 10 entered tho fatal;
apartment. In an instant he was tense
and alert. his eyes shining. his face:
set. his limbs quivering with an eager
activity. He was out on the lawn. In
through the window. round the room.
and mp into the bedroom. for all the
world IKE Q dashing fo1hound draw.
ing = cover. IN the bedroom he made
. rapid cast around. and ended By
throwing open the window. which ap-
peared to give him some fresh cause
for excitement, for he leaned out Of It
with loud calculations Of interest and
delight. Then he rushed down tho
stair. out through the open window.
threw. himself upon his face on the
lawn. sprang up and into tho room
once more. an with the energy Of the
hunter who ID ct the very heels Of his
quarry. The lamp. which wss an or
binary standard, he examined with
minute caro-. making certain measure
mSntD upon its bowl He carefully
scrutinised with his lens the tale
shield which covered the top Of tho
chimney. and scraped OF some ashes
which adhered to its upper surface.
putting sorne Of them into an enve-
lope, which 10 placed In his pocket
book. Finally. just ~ the doctor and
the onicial police put In an appear
ance. he beckoned to tho vicar and
We all three went out upon the lawn.
Il am glad to say that my investi-
cation has not bsen entirely barren"
he remarked. Il cannot remain to;
discuss the matter with the police,
but shoutd be exceedingly obliged.
Mr.. Roundhay. II you would givo the
inspector my compliments and direct
his attention to the bedroom window
and to the sitting-room lamp. Each 10
suggestive. and together they are al
most cbmclIsivo. II ths police would.
desire further Information shall be
happy to see any Of them at the cot
tase. And now, Watson. think that
perhaps we shall be better employed
elsewhere"
It may be that the police resented
the intrusiol'.of al amateur. or that
they Imagined themselves to be upon
some hopeful line OF Investigation:
but It is certain that W. heard moth.
ing from them for the next two days..
you will remember. Watson" said
Holmes one afternoon. that there Is
a single common point Of resemblance
in the varying reports which have
reached us. This concerns the effect
OF the atmosphere Of the room in each
case upon those who have first en-
tered 1t. You will recollect that Nor
timer Tregennis. IN describing the.
ers house, remarked that the doctor
on entering the room fell into a chair?
You had forgotten? Well, can an
swer foEti that 1t was So Now. you
will remember also that Mrs. Porter.
the housekeeper. told 10 that she her.
self tainted upon entering the room
and had afterwards opened the win.
dow. In the second case-that Of Nor.
timer Tregennis himself-you cannot
have forgotten the horrible STIFFNESS,
of the room when we arrived, though
the servant had thrown open the win.
dow. That servant, found upon in
quiry, was 90 Ill that she had gone
to her bed. You will admit, Watson.
that these facts are very suggestive.
In each case there il evidence Of q
poisonous atmosphere. In each case.
also, there is combustion going on in
the room-in the one case fire, in
the other : lamp. The IRE was need
ed. but the lamp was lit-as q COM
parison Of the oil consumed will show
long after It was. broad daylight.
Why? Surely because there is some
connection between three things-the
burning. the stuffy atmosphere. and,
finally, the madness or death Of those
unfortunate people. That IL clear, 10
it mott"
at would appear So"
AT least we may accept It 40 .
working hypothesis. We will suppose,
then. that something was burned in
each case which produced an atmos-
phere causing strange toxic effects.
Very good. In the first instance-that
Of the Tregennis family-this sub
stance was placed In the ire. Now.
the window was shut, but the hre
would naturally carry fumes to some
extent up the chimney. Hence, one
would expect the effects Of the poison
TO be less than in the second case,
whore there was less escape for tho
vapor. Tho result seems to indicate
that 1t was 20. since in the first case
only the woman. who had presumably
the more sensitive organism, was
killed, the others exhibiting that tenn
porary or permanent lunacy which is
evidently the first effect Of the drug.
In the second case the result was COM
iplete. The facts, therefore, seem to
bear out the theory Of poison which
worked BY combustion.
with this train Of reasoning in my
mead 4 naturally looked about IN Nor
timer Tregennis' room to find some re-
- slna ~ fhia s,,hafanco Tho ohvioua