The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-03-24
The Adventure of
The Golden Pi11ce-Nez
Continued from Page Two.

40 My dear Holmes" l exclaimed,
how on earth-"
We'll, well, you may see for your
self. II not, there's no harm done. OF
course, we always have the optician
clew to fall back upon, but take a
short cut when | can get it. All, here
is the good Mrs. Markerl Let us en-
Joy FIVE minutes of instructive con-
Versation with her"
i may have remarked before that
Holmes had, when he liked, a pecul-
iarly ingratiating way with women, and
that he very readily established terms
OF confidence with them. In half the
time which he had named, he had cap
tured the housekeeper's goodwill, and
was chatting with her as il he had
known her for years.
Yes, Mr.. Holmes, il is as you say,
sir. He does smoke something terrible.
All day and sometimes all night, sir.
I've seen that room OF a morning
well, sir, you'd have thought it was
London fog. Poor young Mr.. Smith,
he was a smoker also, but not as bad
as the professor. His health-well, !
don't know that its better nor worse
for the smoking"
"AhP said Holmes, but it kills the
appetite"
We'll, ] don't know about that, sir"
i suppose the professor eats hardly
anything!"
for him.'%
I'll wager he took no breakfast this
morning, and won't face his lunch after
all the cigarettes saw him consume"
well, you're out there, sir. as il
happens, for he ate a remarkable big
breakfast this morning. / don't know
when I've known him make a better
one, and he's ordered a good dish OF
outlets for his lunch. I'm surprised my
self, for since l came into that room
yesterday and saw young Mr.. Smith
lying there on the floor, couldn't bear
20 look at food. Well, il takes all
sorts to make a world, and the pro-
fessor hasn't let it take his appetite
away"
We loitered the morning away in the
garden. Stanley Hopkins had gone
down to the village to look into some
rumors OF strange woman who had
been seen by some children on the
Chatham road the previous morning.
AS to my friend, all his usual energy
seemed TO have deserted him. / had
never known him handle case in such
half-hearted fashion. Even the news
brought back by Hopkins that he had
found the children, and that they had
undoubtedly seen a woman exactly
corresponding with Holmes descrip-
ton, and wearing either spectacles or
eyeglasses, failed to arouse any sign Of
keen interest. He was more attentive
when Susan, who waited upon us at
lunch, volunteered the information that
she believed Mr.. Smith had been out
for walk yesterday morning, and that
he had only returned half an hour be-
fore the tragedy occurred. ! could not
myself see the bearing of this incident.
but ! clearly perceived that Holmes was
weaving 1t into the general scheme
Suddenly he sprang from his chair and
glanced at his watch. Two o'clock.
gentlemen" said he I'VE must go up
and have it out with our friend. the
professor"
The old man had just finished his
lunch, and certainly his empty dish bore
evidence to the good appetite with
which his housekeeper had credited
him. He was, indeed, weird figure as
he turned his white name and his glow
ing eyes toward us. The eternal cigar
cite smoldered in his mouth. He had
been dressed, and was seated in an
armchair by the fire.
well, Mr.. Holmes, have you solved
this mystery yet" He showed the
large tin of cigarettes which stood OH
table beside him toward my COM
panion Holmes stretched out his hand
n the same moment, and between them
they tipped the box over the edge, For
a minute or two We were all on our
knees retrieving stray cigarettes from
impossible places When he rose again,
| observed Holmes eyes were shining
and his cheeks tinged with color. Only
at a crisis have l seen those battle
signals flying.
YES" said he, Il have solved it."
Stanley Hopkins and stared In
amlzement Something like a sneer
quivered over the gaunt features of the
old professor.
Indeed! In the garden?"
mo, here"