Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-11-29
E6e
ADVENTURE
or THf
DEVnS FOOT
(Continued.)

sdtioH mas hot Deeu eutireiy pdIfchs
he remarked. II cannot remain to
discuss the matter with the police.
but l should be exceedingly obliged.
Mr.. Roundhay, IL you would give the
inspector my compliments and direct
his attention to the bedroom window
and to the sitting-room lamp. Each is
suggestive, and together they are al
most conclusive. If the police would
desire further information l shall be
happy to see any of them at the cot
tage. And now, Watson, l think that
perhaps we shall be better employed
elsewhere"
1t may be that the police resented
the intrusion of an amateur, or that
they imagined themselves to be upon
some hopeful line of investigation;
but it is certain that we heard moth
ing from them for the next two days.
During this time Holmes spent some
of his time smoking and dreaming in
the cottage; but greater portion in
country walks which he undertook
alone, returning after many hours
without remark as to where he had
been. One experiment served to show
me the line of his investigation. He
had bought a lamp which was the du-
plicate Of the one which had burned
in the room of Mortimer Tregennis
on the morning of the tragedy. This
he filled with the same oil as that
used at the vicarage. and he carefully
timed the period which 1t would take
to be exhausted. Another experiment
which he made was of a more un-
pleasant nature, and one which ] am
not likely ever to forget.
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 it. You will recollect that Nor
timer Tregennis, in describing the
episode of his last visit to his broth
er's house. remarked that the doctor
on entering the room fell into a chair?
You had forgotten? Well, I can an
swer for 1t that 1t was so. Now, you
will remember also that Mrs. Porter.
the housekeeper, told US 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 stuffiness
of the room when we arrived. though
the servant had thrown open the win
dow. That servant, / found upon in
quiry. was so i'll that she. had gone
to her bed. You will admit, Watson.
that these facts are very suggestive.
In each case there is evidence of
poisonous atmosphere. In each case.
also. there is combustion going on in
the room-in the one case fire. in
the other lamp. The fire was need
ed, but the lamp was lit-as a COM
parison of the oil consumed will show
long after 1t 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 is clear. is
It not?"
''It would appear So"
AT least we may accept 1t as a
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 fire. Now.
the window was shut. but the fire
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.
where there was less escape for the
vapor. The result seems to indicate
that it was SO, 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
plete. The facts. therefore, seem to
bear out the theory of poison which
worked by combustion.
with this train of reasoning in my
head l naturally looked about in Nor
timer Tregennis' room to find some re-
mains of this substance. The obvious
place to look was the tale shield or
smoke guard of the lamp. There, sure
enough. ! perceived a number of faky
ashes, and round the edges a fringe
OF brownish powder. which had not
yet been consumed Half of this |
took, as you saw. and | placed it in
an envelope"
why half. Holiness"