Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-09-17
G6c
ADVENTURE
or TIE
DEVTIS FOOT
(Continued.)


Il am glad to say that my investi-
cation has not been entirely barren"
he remarked. Il cannot remain TO
discuss the matter with the police,
but | 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 sittingroom lamp. Each is
suggestive, and together they are al
most conclusive. If the police would
desire further information | 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 1t 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 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 filed with the same oil as that
used at the vicarage, and he carefully
timed the period which it would take
to be exhausted. Another experiment
which he made was of a more I'M
pleasant nature, and one which l 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, l can an
swer for 1t that 1t was so. Now, you
viii 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 STIFFNESS
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 a fire. in
the other lamp. The fire was need
ed, but the lamp was lit--as a COM
parison of the oil consumed viii show
long after it was broad daylight.
Why? Surely because there Is some
connection between three things-the
ourning, the stuffy atmosphere. and,
dnally, Che madness or death of those
unfortunate people. That is clear. is
Il not?"
ut would appear So"
cat least we may accept it 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
Eould naturally carry fumes to some
extent up the chimney. Hence, one
would expect the effects of the poison
10 be less than in the second case,
where there was less escape for the
vapor The result seems to indicate
that 1t 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
Diete. The facts, therefore, seem to
bear out the theory of poison which
worked by combustion.
with this train of reasoning in my
head / 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 f1aky
ashes, and round the edges 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. Holmes?"
at is not for me, my dear Watson.
TO stand in the way of the official
police force. leave them all the evil
dence which found. The poison still
remained upon the tale, had they the
wit to find it. Now, Watson, We will
light our lamp; we will. however, take
the precaution to open our window to
avoid the premature deeease of two
deserving members OF society, and
you will seat yourself near that open
window in an arm-chair-unless, like
a sensible man, you determine TO have
nothing to do with the affair Oh,
you will see it out. Will you? thought
[ knew my Watson. This chair viii
place opposite yours. so that we may
be the same distance from the poison.
and face TO face. The door We will
leave ajar. Each is now in posi-
lion to watch the other and to bring
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