The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-05-04
CHE
ADVENTURE
OF TIlf H..
RED CIRCLE

! that you have any particular cause
for uneasiness, nor do I understand
why l, whose time is of some value,
should interfere in the matter I real.
ly have other things to engage me-
back to the great scrapbook in which
he was arranging and indexing some
Of his recent material.
But the landlady had the pertinac'
ity, and also the cunning of her sex
She held her ground firmly.
"You arranged an affair for ledger
Of mine last year," she said-'Mr
Fairdale Hobbs"
"Ah, yes-a simple matter"
But he would never cease talking
Of it-your kindness, sir, and the way
in which you brought light into the
darkness. / remembered his words
| when l was in doubt and darkness
myself. I know you could if you only
would"
Holmes was accessible upon the
side of f1attery, and also, to do him
Justice, upon the side of kindness
The two forces made him lay down
his gum-brush with sigh of resigna'
ton and push back his chair.
"Well, we'll, Mrs. Warren, let US
hear about it, then. You don't object
to tobacco, ! take it? Thank you,
Watson-the matches! You are I'm.
easy, as I understand, because your
new lodger remains in his room and
you cannot see him. Why, bless you,
Mrs. Warren, if l were your lodger
you often would not see me for weeks
| on end
''No doubt, sir; but this is different.
1t frightens me, Mr.. Holmes. I can't
sleep for fright. To hear his quick
step moving here and moving there
from early morning % late at night,
and yet never to catch so much as a
glimpse of limits more than / can
stand. MY husband is as nervous over
it, as am, but he is out at his work
all day, while l get no rest from it.
WHAT'S he hiding for? What has he
done? Except for the girl, am all
alone in the house with him, and it's
more than my nerves can stand"
Holmes leaned forward and laid his
long, thin fingers upon the woman
shoulder. He had an almost hypnotic
power of soothing when he wished
The scared look faded from her eyes,
and her agitated features smoothed
into their usual commonplace. She
sat down in the chair which he had
indicated. 10
''If I take it up I must understand
every detail" said he. Take time to
! consider. The smallest point may be
the most essential. You say that the
man came ten days ago, and paid you
for fortnight's board and lodg;ng? %
'He asked my terms, sir. said
fifty shillings a week. There is a
small sitting-room and bedroom, and
all complete, at the top of the house"
"Wen?"
"He said, I'll pay you five pounds a
week if l can have it on my own
terms I'm poor woman, sir, and
NMr. Warren earns little, and the mon
ey meant much to me. He took out
ten-pound note, and he held it out
to me then and there. You can have
the same every fortnight for a long
time to come if you keep the terms,
he said If not, I'll have no more to
do with you
What were the terms?"
''Well, sir, they were that he was
to have key of the house. That was
all right. Lodgers often have them
Also, that he was to be left entirely
to himself, and never, upon any ex.
cuse, to be disturbed"
Nothing very wonderful in that
surely?" -. NJ i
"Not in reason, sir. But this is GU,
of all reason. He has been there fol
ten days, and neither Mr.. Warren MOI
I nor the girl has once set eyes upon
him. We can hear that quick steI
of his pacing up and down, up and
down, night, morning and noon; but
except on that first night he has never
once gone out of the house."
ooh, he went out the first night
did he?"
i eyes, sir, and returned very late
after we were all in bed. He told nj
after he had taken the rooms that b,
would do SO, and asked me not t
bar the door. heard him come III
the stair after midnight"
But his meals?"
1T was his particular direction tina
we should always, when he rang
leave his meal upon q chair outsid'
his door. Then he rings again whel
he has finished, and we. take /
down from the same chair. II b
: wants anything else he prints It o.
aEslip Of paper and leaves it.
prints it,"
"Yes, sir; prints It In pencil. Jus
the word, nothing more. Here's on
I brought to show ou-SOAP., Here
= ther-MATCH. This 10 one h