The Washington herald., 1912-04-07
THE WASHINGTON HERALD.

our train disappearing round a curve,
am sorry to make you the victim
OF what may seem a mere whim. but
on my life, Watson, i simply can't leave
that case in this condition. Every in
stnct that | possess cries out against
u. IT'S wrong-it's all wrongful swear
that it's wrong, And yet the ladys
story. was complete, the maids corro-
poration was sufficient, the detail was
fairly exact. What have to put up
against that? Three wine glasses: that
is ALL But il | had not taken things
for granted, il l had examined every
thing with care which l should have
shown had we approached the case de
rlovo and had no cut-and-dried story to
warp my mind, should not then have
found something more definite TO go
uponE OF course | should. Sit down
on this bench, Watson, until a train
Tor Chiselhurst arrives, and allow me
to lay the evidence before you, implor-
ing you in the first instance to dismiss
IRON your mind the idea that anything
which the maid or her mistress may
have said must necessarily be true The
ladys charming personality must not be
permitted to warp our judgment. -
Surely there are details in her story
which, If we looked at in cold blood,
would excite our suspicion. These burg
lars made considerable haul at Syden-
ham, fortnight ago. Some account
of them and of their appearance was
IN the papers, and would naturally oc-
cur to any one who wished to invent
story in which imaginary ROBBERS should
play a part. As matter Of fact, bur-
glars who have done a good stroke Of
business are, as a rule, only too glad
to enjoy the proceeds in peace and quiet
without embarking on another peril
GUS undertaking. Again, it is unusual
Tor burglars to operate at so early an
hour. II is unusual for burglars to strike
lady to prevent her screaming, since
one would imagine that was the sure
way to make her scream, it is unusual
for them to commit murder when their
numbers are sufficient to overpower one
man, il is unusual for them 10 be con-
tent with limited plunder when there
was much more within their reach, and
finally, should say, that it was very
unusual for such men to leave a bottle
half empty. How do all these unuSuals
strike you, Watsoni"
Their cumulative effect is certainly
considerable, and yet each Of them is
quite possible in itself The most un-
usual thing OF all, as it seems to me, is
that the lady should be tied to the chair"
We'll, i am notrso clear about that,
Watson, for il is evident that they must
either kill her or else secure her in such
way that she could not give immediate
notice OF their escape. But at any rate
1 have shown. have / not, that there is
a certain element of improbability about
the lady's story? And now, on the top
OF this, comes the incident of the wine
glasses"
What about the wine glasses?"
San you see them in your minds
Il see them clearly"
we are told that three men drank
from them. Does that strike you as
likelyp
why not1 There was wine in each
glass"
Exactly, but there was beeswing only
in one glass. You must have noticed
that fact. What does that suggest to
your fnind?"
- The last glass filed would be most
likely to contain beeswing."
mot at all. The bottle was full of
1t, and II is inconceivable that the first
two glasses were clear and the third
heavily charged with il. There are two
possible explanations, and only two One
IS that after the second glass was filed
the bottle was violently agitated, and so
the third glass received the beeswing.
That does not appear probable. No no.
am sure that | am right"
What, then do you suppose"
That only two glasses were used, and
that the dregs of both were poured into
a third glass, so as to give the false
that three neonia haJ haau
here. In that way all the beeswing
would be in the last glass, would it not!
Yes, l am convinced that this is so. But
II l have hit upon the true explanation
OF this one small phenomenon, then in
an instant the case rises from the COM
monplace to the exceedingly remarkable,
for It can only mean that Lady Brack-
enstall and her maid have deliberately
lied TO us, that not one word of their
story is to be believed, that they have
some very strong reason for covering