The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-03-24

pom, instead of having to pick this knife
off the writing-table. She advanced
along this corridor, leaving no traces
upon the cocoanut mating. Then she
found herself in this study. How long
was she there? We have no means OF
judging"
Not more than a few minutes, sir.
/ forgot to tell you that Mrs, Marker,
the housekeeper, had been in there
tidying not very long before-about a
quarter of an hour. she says"
We'll, that gives us a limit. Our
lady enters this room, and what does
she dor She goes over to the writing
table. What for? Not for anything
in the drawers. IL there had been any
thing worth her taking, il would surely
have been locked up. No, It was for
something in that wooden bureau.
Haloal what is that scratch upon the
face Of il? Just hold a match, Wat
SON. Why did you not tell me OF this
The mark which he was examining
began with the brasswork on the right
hand side Of the keyhole, and extended
for about four inches, where il had
scratched the varnish from the surface.
Il noticed it, Mr.. Holmes, but you'll
always find scratches around key
hole.
This is recent. quite recent. See
how the brass shines where Il is cut.
An old scratch would be the same color
as the surface. Look at il through my
lens. There's the varnish, too, like
earth on each side of furrow. Is
Mrs. Marker therep
A sad-faced, elderly woman came
into the room.
did you dust this bureau yesterday
morning"
Yes, sir"
Did you notice this scrateh?"
No, sir, did not
Il am sure you did not, for buster
would have swept away these shreds
Of varnish. Who has the key Of this
bureaup
THE professor keeps it on his watch
chain"
rs it simple keyi"
mo, sir, it is Chubb's key
Very good Mrs. Marker, you can
go. Now We are making little prog
ress. Our lady enters the room, ad-
yances to the bureau, and either opens
it or tries to do so. While she is thus
engaged, young Willoughby Smith en-
tiers the room. In her hurry to with
draw the key, she makes this scratch
upon the door. He seizes her, and she,
snatching up the nearest object, which
happens to be this knife, strikes at him
in order to make him let go his hold.
The blow is fatal one. He falls, and
she escapes, either with or without the
object for which she has come. Is
Susan, the maid, there? Could any one
have got away through that door after
the time that you heard the cry,
Susan?
mo, sir, it is impossible. Before I
got down the stair, I'd have seen any
one in the passage Besides, the door
never opened, or / would have heard
it,"
That settles this exit. Then, no
doubt, the lady went ont the way she
came, l understand that this other
passage leads only to the professors
room. There is no exit that way"
mo, sir"
1--WE shall go down it and make the
acquaintance of the professor. Halloa,
Hopkins! this is very important, very
important indeed The professors cor
ridor is also lined with cocoanut mat
ting"
"SlI' OH, What Ot ttldt.
Don't you see any bearing upon the
case? Well, well. / don't insist upon
it. No doubt / am wrong. And yet il
seems to me to be suggestive. Come
with me and introduce me"
We passed down the passage, which
was of the same length as that which
led to the garden. At the end was
short flight of steps ending in a door
Our guide knocked, and then ushered
us into the professors bedroom.
L was very large chamber, lined
with innumerable volumes, which had
overlooked from the shelves and lay in
piles IN the corners, or were stacked
all around at the base of the cases.
The bed was in the center of the room,
and in it, propped up with pillows, was
the owner Of the house l have sell
dom seen more remarkable looking
person. 1t was a gaunt aquiline face
which was turned toward us, with
piercing dark eyes, which lurked in
deep hollows under overhung and
tnftad hrnxuc III,