Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1912-05-23

would do so, and asked me not to
bar the door. heard him come up
the stair after midnight"
But his meals?"
1T was his particular direction that
We should always, when he rang.
leave his meal upon a chair outside
his door. Then he rings again when
he has finished, and we take it
down from the same chair. II he
wants anything else he prints 1t on
a slip OF paper and leaves it."
prints it?"
"Yes, sir; prints It in pencil. Just
the word, nothing more. Here's one
/ brought to show you-SOAP. Here's
another-MATCH. This is one y,
left the first morning-DAnY GA
ZETTE. leave that paper with his
breakfast every morning"
Dear me. Watson" said Holmes,
staring with great curiosity at the
slips Of foolscap which the landlady
had handed to him. this is certainly
little unusual. seclusion can un-
derstand; by why print? Printing is
q clumsy process. Why not write?
What would 1t suggest. Watson?"
That he desired to conceal his
handwriting"
"But why? What can It matter to
him that his landlady should have q
word Of his writingf Still. 1t may be
as you say. Then, again, why such
laconic messagesf"
Il cannot imagine"
1T opens = pleasing field for inUsli-
gent speculation. The words are writ.
ten with broad-pointed. violet-tinted
pencil OF q not unusual pattern. You
will observe that the paper 10 torn
away at the side here after the print
ing was done, 10 that the 's' of
SOAP lis partly gone sugseettya
" esp1s .aAsis. 20 =. -.>-.,-.-... - r
yCf caution :"
Exactly. There was evidently so
mark. some thumb print. somethi
which might give clew to tho pS
sons identity. Now. Mrs. WarrenS
you say that the man was OF middle
size, dark and bearded. What age
would he bet"
"Youngish-not over thirty"
well. can you give mo no further
indicationsf"
"He spoke good English. sir, and
yet thought he was q foreigner by
his accent"
"And he was well dressed?"
very smartly dressed, sir-quite
the gentleman. Dark clothes-noth.
ing you would note"
He gave no name?"
"No, sir"
"And has had no letters or callers? ?"
None"
"But surely you or tho girl enter
his room of a morning?"
mo. sir; he looks after himself
entirely"
Dear me! that is certainly remark
able. What about his luggage?"
"He had one big brown bag with
him-nothing else."
well. we don't seem to have much
material to help us. Do you say
nothing has come out Of that room
absolutely ncihing?'
The lardlady drew an envelope
from her bag; from It she shook out
two burnt matches and q ciragette-
end upon the table.
'They were on his tray this morn
ing. I brought them because I had
heard that you can read great things
out Of small ones"
Holmes shrugged his shoulders.
There is nothing here" said he.
"The matches have, OF course, been
used to hight cigarettes. That II obvi.
Gus from the shortness Of the burnt
end. Half tho match is consumed in
lighting q pipe Or = cigar. But, dear
mel this cigarette stub is certainly
remarkable. The gentleman was
bearded and mustached, you sayr
yes, sir"
Il don't understand that. should
say that only a clean-shaven man
could have smoked this. Why, Wat
son. even your modest mustache
would have been singed"
"A holder7" suggested.
mo. no: the end II matted. sup
pose there could not be two people
In your rooms. Mrs. Warren?"
mo. sir. He eats 30 little that I
often wonder It can keep life in one" I"
"Well, ! think We must wait for O
little more material. After all, you
have nothing to complain of. You
have received your rent, and he is
not rtroublesoms iodger. through hA
II certainly an unasuai one. He paw
vo,, ,uo11 ond - L. =.