The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-28
PART FOUR

PART FOUR
We'll, after this fasco 1 went into
the bedroom and examined that also.
The blood-stains we're very slight, mere
swears and discolorations. but I'M
doubtedly fresh. The stick had been
removed. but there also the marks
were slight There is no doubt about
the stick belonging to our client He
admits it. Footmarks of both men
could be made out on the carpet. but
none Of any third person. which again
is a. trick for the other side. They
were piling up their score all the time,
and we were at standstill.
Only one little CLEAN Of hope did
get-and yet it amounted to nothing.
I examined the contents OF the safe,
most OF which had been taken out and
left on the table. The papers had
been made up into sealed envelopes.
one or two of which had been opened
by the police. They we're not. SO far
as could judge, Of any great value,
nor did the handbook show that Mr..
Oldacre was in such very affluent cir
cumstances. Bait it seemed to me that
all the papers were not there. There
were illusions to- some deeds--possi-
bly, the more valuable-which l could
not find. This of course. if we could
definitely prove it, would turn Les
trades argument against himself; for
who would steal thing il he knew
that he would shortly inherit it?
Finally. having drawn every other
cover and picked up no scent. / tried
my luck with the housekeeper. Mrs.
Lexington is her name-a little, dark.
silent person, with suspicious and
sidelong eyes. She could tell us some
Thing if she would am convinced of
H. But she was as close as wax, Yes,
she had let Mr. McFarlane in at half
past nine. She wished her hand had
withered before she had done so. She
had gone to bed at half-past ten. Her
room was at the other end of the
house, and she could hear nothing of
what passed. Mr.. McFarlane had left
his hat. and to the best of her belief
his stick. IN the hall. She had been
awakened by the alarm of fire. Her
poor. dear master had certainly been
murdered. Had he any enemies? Well,
every man had enemies, but Mr.. Old
acre kept himself very much to him
self. and only met people in the way OF
business. She had seen the buttons,
and was sure that they belonged to the
clothes which he had worn last night.
The wood-nile was very dry, for it had
not rained for month. 1t burned like
finder, and bv the time she reached
the spot nothing could be seen but
flames. She and all the firemen
smalled the burned flesh from inside it.
She knew nothing of the papers, nor
Of Mr.. Oldacre's private affairs.
so my dear Watson, there's my re-
rort Of a failure. And yet--and yet
he clenched his thin hands in a par
oxysm of conviction-"I know it's all
wrong feel it in my bones. There
is something that has not come out,
and that housekeeper knows it. There
was a sort of sulky defiance in her
eyes. which only goes with guilty
knowledge However, there's no good
talking any more about 1t, watson;
but unless some lucky chance comes
cur way fear that the Norwood Dis
appearance Case will not figure in that
chronicle Of our successes which
foresee that a patient public will soon
or or later have to endure.
"Surely" said I. "the mans appear
ance would go far with any jury
That is q dangerous argument, my
dear Watson. You remember that ter
rible murderer. Bert Stevens, who
wanted us to get hin, off in 81? Was
there ever more mild-mannered o'ih-
day-school young man.?
at is true"
Unless we succeed in establishing
an alternative theory. this man is lost.
You can hardly find n flaw in the case
which can now be presented against
linn, and all further investigation has
served to strengthen it. By the way.
there is one curious little point about
those papers which may serve us as
The starting-point for an inquiry. On
looking over the handbook. | found
that the low state of the balance was
principally due TO large checks which
have heen made out during the last
wear to Mr.. Cornelius. | confess that
| should be int crested to know who
this Mr. Cornelius may be with whom
q retired builder has such very large
transactions. Is it possible that he has
had y hand in the affair" Cornelius
might be a broker. but we have found
no scrip to correspond with these
large payments. Failing any other
Indication. my researches must now
take the direction of an inquiry at the
l,ank for the gentleman who has
cashed these checks. But I fear. my
dear fellow, that our case will end in
a'oriously by Lestrade hanging our
client. which will certainly be a
triumph for Scotland Yard"
do not know how far Sherlock
Holmes took any sleep that night. hut
when I came down to breakfast
found him pale and harasSed, his
: bright eyes the brighter for the dark
shadows round them The carpet
round his chair was Uttered with
cigarette-ends and with the early edi-
tons of the morning papers. An open
telegram lay upon the table.
What do you think of this, Wat.
SON." he asked, tossing it across.
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