The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-02-09
Come, come, Bannister!"


 Now, Soames- am going to ask you to have the great kindness to go up to the room of young Gtlchrist, and to ask him to step down into yours turned. bringing with him the stu dent He was a. fine figure of a man, tall, 1.-the, and agile, with a prngy step t1o,haa and ,,1 plesn open at each of us, and finally rested with an expression of blank dismay upon Bannister in the farther corner. ,
 Just close the door, said Holmes. , t'Now. MT. Gilchrist, we are all quite alone here, and no one need ever know one word of what passes be- tween us. We can be perfectly frank | with each other. We want to know. l MT. Gilchristt, how you. an honor l able man, ever came to commit such l an action as that of yesterday?'
 The unfortunate young man stag gered back, and cast g. look full of horror and reproach at Bannister.
 No, no, MT. Gilchrist, sir, I never said a word-never one word!'' cried the servant.
 'No, but you have now" said Holmes Now. sir, you must-see that after Bannister's words your position is hopeless, and that yourto only chance lies in a frank confession.'
 For a moment Gilchrist, with up- raised Hands tried to control his | wri thing features The next he had
 
 the table, and burying his face in his hands, he had burst into a storm of passionate Sobbing. 2 Come, 'come.'' said Holmes, kindly, Git is human to err. and 9at least no one can accuse you.eof' being a call louS criminal Perhaps it would be easier for you if IS,Were to tell MT. Soanes what occurred and you can check me whereYI I am wrong. Shall I do so? We'll, well, don't trouble tp iSta oat n you no injustice" From the moment. MT. Soames, that you said to me that no one, not even Bannister, could have told that the papers were in your room, the case began to take a definite shape in my mind The printer one could, of course, dismiss. He could exam inc the papers in his own ofica. The Indian l also thought nothing of. If the proofs were in roll, he could not possibly know what they were. On ] the other hand, it seemed an un- l thinkaple coincidence that a man l should dare to enter the room, and l that by chance on that Very day the papers were on the table. I dismiss ed that. The man who entered knew l that the paprs were there. How | did he know?
 When I approached your room, I I examined the window. You amused | me by supposing that was con ] tenplating the possibility of some l one having in broad daylight, under the eyes of all these. opposite rooms, forced himself through t.. Such an idea was absurd. I was measuring g how tall a man would need to be in | order to see, as he passed, what ! papers were on the central table, ann six feet high, and I could do it with an effort. No one less than that would have a chanceJ Already you see had reason to think that, l if one of your three students was a
 man of unusual height, he was the
 most worth watching of the three.
 'I entered, and took you into my 1 confidence as to the suggestions of the side table. Of the centre table 1T could make nothing. until in your l description of Gilchrist you mention ed that he was a. long-distance jumper Then the whole thing came l to me in an instant, and only need d l certain c.orroborative proofs, Which l speedily obtained.
 What happened was this. This young fellow had employed his after noon at the athletic grounds, where : he had been practising the jump. He r returned carrying his jumping-shoes | Which are provided, as you are aware , with several sharp spikes. As he
 passed your window he saw. by . means of his great height, these f proofs upon your table, and conjec
 tured what they were No harm 3 would have been done had it no | been that, as he passed your door st he perceieyed the. key which ,at , been left by the carelessness of you ,. l servant A sudden impulse came eoyeI e him to enter, and if they wer, f indeed the proofs. It was not a dan
 grous exploit. for he could alway = pretend that he had simply looked il n ito ask a question.
 n ''WeIl, when ihe saw that they wer d indeed the proofs, it was then tha e he yielded to temptation. He pu | hi, e,r~I,.I Il 0 you put on that chair near the win ). dow?'
 u Gloves" said the young man. n Holmes looked triumphantly a IS Bannister- f'He put his gloves on tn ,, chair, and he took the proofs, shee
 by sheet, to copy them. He though
 the tutor must return by the mai
 gate, and that he would see him. A If we know, he came back by the sid r gate. Suddenly he heard him at tn -c very door, There was no possible e l. cape. He forgot his gloves, but h c. caught I'D his shoes and darted SIlt e the bedroom. You observe that th ,k SCI atch on that table ts slight af on lg side, but dee2ene in the 1irecttoc ( st. the bedroom That in itself io enoaS
 to show as tAAi: e2o shoa had bee K Grawu in that directiou. aid fh: IF the cufprft 1asad esken refuge ther
 Tho earth 1osind the spike had bee ,' IcGt on the table. ard a second san i'll ple was loosensd and fell in the bet ut room I may add that T walked. o,
 to the >eEhictdc grounds this 1nornfn ts saw that tenacious black clay is use
 in The junp1ffss pit, ard carried aws
 a specimen of 1t, together with son
 ] ot the fine tan or sawdust which
 1 strew1l over it to prevent the atTle ,ie 1 from slipping. Have I told the trut at %ir. Gi1christ?V
 i'd The student\ had drawn himse ne erect.
 [fo ''Yes. sir. it Is true.'' said he
 Good Heavens! Have you not
 ing to add?'' cried Soames
 ia ''Yes, sir, I have, but the shock 1;+ this disgracefuI exposure has bewil, it cred me. I have a. letter here, M he Soames, which I wrote to you ear as this morning in the middle of a res ho less night. It was before I knew tn
 my sin had found me out. Here it
 sir You will see that have said,
 have determined not to go in for u Jp examination. I have been offered he commission in the Rhodesian Polio we and I am going out to South Afr
 lat