The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-11-25

mo; the matter passed as unim-
portant"
81 am not clear how you came to
hear the news so early this morning"
81 am an early riser, and generally
take walk before breakfast. This
morning had hardly started when the
doctor in his carriage overlook me.
He told me that old Mrs. Porter had
sent boy down with an urgent mes
sage. / sprang in beside him and we
drove on. When we got there we
looked into that dreadful room. oh,
it was awful to seei ! couldn't stand |
it, and the doctor was as white as a
sheet Indeed, he fell into a chair in
a sort of faint, and we nearly had him
on our hands as WE'LL"
Remarkable = most remarkable"
said Holmes, rising and taking his hat.
Il think, perhaps, we had better go
down to Tredannick Wartha without
further delay"
Our proceedings Of that first morn |
ing did little to advance the investiga- |
ton. 1t was marked, however, at the |
outset by an incident which left the
most sinister impression upon my
mind. The approach to the spot at
which the tragedy occurred is down
narrow, winding country lane. While
we made our way along it we heard
the rattle of a carriage coming towards
us, and stood aside to let it pass. AS
| it drove by us / caught glimpse
through the closed window of a hor-
ribly contorted face glaring out at US.
Those staring eyes and crashing teeth
flashed past US like dreadful vision.
'My brothers!" cried Mortimer Ire
tn 60 ave
taking them to Helston."
1t was large and bright dwelling,
rather a villa than cottage, with a
considerable garden which was al
ready, in that Cornish air, well filled
with spring flowers. Towards this gar
den the window of the sitting-room
fronted, and from 1t, according to Nor
timer Tregennis, must have come that
thing Of evil which had by sheer hor.
ror in single instant blasted their
minds. Holmes walked slowly and
thoughtfully among the flower-plots
and along the path before we entered
the porch. So absorbed was he in
his thoughts, l remember, that he
stumbled over the watering-pot, upset
its contents, and deluged both our
feet and the garden path. Inside the
Cornish housekeeper, Mrs. Porter, who,
with the aid of a young girl, looked
after the wants of the family. She
had tainted with horror upon enter
ing the room in the morning and see
ing that dreadful company round the
table. She had, when she recovered,
thrown open the window to let the
morning air in, and had run down to
the lane, whence she sent a farm-lad
for the doctor. The lady was on her
bed upstairs, if we cared to see her.
why a fire." he asked once. Had
they always fire in this small room
ION spring EVENING""
Mortimer Tregennis explained that
the night was cold and damp. For
that reason, after his arrival, the fire
was lit
1t was not until long after we were
back in Poldhu Cottage that Holmes
|, broke his complete and absorbed ST.
lence. Finally he laid down his pipe
and sprang to his feet.
at won't do, Watson!" said he, with
a laugh. Let us walk along the cliffs
together and search for flint arrows.
i Now, let us calmly define our position,
: Watson" he continued, as we skirted
the cliffs together. 81 take it, in the
/ place that neither of US is prepared
3 to admit diabolical intrusions into the
f affairs of men. Let US begin by rul-
: ing that entirely out of our minds.
: Very good. There remains three per.
/ sons who have been previously strick.
: en- by some conscious or unconscious
. human agency. That is firm ground.
r Now, when did this occur? Evidently
4 assuming his narrative to be true, ii
iT11r iaf nlu
t Tregennis had left the room. That is
4 a very important point The presump
|, ton is that it was within a few min.
! utes afterwards. The cards still Law
Z upon the table. 1t was already past
j. their usual hour for bed. Yet they had
!. not changed their position or pushed
!. back their chairs. l repeat, then, that
:, the occurrence was Immediately after
y his departure, and not later thar
e eleven o'clock last night
:. "Our next obvious step is to check
n so far as we can, the movements Of
e Mortimer Tregennis after he left the
room. In this there is no difficulty
l. and they seem to be above suspicion
It Knowing my methods as you do, 70,
( were, of course, conscious Of thu
O somewhat clumsy waterproof expedien
V by which l obtained a clearer impress,
of his foot than might otherwise hav,
been possible. The wet, sandy patti
r. took it admirably Last night wa
u also wet, you will remember, and. i
e. was not difficult-having obtained ,
sample print-to pick out his tranl
E, among others and to follow his move
n ments. He appears to have wakes
If away swiftly in the direction of tn
If vicarage.
sti If. then, Mortimer Tregennis dis
N appeared from the scene, and yet som
q outside person affected the card
players, how can we reconstruct tina
person, and how was such an impres
/ sion of horror conveyed? Mrs. Porte
,r may be eliminated. She is evidentl
N harmless. Is there any evidence tina
lie someone crept up to the garden wiz
dow and in some manner produced S
re terrific an effect that he drove thos
id who saw it out of their senses? TIL
only suggestion in this direction come
/ from Mortimer Tregennis himself, VIII
w says that his brother spoke abou
O. some movement in the garden. Tha
is certainly remarkable, as the nigf
ae was rainy, cloudy, and dark. Anyon
7e who had the design to alarm thes
- ~ al l.