The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-10

IAcl you nave any particular cause ~
uneasiness, nor do l understand Why
!, whose time is of some value, should
interfere in the matter. / really have
other things to engage me-" So
spoke Sherlock Holmes. and turned
back to the great scrapbook in which
he was arranging and indexing some
of his recent material.
But the landlady had the pertinac-
ity, and also the cunning. of her sex.
She held her ground firmly.
"You arranged an affair for a lod-
ger of mine last year." she said -
Mr.. Fairdale Hobbs"
"Ah, yes-a simple matter"
But he would never cease talking
of it your kindness, sir, and the
way in which you brought light into
the darkness. 1 remembered his
words when l was in doubt and dark
ness myself. l know you could if you
only would
well, well, Mrs. Warren, let us
hear about it then. You don't OBJ
ject to tobacco, / AXE it? Thank
you. Watson the matches. You
are uneasy, as ! understand, because
YOU new ledger remains in his
rooms and you cannot see him. Why
bless you, Mrs Warren, if l we're your
ledger you often would not see me for
weeks on end"
mo doubt, sir; but this is different.
1t frightens me, Mr.. Holmes. | cant
sleep for fright.
If take it up l must understand
every detail said Holmes. Take
time to consider. The smallest point
may be the most essential. You say
that the man came ten days ago.
and paid you for a fortnight's board
and lodging?"
He asked my terms, sir. l said
fifty shillings a week. There is a
small sittingroom n bedroom and
all complete, at the top of the house
"Well?"
HE said, III pay you five pounds
a week if l can have it on my own
terms I'm a poor woman, sir. and
Mr.. Warren earns little, and the
money meant much to me. He took
out a ~ten-pound note and he held it
out to me then and there. You can
have the same every fortnight for u
long time to come if you keep the
terms he said. Ii not, I'll have no
more to do with you"
What were the terms?"
We'll, sir, they were that he was
to have a key of the house. That
was all right. Lodgers often have
them. Also, that he was to be left
entirely to himself and never, upon
any excuse, to be disturbed"
Nothing wonderful in that, sure.
ly?"
NO in reason, sir. But this is
out of all reason. He has been
there for ten days, and neither Mr.
Warren. nor l, nor the girl has once
set eyes upon him. We can hear
that quick step of his pacing up and
down, up and down, night, morning
and noon; but except on that frs
night he has never one gone out Of
the house"
"Oh, he went out the first night
did he?"
Yes, sir, and returned very late =
after we were all in bed. He told
me after he had taken the rooms
that he would do so, and asked mc
not to bar the door, | heard hin
come up the stair after midnight"
But his meals?'
at was his particular direction
that we should always, when he rang
leave his meal upon a chair, outsid
his door. Then he rings again whel
he has finished, and we take it dow
from the same chair. If he want
anything else he prints it IN a slip O
paper and leaves it."
Prints it,"
Yes. sir, prints it in pencil. JUS
the word, nothing more. Here's on
brought TO show you SOAF
Here's another MATCH. This i
- 80 ~. e;r-t po0rnTnu -
DAILY GAZETTE. | leave that pa
per with his breakfast every morning.
Dear nc, Watson" said Holme,
staring With great curiosity at tn
slips Of foolseaD which the landlad
had handed to him, this is certainl
a little unusual, Seclusion | ca
understand: but why print? Printin
is a clumsy process. Why not write
what would it suggest. Watson?'
THAT he desired to conceal h
handwriting"
at opens a pleasing field for !,
teuigent speculation. The words al
written with a br~oad-pointed. viole
tinted pencil of a not unusual patterl
You will observe that The paper
town away 1T the side here after th
printing was done, so that the s {
Soap is partly gone. Suggestive, Wa
son. is it not"
"Of caution"
Exactly. There was evident
some mark, some thumb-print, som
thing which might give a clue to tt
persons identity. Now, Mrs. Warre1
Won say that the man was of midd
size. dark. and bearded. What as
would he be-"
"Youngish, sir-not over thirty
well, can you give me no furth'
indications?
HE spoke good English, sir, ar
vet | thought he was a foreigner
his accent"
And he was we'll dressed?"
very smartly dressed sir qui
the gentleman. Dark clothes-nothlI
you would note
''Well. we don't seem to have mu'
material to help us. ! suppose the
could not be two people in your DON
Mrs. Warren"
NO, sir. lie eats so little that
often wonder it can keep life in one
well, ! think we must wait for
little more material. After all, "
have nothing to complain of. "
have received your rent, and he
not a troublesome ledger, though
Is certainly an unusual one. Il
tsken up the matter, and | wor