Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-02

height, and then suddenly develop
some unsiEhtly eccentricity. You will
see il often in humans. have theory
that tho individual represents in his
development the whole procession of
his ancestors, and that such sudden
turn 70 good or evil stands for some
strong influence which came into the
line OF his pedigree. The person be-
comes. IA it were, the cpitomc of the
history of his own family"
at is surely rather fanciiul."
We'll, l don't insist upon il. What
ever the cause, Colonel Moran began
To go wrong Without any open scan
dial. he still made India too hot 10 hold
him. He retired. came to London, and
again acquired an evil name. 1t was
at tins time that he was sought out by
Professor Moriarty TO whom for time
he was chief of the staff. Moriarty
supplied him literally with money, and
used HIM only in one or two very high
class jobs, which no ordinary criminal
could have undertaken. You may
have some recollection of the death of
Mrs Stewart, of Lauder, in 1887. Not?
Well am sure Moran was ut the bot
tom of II. but nothing could be proved
30 clcverly was the Colonel concealed
that. even when the Moriarty gang was
broken up, we could not incrminate
HIM. You remember at that date, when
] called upon YOU in your rooms. how
| put up the shutters for fear of air
guns? No. doubt YOU thought me fan
ciful | knew exactly what | was do
ing, for knew of the exitence of this
remarkable gun. and | knew also that
4
would he behind it. When we were in
Switzerland he followed us with Mori-
arty, and u was undoubtedly he who
gave me that evil five minutes on the
Reichenba,h ledge.
You may think that l read the
papers with some attention during my
solourn in France, on the lookout for
any chance of laying him by the heels.
30 long rs he was free in London, my
life would really not have been worth
living Night and day the shadow
would have cen over ne, and sooner
or later ms chance must have come
What could | do | could not shoot
hun at sight, or should myself I've in
the dock There was no use appealing
to a magistrate They cannot inter
icrc ON the strength Of what would
appear To them To bc a wild suspicion.
so could do nothing But | watched
the criminal news, knowing that sooner
or later | should get HIM. Then came
the death of this Ronald Adair My
chance had come at last. knowing
what | did. was It not certain that
Colonel Moran had done it, He had
PLAYED cards with the lad. he had fol-
lowed HIM home from the club, he had
shot him through the open window.
There was not a doubt of II. The
bullets alone are enough TO put his
head IN moose. | came over ut once.
| was seen bv the sentinel. who would
| knew, direct the Colonel's attention
20 my presence. lie could not fail to
connect my sudden return with his
crime, and 20 he terribly alarmed.
was sure that he would make an at
tempt 20 get me ont of the way at once.
and would bring round his murderous
weapon for that purpose. ! left him
an excellent mark IN the window, and.
having warned the police tina, they
might I've needed 10y the way, Watson.
YOU spotted their presence in that
doorway with unerrlng accuracy
took up what seemed to me 10 he n
! ludicious post for observation, never
dreaming that he would choose the
same spot for his attack. Now. my
dear Watson does anything remain for
me to explain?
YES" said |. You have not made
+ IL clear what was Colonel Moran's mo-
tive IN numbering the Honorable Ronald
Adalr9'
All my dear Watson, there we
come into those realms of conjecture,
where the most logical mind may be at
fault Each may form his own hypothesis
upon the present evidence. and yours
Is ~ likely 10 be correct rs mine.
You have formed one, them
Il think that II Is not difficult TO ex-
plain the facts. II came out IN evi-
dence that Colonel Moran and young
Adalr. had, between them. won con-
siderable amount of money Now,
Moran undoubtedly played foul--of
that | have long been aware. ! believe
that on the day of the murder .Adair
had discovered that Moran was cheat
ing. Very likely he had spoken to him
privately, and had threatened 10 ex-
pose HIM unless he voluntarily resigned
ms membership of the club and prom
ised not TO play cards again. 1t is un-
likely that youngster like Adalr would
at once make a hldeous scandal by eX-
posing well-known man so much
older than himself. Probably he acted
as / suggest. The exclusion from his
clubs would mean ruin 10 Moran, who
lived by his ill-gotten card-gains. He
therefore murdered Adair, who at the
time was endeavoring TO work out how
much money he should himself return,
since he could not profit by his part
ner's foul play He locked the door
lest the ladies should surprise him and
insist upon knowing what be was doing
with these names and coins. Will
II pass
Il have no doubt that you have hit
upon the truth.
1t will be verified or disproved at
! the trial. Meanwhile, come what may,
! Colonel Moran viii trouble US no more
The famous air-gun of Won Herder
will cmbellish the Scotland Yard Mu-
scum. and once again Mr. Sherlock
Holmes is free 20 devote his life TO
examining those interesting little prob
lens which the complex life of London
80 plentliuly presents"
Tn. End