Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
Watson Is Among
the Missing on This Oc-
casiOn, but the Reason
ing Powers of the Fa-
nous DiScOUerer e.
Truth Are Found to Be
Up to the Traditional
Standard of PerJec-
ton.

for your advice and assistance at the
appointment for which / had already
I written"
/ OUCH was the problem which my
~ visitor laid before me. 1t pre-
/ sented, as the astute reader Will nave
/ already perceived. few difficulties In
it's solution. for a very limited choice
l OF alternatives must get to the root Oh
the matter. Still, elementary as J.
was. there were points of interest ana
novelty about 1t which may excuse my
placing it upon record. L now pro
| ceeded. using my familiar method OF
logical analysis, to narrow down the
possible solution.
were in the house?
OTTO the best of my belief, there were
only the old butler and his wire: Iney
seemed to live In the sinpieS'
fashion" H.
detached house," tt
'.Tone unless the little man with
the heard acted as such. He seemed
however, to be quite superior
kperson. u.t,,o uad
Won any indication that 1000 was con
waved from the one house TO the
other?" =. s,a
Now that you mention It, | did
see old Ralph carrying basket oown
| the garden walk and going In the
direction of this house. The idea OF
food did not occur to me at the
I moment" "a,
Ibid you make any local Inquiries
eyes. / did. / spoke to the station
master and also to the 1nnkeeper IN
the village. l simply asked II they
knew anything of my old comrade'
Godfrey Ellsworth. Both of them
assured me that he had gone for a
VOYAGE round the world. He had
come home and then had almost at
once started off again. The story
was evidently universally accepted
You said nothing of your suspi-
cion?"
Nothing"
THAT was very wise. The matter
should certainly be inquired into l
will go back with you to Tuxbury Old
Park
To-Day"
It happened that at the moment I
was clearing up the case which my
friend Watson has described as that
of the Abbey School, in which the
Duke of Greyminster was so deeply
involved. I had also a commission
from the Sultan of Turkey which
called for immediate action, as politi-
cal consequences of the gravest kind
might arise from its neglect. There
fore 1t was not until the beginning
of the next week, as my diary records,
that | was able to start forth on my
mission to Bedfordshire in company
with Mr.. James M. Dodd. AS we
drove to Euston we picked up grave
and taciturn gentleman of iron-gray
aspect with whom I had made the
necessary arrangements.
This is an old friend" said / to
Dodd. cit is possible that his pres
ence may be entirely unnecessary and,
| on the other hand, it may be essential.
1t is not necessary at the present
stage to go further into the matter"
THE narratives of Watson have
accustomed the reader, no doubt,
| to the fact that I do not waste words
or disclose my thoughts while a case
is actually under consideration. Dodd
seemed surprised, but nothing more
was said and the three of us con-
tinued our journey together. In the
train 1 asked Dodd ore more question
| which / wished our companion to
hear
You say that you saw your
friends face quite clearly at the
window, so clearly that you are sure
| of his identity?''
Il have no doubt about il what.
ever. His nose was pressed against
the glass. The lamplight shone full
upon him"
1T could not have been some one
resembling him."
No, no. it was he
| But you say he was changed"
| only in color. His face was-how
shall l describe TIT was of a. fish.
belly whiteness. 1t was bleached "
Was 1t equally pale all over?"
think not. 1t was his brow
which l saw so clearly as it was
pressed against the window"
| Did YOU call to him."
| was too startled and Mortified
Tor the moment. Then l pursued him.
as have told you, but without
| result"
My case was practically complete
and there was only one small incident
needed to round it off. When. after
a considerable drive, we arrived at the
strange old rambling house which NV
client had described. it was Ralph.
| the elderly butler who opened the
| door / had requisitioned the carriage
for the day and had asked my elderly
friend to remain within il unless we
should summon him. Ralph, a little
| wrinkled old fellow, was in the con.
Ventional costume of black coat and
pepper-and-salt trousers, with only
one curious variant. He wore brown
leather gloves which at sight of us he
instantly shuffied Off, laying them
down on the halltable as we passed
i'll. L have, as my friend Watson may
have remarked, an abnormally acute
set of senses, and q faint but incisiVe
scent was apparent. 1t seemed to
center on the hall-table. / turned.
placed my hat there, knocked II Off.
stopped to pick IT up, and contrived
to bring my nose within foot of the
gloves. Yes. ii was undoubtedly from
them that the curious. tarry odor was
oozing. / passed on into the study
with my case complete. Alas, that
l should have to show my hand SO
when I tell my own story! It was by
concealing such links in the chain
that Watson was enabled to produce
his meretricious finales.
~ X
COL. ELLSWORTH was not in his
- room, but he came quickly enough
on receipt of Ralph's message. We
heard his quick, heavy step in the
passage. The door was flung open
and he rushed in with bristling beard
and twisted features. as terrible an
old man as ever have seen. He held
our cards in his hand, and he tore
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