CHAPTER XXXI

THIRLWELL'S REWARD

Winter was nearly over when, one evening, George and Scott arrived at the Farnam homestead where Agatha was a guest. The house was centrally heated, and when the party gathered in Mrs. Farnam's pretty, warm room, Agatha wondered what Thirlwell was doing in the frozen North. Farnam had invested some money in the mine, and Agatha knew George had come to talk about the company's business.

"Things are not going well with us," he said presently. "Our money's nearly spent and Thirlwell has not been able to get out much ore. I think I told you he suspected Stormont sent the men who staked the claims behind our block, and the fellow's now getting on our track. He's been to see Gardner, Leeson, and one or two others."

"It would be awkward if they turned us down," Farnam remarked.

Agatha waited. She knew Gardner and Leeson held a number of the shares, but she did not understand the matter yet.

"Very awkward," George agreed. "I went to Leeson, and although he didn't say much, I reckon Stormont wants to buy his stock. He allowed that he and Gardner were not satisfied about our prospects, and I couldn't give him much ground for holding on. Then I went to Hill, who said he'd got an offer for his stock and meant to sell, but wouldn't name the buyer. I suspected Stormont again, but we won't know until we get the transfer form."

"One could head him off by bidding higher for the shares," Farnam suggested. "Still I suppose it's impossible. Anyhow, I have no more money." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Where did George and Scott arrive?
2. Who was a guest there?
3. Which season was it?
4. Was Winter just beginning?
5. How far along?
6. Where did the party gather?
7. What was the temperature like in the room?
8. What had Farnam invested in ?
9. What did Farnam wish to discuss?
10. Were things going well for the company?
11. Why?
12. Who was suspected of staking claims behind their block?
13. Had he been to see anyone else?
14. Who?
15. Did they have any shares?
16. How many?
17. Did Agatha have a good understanding of the matter?
18. Whose stock does Stormont want to buy?
19. Does Hill mean to sell?
20. How much money does Farnam have left?
Answer: 1. at the Farnam homestead
2. Agatha
3. Winter
4. No
5. Nearly over
6. Mrs. Farnam's room
7. Warm
8. in the mine
9. unknown
10. No
11. The money was nearly spent they hadn't gotten much ore
12. Stormont
13. Yes
14. Gardner, Leeson, and one or two others
15. Yes
16. unknown
17. No
18. Leeson's and Hill's
19. Yes
20. None

(CNN) -- Sherlock Holmes is back, and it's more than elementary my dear Watson.

Eighty-one years after the death of his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and more than 100 years since the last original story, the world's greatest detective returns in a new novel, "The House of Silk."

The novel may be the peak of what's been recent Holmes renaissance, including "Sherlock," a successful, modern adaptation for the BBC. There's also a Hollywood film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law which re-imagines Holmes and Watson as steampunk action heroes, it was a hit with movie-goers, even spawning a sequel this holiday.

Bookstore shelves are loaded with tributes, pastiches, spinoffs and repackaged versions of the "sacred 60," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 original short stories and 4 novels, but "The House of Silk" stands apart.

It's the first new Holmes novel authorized and written with the endorsement of the Conan Doyle estate.

Picking up the Meerschaum pipe is Anthony Horowitz, a bestselling novelist and television producer from Britain. Horowitz penned the extremely popular, Alex Rider series, about a teenage super-spy.

He's also written and produced several popular television dramas, including "Foyle's War," and "Midsomer Murders" both seen on PBS. Horowitz says he didn't tinker much with Conan Doyle's creation, hoping to preserve the flavor and tone of the original stories while giving the new novel a modern sensibility and pace.

"The House of Silk" is set in 1890, a London shrouded in fog and shadow, where Hansom cabs still roam the streets. Watson now lives in a retirement home, Holmes is dead a year. Watson recounts one of their earlier cases, so shocking; the pages of its telling have stayed in his solicitor's safe for 100 years. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How many years has it been since the original story was published?
2. What is the title of the new Book?
3. What is the new author's name?
4. Has he written other things?
5. What time period is the novel set in?
6. What has been in the safe for a century?
7. Why was it stored away?
8. Who was the original author?
9. What did he write?
10. How many stories in all?
11. Who is Alex Rider?
12. What aired on BBC?
Answer:
1. more than 100 years
2. "The House of Silk"
3. Anthony Horowitz
4. yes
5. 1890
6. the pages of a case
7. because it's so shocking
8. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. the Sherlock Holmes series
10. 56 original short stories and 4 novels
11. a teenage super-spy
12. "Sherlock,"