| Show I The Adventure of the Norwood Builder Build r I I from the tho point of view of the criminal expert said Mr 1 Holmes Lendon London Lon Len don has become a singularly uninterestIng ing city since the death of the late la lamented lamented la- la lamented Professor Moriarty I L can cart hardly that you ou would find many decent Citizens to agree with you I 1 answered Well Veil well I must not be selfish said he with a smile as h he pushed back his chair from the breakfast t table The community com corn is certainly the gainer and no one the loser have the poor out of f work specialist specialist pe whose occupation has gone With that man in the field one ones one's s morning paper paper pa pa- per presented infinite possibilities Often it was only the smallest trace Watson Vatson the faintest indication and yet it was I enough g to te tell me that t the great malignant malig malig- et f tg I nant brain n was a there e as the gentlest t tremors of the edges of the web remind on one of the foul spider which lurks in the center Petty thefts wanton assaults purposeless outrage outrage to to the man who held the clue all could be worked into one connected connected connected con con- whole To the scientific student of the higher criminal world no capital in Europe offered the advantages which London then possessed But now now now- He shrugged his shoulders in m humorous deprecation deprecation dep dep- dep- dep of the thc state of things which he had himself done so much to produce At the time of which I 1 speak Holmes had been back for some months and I 1 at his request had sold my practice and returned returned re re- re turned to share the old quarters in Baker street A young joung doctor named Verner had purchased my ny small K Kensington practice and en given with astonishingly little demur the highest price that I ventured to ask askan askan askan an an incident which only explained itself some years later when I 1 found that VerI Verner Ver Ver- Verner ner was a distant relation of Holmes and that it was mv my friend who had really I found the 17 poncy oney O Our months s of partnership had not been been ov as ne nau lor I tind on looking over my notes that this i period includes the case of the papers of ex President l and also the shockIng shock shock- ing affair of the Dutch steamship Fries Flies land which so nearly cost us both our lives His cold and proud nature was wasal al always a averse erse however from anything Inthe in inthe the shape of public applause and he bound me In the most stringent terms to say no further word of himself his methods methods meth meth- or his successes successes-a a prohibition which as I have ha explained has only now been removed ed Mr tr Sherlock Holmes was leaning back in his chair af after er his whimsical protest I a aa and nd was unfolding his morning paper in ina ina a aw leisurely when our attention w was as arrested by a tr ring at tOe tnt bd b bell ell followed immediately b by a r. hollow d drumming bb sound as If someone were b eating beating on the outer door with his fist A Ar As s it opened there came a tumultuous Au rush ush r into the hall rapid feet clattered u up p the stair and an Instant later a wild- wild eb eyed eed e and frantic young oung man pale pate dishevelled dis dis- dis- dis b and palpitating burst into the room oom r lie He looked from one to the other o of f us and under our gaze of inquiry he lie ob b became conscious that some apology was n needed for this unceremonious entry Im I m sorry Mr Holmes he lie cried You Tou m mustn't blame me roe I am nearly madAir mad MH M Air l r. r Holmes I 1 am the unhappy John H Hector ector McFarlane He lIe made the announcement as if the n name ame alone alon would explain both his visit and a nd its manner but I 1 could see b by my soy c companion s unresponsive face that it m meant t l no more to him than to me Have a cigarette Mr Ir McFarlane said aid s he pushing his case across I Iam 1 a am m sure that with your symptoms s my fa friend f Dr Watson atson here would prescribe a a. sedative The weather has been so v very ery warm these last few days Now if It y yb you ou feel a little more composed I should b ba be e glad if It you would sit down Jn in that c cw chair hair and tell us very slowly and quietly w who ho you are and what it Is 15 that you vou w ant nt You lou mentioned your name as If I hould should s recognize it It but I assure you oU that b beyond the obvious facts that you OU are arc a b bachelor a solicitor a Freemason and a an n asthmatic I know nothing whatever I about bout a you vou Familiar as I r was with my friends friend's methods m it was not difficult for me to ft f follow ollow his deductions and to observe t the he untidiness of attire the sheaf sheat of legal g papers apers the watch charm and the breathIng breathing breath breath- lc l ing ng which had prompted them Our cli client cli- cli c ent ut however ever stared in amazement Yes I am all that Mr Holmes and In a ac addition I am the most unfortunate man manat manIt mant at It c t this moment in London For heavens heaven's s sake ake dont don't abandon me Mr Holmes Holmes' I If st t si they hey come to arrest me before I have fin fin- she my story make them give me time so 8 o 0 that I may tell you OU the whole truth I could o go to kl jail 1 happy if I knew w that I y you o ou were r working f for me roe outside tI Arrest you you ou said Holmes 1 This Is I really eally r most most most interesting On w what hat hat charge do you expect to be ar arrested ar- ar rested Upon the charge of murdering Mr Jonas ronas onas of Lower Norwood My companions companion's expressive face showed sympathy a which was S not I am afraid fr lr ff entirely r. r l unmixed with i satisfaction C Dear me said sald he be it was wa only this I i I I I moment at breakfast that I was saving sayin to my friend Dr Watson Vatson that sensa cases had disappeared out of ou our papers Our visitor stretched forward a quivering ering hand and picked up the Dally Daily Telegraph Tele Tele- graph which still lay upon Holmes' Holmes Teler knee kne r Jf If you had looked at it sir you would woul have seen at a glance what the erran errand is on which I have come to you thi this morning I 1 feel as if 11 my name and m in my misfortune must be II in every man man mouth He lie turned it over to expose th the th central page Here it is and with you your thir permission I will rad It to you Listen Youn to this Mr Holmes The headlines ar are r Mysterious Affair at Lower Norwood Disappearance of a Well VeU Known Builder Suspicion of Murder and Arson A Clue Clui 5 to the Criminal That is the clue which i they are already following Mr Holmes and I know that it leads Infallibly to me L I have been followed from London Bridge mee e station and I 1 am sure that they are oni only V waiting for the warrant to arrest me I It t will break breal my mot mother motier's rs s heart heart it it will wil I tI break her heart He wrung his hands hand S in an agony of apprehension and swayed d backwards s and forwards in his chair I looked with interest upon this man mar I who was accused of being the perpetrator tor of a crime of violence He lie was flaxen flaxen- haired and handsome in a washed ou out t negative fashion with frightened blue blu e eyes and a clean shaven face with a weak sensitive mouth ills His age may have hay 0 been about 27 his dress and bearing that tha t of a gentleman From the pocket of hi hl S light summer overcoat protruded the bundle bun bun- dle die of indorsed papers which proclaimed C his profession We Ve must use what time we have said sal d Holmes Watson Watson Vatson would you have th the e kindness to take the paper and to read the Le paragraph in question Underneath the toe vigorous headlines s which our client had quoted I read Ui the e fi following fo suggestive narrative Late last night or early this mornIng morn morn- in ing g an incident occurred at Lower Norwood Nor Nor- w wood which points it is feared to a serious se rious crime Mr Jonas Tonas is a w well ell known resident of that suburb where h he e has carried on his business as a b builder for many years ears Mr l is a bachelor 52 years ears of age and lives In D Deep Dene House a at the yd Sydenham nham end of the road of that tha t name lIe Ho has had th the e reputation of being a man of eccentric tr ic habits secretive and retiring For Tor so some ome me years he has practically withdrawn fr from om the business in which he Is la aid said to h hav ave amassed considerable wealth A small mall s timber yard still exists however at th the e back of the house and last night about bout a 12 o'clock an alarm was given that o one ne of the stacks was on fire Ire The en engines ennes en- en gines gi nes were soon oon upon the spot but the d dry ry wood burned with great fury and it w IT was ti tion on as until impossible t f the stack tl to k had arrest eb been e the entirely conagra conagra- a con con- su med Up to this point the incident bore th the e appearance of oC an ordinary accident b but ut fresh indications seem to point to se serious rious crime crime Surprise was expressed at a t the absence of the master of the es es- es ta from the scene of the fire a and nd an inquiry followed which showed th that at he lie had disappeared from the house An A n examination of his room revealed that th the e bed had not been slept In In that a safe w which stood in it was open that a numer num- num h I er of important papers were spattered I I about tha the room and finally that there I were Signs of a mur murderous erous struggle slight I r traces of blood being found within the room and an oaken walking stick which also show show d stains of blood upon the han han- die dle it is known that Mr Jonas Old- Old acre had received a late visitor in his cI bedroom upon that night and the stick d found has been identified as the property property prop prop- S erty of this person who Is a young oung London London Lon Lon- y yS don solicitor named John Hector McFarlane McFarlane s lane junior partner of Graham and McFarlane Mc- Mc McFarlane fc- fc e C Farlane of Gresham buildings E H. C. C C C. ir r The police believe that they have evidence evidence evi evi- evi- evi n dence in their possession which supplies a a very convincing motive for the crime and nd altogether h it cannot a be doubted that thai sensational developments V IO s will follow I Later Later lt It Is rumored as we go to press that Mr John Hector l Iel arlane has ac ac- ac been arrested on the charge of the murder of Mr Jonas It is at least certain that a warrant has been issued There have been further and sinIster sin sin- ister later developments in the Investigation at Norwood Besides the signs of ot a struggle gb gle in the room of ot the unfortunate builder it is now known that the French Frencl windows of or his bedroom which is on the ground floor were found to be open that thai there were marks as if some bulky ob object object ob- ob had been dragged across to the woodpile woodpile wood wood- pile and finally it is asserted that charred remains have been found among the charcoal ashes of the fire The po police police po- po lice theo theory is that a most sensational crime has been committed that the victim victim vic vic vic- tim was clubbed to death in his hM own bedroom bedroom bed bed- room his papers rifled and his dead body dragged across to tho the which was then ignited so as to hide tilde all traces of the crime I inal The conduct of the crimInal crim crim- investigation has been left in the ex experienced ex- ex hands of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard who is following up the clues with his accustomed energy and sagacity To be continued |
