Show III II I The Adventure of the Golden Pince Pince-Nez I PART 5 5 1 Copyright 1921 b by Harper Bros Special arrangement with the McClure Newspaper Syndicate The story thus far One wild and stormy night In November Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson atson were surprised by a visit from Stanley Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins kins a promising detective whom Holmes had helped on several occasions He lie was puzzled by a case down in Kent n n. country house down there Old Place was taken some years before byan by byan bynn an nn old man than Professor Coram He was wa an Invalid keeping his bed half the time He lie was writing a learned book and a n. year ear before had found a secretary sary The first two he tried were not satisfactory but the third Mr Willoughby Willoughby Wil- Wil Smith was Just what his employer em em- wanted That morning between 11 and 12 Sufan Swan the housemaid hearn a terrible cry and a heavy thud in the study Rushing In In she found Mr VII Wil- Willoughby Smith lying On the floor wounded wound wound- ed in the neck by a small sealing wax knife from the desk lIe He gasped The Professor Professor-It It was she and died The professor sitting in bed was terribly agitated agi agitated agi- agi when the housekeeper told him of or orthe the tragedy but could not explain the strange words Hopkins showed Sherlock Holmes a a. rough plan of ot the tho rooms The study was entered by three doors one of which was waa blocked by Susan as she he ran to the room one of ot which led to the garden and one of ot which led to the professors professor's room II There were footmarks on the narrow grass border to the path that led to the garden door It could not be told which way the tracks were going as It had haa rained during the night The corridor to tod top the study d from the garden garde door was att diCe Jy carpeted p with matting In the study t was wasa a bureau with unlocked drawers and a locked cupboard In the right hand of ot the dead man was found a pair of gold- gold rimmed eyeglasses which Hopkins showed Holmes and from which Holmes r drew the conclusion that the murderer was a very sighted short-sighted woman with a puckered forehead rounded shoulders and a II peering expression r Holmes went to the scene of ot the mura murder murder mur mur- a der the next da day He lie examined every every- 1 thing On the bureau he found a scratch which Holmes asserted was made by akey a akey akey key which the assassin had been using i in trying to open the cupboard He also attached importance to the fact that the corridor to the professors professor's room was also carpeted with matting He then went t to the professors professor's room room room-a. a room lined with bookshelves from which the books over over- overflowed flowed to the floor The professor proCessor with witha d a gaunt acquiline face tace and white hair hall and beard sat In bed He lie smoked Ins In Incessantly Ins In- In s and Holmes sampled his cigarettes cIgarettes cigarettes cigar cIgar- ettes generously The professor suggested that his secretary secretary sec eec might have killed himself When n d Holmes asked him what the cupboard d contained the professor offered him th the ke key Later Holmes told Watson Vatson the ci cigarettes cl ci- r garettes would the theo solve o the mystery He s learned from the sert servants ants that the e professor pro pro- ro- ro fessor had been eating very heartily heartily They all returned to the professors professor's room a In another cigarette Holmes upset the can of ot them and got down o or on n his hands and knees to gather them up He then announced that he had solved solve d the mystery TODAY'S TODAY INSTALMENT Yes said ald he he I have solved It Stanley Hopkns and I stared In amazement amaze amaze- ment Something like likel a a. sneer a over o the gaunt features of the old pro pro- fessor Indeed In the garden No Xo here I Here When I 1 This instant I YOU are surely Joking Mr 11 k Holmes You compel e me to tell I you thai tha kt t tet tt I this Is too serious rl a matter to be treated e in such a II fashion I I J have forged and tested every linof lin of my chain Professor sor Coram and I a asure ensure en am m sure It Is sound What your our motives are I or what exact part you ou play in this I strange business I 1 am not yet able t tSi tc I s Si A In a few minutes I shall y i hear It from your our own lips i will reconstruct what Is past for tor you joui r I benefit so 80 that you ou may know the In ln formation which I still sUU require A A lady yesterday j y entered your our study She came toh oh the Intention of ing fag herself of J certain documents which were In your Our bureau She had a key o 0 I I her own I have had an opportunity o o. examining examining- yours your and I 1 do not find tha thAi slight alight discoloration which the the- th h made upon the varnish would have pro TO You were not an a acc accessory there fore tOTe and she c came m so ao o far lar as a. 1 can rea the r evidence ce without your knowledge t tiro ti tc rol ro you ou I Th The professor blew a A. cloud from hi I lips This ii I. most interesting and In I said he Have you ou no man mor to add Surely Steely having traced this lad I eo Co far you can tin also abo sy say what ha has bas become becom c pf her orr 1 eude endeavor vor to do o so aO In the thc firs t place she was seized by your secretary secretary I arid and stabbed him In order to escape This catastrophe I am inclined to regard asan as asan asan an unhappy accident for I am convinced that the lady had no Intention of ot inflicting Inflict inflict- Inflicting ing so 80 grievous ous an Injury An assassin does not come unarmed Horrified by what she had done she rushed wildly from rom the scene of the tragedy Unfortunately for tor her she had lost her glasses In the scuffle and as she was extremely shortsighted she was really helpless without them She ran down a corridor which she ahe Ima imagined to be that by which I she had come come both both were lined with cocoanut cocoanut co- co matting matting and and it was only when It was too late that g sn she e understood n st ld th that she had tal taken en the wrong passage and that i I her retreat was cut off ort behind her What I was she to do do She could not go back I She he could not remain where she was She must go on She mounted a stair I pushed open a door and found herself in your our room I The Thc old man sat with hi hK mouth open staring wildly at nt Holmes Amazement and fear tear were stamped upon his expressive expressive sive features Now with an effort he shrugged his shoulders and bU burst It Into In Insincere Insincere insincere In- In sincere laughter I All very fine tine Mr Holmes HoImes said he But there is one little Idle flaw In your splendid theory I 1 was vas myself In my room room and I never left lett it during the theda da day I am aware of ot that Professor Coram Comm And you mean to say that I could lie bed and not be aware aUre that thata a woman had entered my room I never said so You were aware of ot it it You spoke with ith her You recognized her You aided her to escape Again the professor protessor burst into high- high 1 Keyed eyed laughter He lIe had risen to his feet and his e eyes ees es glowered like embers You are mad he cried You ar are talking Insanely I helped her to escape Where is she now now She is there h said Holmes e a and he e h hb hea pointed pointed to a high b bookcase in the he corner of the room I saw aw the old man throw up his arms a n. terrible convulsion passed over hl his grim face and he fell tell back in his chair At the same Instant the bookcase at which Holmes pointed swung round upon a hinge binge and a woman rushed out Into the room You are right she cried Ina in ina I a n. strange foreign voice You are right I am nm here She was brown with the dust and draped with the cobwebs which had I come from the walls of her hiding place Her face tace too was streaked with grime I land and at best she could never ne have ha been handsome for tor she had the exact physical characteristics which Holmes had di divined di di- with In addition a long obstinate chin What with her natural blindness and what with the change from dark to light she ehe stood as one dazed blinking bUnking about her to see where and who we were And yet et in spite of all these disadvantages die dis advantages V there was w-as a certain r nobility II i eta eb Tn na In the womans woman's bearing bearing-a a gallantry in to inthe the defiant chin and in the upraised head which compelled something of re respect respect re- re 1 and admiration Stanley Hopkins had laIn Iain his ha hams halm upon her arm and claimed her as his prisoner I I but she w waved him aside e gently an and yet I I with hs an en overmastering dignity T r which h 1 compelled obedience The old man lay back In his chair with a twitching face an and stared r at her r with h brooding eyes Yes y sir I a am y your p prisoner i she hs said ald From where I stood I could hear everything every every- thing and I know that you OU ha e learned the truth I confess contess It all It was I IWho Iwho Iwho who killed the young man But you are right you right you who say it was an accident Idid I Idid Idid did not even know that it was a knife which I held hell in my hand for in my despair des des- pall pair I snatched anything from the table and struck at him to make him let me go It is the truth that tha t 1 I tell Madam l said Holmes I 1 am sure that It Is the truth I fear that you are far tar from well She had turned a dreadful color themore the themore more ghastly under the dark dust- dust streaks m upon o her e l face She e seated t herself herself her her- self on t the side ld of the b bed d dt t then she ieh re resumed re- re I have only a little time here she said but I would have ha you to know the whole truth I am this mans man's wife He is not an Englishman He lie Is a u. Russian Il His name I will I not tell For o the f first r time tt the old d man stirred I God bless you OU Anna he cried God bless you ou She cast a II look of ot the deepest disdain In his direction Why should you OU cling so hard to that wretched life lite of ot yours Serguis Serguis' said she It has done harm to many and good to none not none not even to yourself However It is not for tor me to cause the frail thread to be snapped before before be be- fore Gods God's time I have enough alrea already y upon m my soul since I crossed the threshold threshold thres thres- hold of ot this cursed house But Cut 1 I must mus speak or I 1 shall ahall be too late I have nave said gentlemen that I am this mans man's wife He lie was lift fifty l' l and I n a foolish girl of ot twenty when we married It was vas in a city of ot Hussla Russia a university I I will not name the place God bless you OU Anna murmured th the e old man again xi We Va J e were reformers revolutionist reformers revolutionists s- s I nihilists you understand He lie and I and many more Then there came a time o or of I trouble a police officer was killed man many y yin were arrested evidence was vai wanted and In order to saVe ea his own life and to earn a great reward m my husband betrayed hi his own wife and all his companions Yes we were all arrested upon his confession Some borne of ot us found our wa way way- to the I g-I gallows gal gal- lows and some to Siberia I was among these last but my term was nut not for life lite My Iy my husband came s to England with hi his ill gotten ga gains s and has lived In quiet ever v r since knowing well that if It the Brotherhood knew where he was not a adone week would W U PaSS before justice would be beThe done The old 1 man reached out a trembling a hj hand nd and n l helped himself to a cigar cigar- Si ette I I am In fn your our hands Anna said he You ilou were always r good to me J I have not yet et told y you u th the height o ot of his nis villainy villain said she Amon Among on our comrades of the tho Order there was one who was the friend of ot my heart He was wa noble unselfish loving loving all all that my husband husband hus hus- band was wras not He lie hated violence W We Ve were all gu guilty It lf Hy-lf that Is guilt but but he ho heu was not lIe wrote for ever dissuading u us from r m K such a course These letters would have saved him So I would m my diary In which from da day t to day da dayI I h heman had entered both m my feelings towards him and the view which each ot of us had taken My 1 husband found and kept both and letters lIe hid them eman and he Tr dIary tried hard to swear away the young oung mans man's Ute life In this he tailed failed S but Alexis was as sent a convict to Siberia where here now at t IM this moment he works in t salt mine Think of ot that you villain villain-n. villain n now at this very ery moment Alexis II a man whose name you OU are not worthy to speak works aid lives tike like a slave Ilave and I yet have your Our life lite In my hands anti and I let you OU go Tomorrow The Adventure ot of the Golden Gold Gold- en Prince Prince-Nez concluded |