Show THE THIE D By Sir 1 1 JIL TIE I Conan n Copyright Copyrights 1921 by Harper Harp r Bros Published by special arrangement with the McClure Newspaper Syn Syn- It was as was s some me time before the health of ot my friend Mr Sherlock Holmes re recovered recovered recovered re- re covered from the strain caused by his Immense exertions in the spring of ot 87 The whole question of the Sumatra company and of the colossal schemes of Baron Maupertuis are t too o recent in itt the minds of ot the public andare andare and andare are too Intimately concerned with politics poll poli pol- pol tics and finance to be fitting subjects for this seri serl series s of sketches They led however in an indirect fashion to a singular and complex problem which gave my friend frend an opportunity of demonstrating demonstrating demonstrating dem dem- the value of a fresh weapon among the many with wih which he waged his life long battle batte against crime On referring to my notes I see that it wa was upon the of ot April that I re received received re- re a telegram from Lyons which informed me that Holmes was lying Illin Ill 11 In ln the Hotel Dulong Within twenty twenty- four hours hours I was in his sick room and was relieved to find hat that there was nothing formidable in his symptoms Even ven his iron constitution however had iad broken down under the strain of ofen en nn investigation which had extended over two months during which period he had never worked less than fifteen hours a da day and had more than once as he assured me kept to Ills his task for five da days s 's at a stretch Eyed Even the triumphant triumphant tri tri- issue of his labors could not save cave rave him from reaction after ater so terrible terri tern ble ide an exertion and and at a time when was ringing with his name and when his room was literally ankle deep with congratulatory telegrams I found him ilm a pre prey to the blackest depression J ven the knowledge that he hd h had d succeeded succeeded suc sue where the police ponce of ot three countries countries countries coun coun- tries had ha failed and that he had outmaneuvered out- out maneuvered at every ever point the most l accomplished swindler in Europe was as insufficient to rouse him hm from his nervOUs nervous nerv nerv- ous us prostration n. n Three days later we were back in n nalter Baker alter street t together but it i was evIdent evident evi evI- en- en dent that my friend would would be much the better for a change and the thought of a week of ot spring time in the country was full ful of attraction to 10 me also My fy old friend Colonel Hayter who ho had come under my professional care care in Afghanistan had now taken a ahouse house ouse n near ar Reigate in Surrey Surey and had frequently asked me to come down to o him upon a visit On the last occasion occa Lion sion he had remarked that if I n my y friend would v only come with wih me he would be belad glad Clad lad to extend his hospitality to him I also A little diplomacy was needed but bot when Holmes understood that the establishment was a bachelor one and that he would be allowed the fullest with plans and a freedom he fell fel in wih my week eel after our return from Lyons Lyon we were ere under the colonels colonel's colonels roof Hayter was as a fine old soldier who had seen much of the world and he soon found rs ss I had expected that Holmes and head he ho had bad ad much in common On the evening of ot our arrival we were fitting In the colonels colonel's colonels after dinner r Holmes stretched upon the sofa while hUe Hayter and I looked o over oer er hl his lit Ht- l. l tie te armory of f eastern weapons By Dy the way wa said he suddenly I Ill I'll 1 take one of these pistols up- up airs fairs with wih me i 1 10 case we have an alarm An alarm said TYes T. T Yes aarm weve we've had a scare in this part latel lately Old Od Acton who is one of ot our f magnates had his h house use broken into last Monday No great damage done but the fellows are still sUI at large No Xo clue asked Holmes cocking his eye cue at the colonel colonel None as yet But the affair is a I petty one one of ot our little countr crimes which must seem too small smal for your our attention Mr Holmes after ater this great International affair Holme waved awa away the compliment though his smile showed that it had pleased him Was as there any feature of interest I fancy not The thieves ransacked the tha the library and got very little for their ains T The e whole place was turned upside down drawers burst open and I presses ransacked with the result resul that ln n odd volume lume of Popes Pope's Homer two plated candlesticks an ivory letter letter- leter- leter weight a pro mal all oak barometer and a abal ahall hall ball bal of twine are all all' 31 that have van van- an What What an n extraordinary assortment assort assort- ment nent I J exclaimed Oh the fellows evidently grabbed hold bold old of ever everything they could get get Holmes grunted grunted from the sofa The c country police ought to make something of that said he why It ItIs itis I Is i surely obvious that that that- But I I. I held up a warning finger You are here for a rest my dear follow For Fon Heavens Heaven's sake don't dont dont don't get started on a new problem when your our nerves are all al in shreds Holmes shrugged his shoulders wiil with witha a a. I glance of comic resignation toward the colonel an and the talk drifted away Into less dangerous channels It was destined however that all al my ray professional c caution uton should be he next morning the wasted asted for the he morn ng led obtruded itself isel upon us In such a away away way ay that it was impossible to ignore it I I and our country visit took a a turn which neither of us could have antici antici- We were at breakfast breakfast when the colonels colonel's colonels butler buter rushed in with with 1 all al his propriety shaken out of him Have you heard the news sir he gasped At the Cunninghams Cunningham's sir I Burglary cried the with his lila coffee cup In t Murder The colonel histed whistled By Jove eaid he k killed lied then then The The The-J. J.P. J.P. J. J P. P or his son Neither sir It was William VUlar the coachman Shot through the heart sir and neer never spoke again Who shot him hit th then n The burglar sir He lie was off like Uke a ashot a ashot ashot shot and got clean cean away I Hed He'd ed Just I broke roke in at th the pantry window when i William Wilam came camO on oT him and met his end I j in Jn saving his masters master's property What hat time It was last night sir somewhere shout about twelve Ah then well we'll wel step over afterwards afterwards after after- wards ards said the colonel coolly cooly settling I down to his breakfast again Its Is I's a baddish business s he add added when the butler had ha gone hes our leading man uter about here is old Cunningham m and a a avery avery very decent fellow too Hell He'll be cutup cutup cut cut- up er over this for the man has been In his service serIce for years and was a good servant Its It's Is I's evidently the same villains vii vil vl- vl lains who broke into And stole that very singular collection col col- lection said Holmes thoughtfully Precisely Hum It may prove the simplest matter In the world but all al the same at first glance this Is just a little curious curIouS is It not A gang of burglars acting in the country countr might be expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to vary the scene of their op operations op- op and not to crack two cribs n i the sm same district within a a few days I When you spoke last night of ot taking precautions I remember that it I passed through my mind that this was probably probably probably proba proba- bly the last parish in England to which the thief or thieves would be bo likely to turn their attention which attention which shows that t I I have still sti much to learn I I I fancy Its It's Is some local practitioner said sald the colonel colonel In rn that case of I course Acton's and Cunninghams Cunningham's are I just the places ho he would go for since they are far far the largest largest about here richest And Well Vel they ought to to-be to be but they've which had a lawsuit for some years has sucked the blood out of or both of them I fancy Old Acton has some claim calm on half Cunninghams Cunningham's estate I and the lawyers have been at it i with wih both hands I If I its it's Is I's a local villain there should not notI I be much difficulty in running running- him himI j I down said Holmes with wih a yawn All AllI Allright Al I right Watson Vatson I dont don't intend to med med- die dIe I I Inspector Forrester sir said the butler buter throwing open the door I j TI The e official a smart keen Iteen faced young fellow stepped into the room I Good morning Colonel said he I I hope hope I dont don't Intrude but we hear that II Mr r. r Holmes of Baker street street is here The colonel waved his Is hand toward I 1 my my friend and the Inspector bowed I We Ve thought that perhaps you would care to step across Mr Holmes I The fates are against you Watson Vatson said said he ht laughing We Ve were chatting about the matter mater when you came in Inspector Perhaps you you youcan can let us have havea I a few details detas As he leaned back in his chair in the familiar attitude I knew that the case was was wa h hopeless We had no clue In the Acton affair But here we have plenty to go on and theres there's no doubt it is the same party in each case The man was was' seen Ah Yes sir But he was off of like a deer after the sh shot t that killed poor William Kirwan was fired Mr Mr Cunningham saw him him from the bedroom window and Mr Alec Cunningham saw him from the back back passage It was a quarter quarter quarter ter to twelve when the alarm broke out Mr r. r Cunningham Cunningha had Just got into bed and Mr Alec was smoking a pipe in his dressing gown They both heard William the coachman calling for help and Mr r. r Alec ran down to s se sE e what was the matter The back door was open and as he came to to the foot of the stairs he saw two men wrestling wresting together outside One of them fired a ashot ashot ashot shot the other dropped and the murI murderer murderer mur mur- I derer rushed across the garden and andover andover over the hedge Mr Cunningham looking out of ot his bedroom saw the fellow as he gained the road but lost sight of him at once Mr Alec stopped to see if he could help the dying man and so the villain got clean away Beyond the fact that he was a a middle middle- sized man and dressed In some dark stuff we have no person personal l clue duel but butI I we are making energetic inquiries and andI I if he is a stranger we ve shall soon find nd him out What hat was this William doing there Did he say anything before he died Not a word He lived at the lodge with wih his mother moth r and as he was a very ver faithful fellow we imagine that that he walked up to the bouse house with wih the Intention in intention In- In tenton of seeing that all al was right there Of course this Acton business has put ever everyone everyone- ne on their guard The robber must have just burst open the thedoor door the door the lock had been forced when forced when William wIlam came upon him Did William say anything to to his mother b before fore going out She is very old and deaf and we can get no information from her The shock has made her half witted wilted but I Iund und understand that she was never ver very bright There is one very Important circumstance ce however Look at this He Ie took a small a-small small piece of torn paper from a notebook and spread it out upon his knee This was found between the theand finger and thumb of the dead man It I appears appears ap ap- pears to be a fragment torn from I ap-I a larger sheet sheet You will wU observe that the hour mentioned Upon it I is the very time at which the poor fellow met his I fate You see that his murderer might have torn the tho rest of the sheet from him or he might have tal taken en this fragment fragment fragment frag frag- ment ment from the he murderer murdererS It I reads al almost almost almost al- al most most as though it were an appoint appoInt- ment Holmes took up the scrap of paper a facsimile of ot which is here hero reproduced reproduced reproduced I tJ i A iu u rL V Presuming that it Is Js an appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment continued tto 10 inspector it i Isor is of or course a conceivable th theory ory that this William I Kirwan though Kirwan-though though n-though though he had the reputation of being an n honest man may have been in league leage with wih the thief He lie may have met him there may even have helped him to break in the door and then they may have fallen falen out between between between be be- tween themselves This his writing is of extraordinary In interest interest in- in terest said isaid ald Holmes who had been examining it with Intense tion ton These are much deeper waters than I had thought He Ho sank his head upon his b bands bands- while the inspector smiled at the effect which his case had had upon th the famous London special specIal- Your last remark said Holmes presently as to the p possibility of ot there being an understanding between the burglar and nd tho the servant and this being a note of ot appointment from from one to the other is an ingenious and not entirely impossible supposition But this tiis writing opens up up- up uple He le sank his head into his Ids hands again and remained remained re remained re- re for or some sonic minutes In the deepest deepest deep deep- est thought When he raised his face again I was surprised to see that his cheek was tinged with wih color and his eyes ees as bright as before his Illness He sprang to his feet with wih all al his old energy Ill Il tell teI you ou what said he I should I like to haVe a quiet little Ute glance into the the- the details of ot this case There is I something something-in In it which fascinates me colonel I will wl leave my friend Watson Vatson I and you and I will wl step round with wih I the inspector to test the truth of ot one 1 or two little fancies of ot mine I will willbe be with wih you again agan in half hal an hour wU An A hour and a half hal had elapsed be before before be- be I Ibe fore the Inspector returned alone Mr Holmes is walking up and doy down i in the field outside said he lie Ho I wants us all al four to go up tip p to the house j together To Mr Cunninghams Cunningham's I Yes sir What at for I The inspector shrugged hi his hou bou t ders I dont don't quite quie know sir Between Between Be Be- tween ourselves I think Mr Holmes has has- not quite got over his illness iness yet Hes He's been behaving very queerly and he Is very much excl excited I r dont don't think you OU need alarm aarm yourself yourself your your- self said I I. I I have usually found that there was method in his madness mad mad- ness ness Some folk might say there was madness in his method muttered the Inspector But hes he's all al on fire to start colonel so We had best go out if Jf you are aro ready I We Ve found Holmes pacing up and I down in In the field feld his chin sunk upon I his breast and his hands thrust into his trous trousers rs pockets The he matter grows In Interest said I he Watson Vatson your country countr country trip has been a a. distinct success I have had a charming morning Jave You have been up to the scene of the tho crime I understand said the colonel colonel Yes the Inspector and I have made quite quie a little together Any success 7 Well Vel we have havo seen some very in interesting interesting In- In things Ill I'll Il tell tel you what we did as we walk First of all al we saw the body of this unfortunate man He certainly died from a revolver wound as reported Had you doubted it I then Oh it is as well wel to test everything Our inspection was not wasted We |