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oâ€"0â€"0â€"oâ€"oâ€"o-oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"o-câ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€".â€"o~oâ€"eâ€"oâ€"f A(] oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€" l d~oâ€"Oâ€"Oâ€"Oâ€"o‘o-câ€"0-9â€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"o-oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"oâ€"o-oâ€"o~o CHAPTER III. I confess that I was considerably startled by this fresh proof of the practical nature of my companion’s theories. My respect for his powers of analysis increased wondrously. There still remained some lurking suspicion in uiy mind. however, that the whole} thing was a prearranged episode, in- tended to dazzle me, though whrit earthly object he could have in taking me in was past my comprehensmn. When I looked at him he had finished reading the note. and his eyes had as- sumed the vacant. lack-luster exâ€" pression which showed mental abâ€" straction. “How in the world did you deduce that?" I asked. "Deduce what?" said he, petulantly. “Why, that he was a retired: ser~ geant of marines." ' "I have no time for trifles," he reâ€" plied brusquely; then, with a smile, "Excuse my rudness. You broke the thread of my thoughts; but perhaps it is as well. So you actually were not able to see that that man was a serâ€" geant of marines?" "No, indeed.” “It was easier to know it. than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty, and yet you are quite sure of the fact. Even across the street I could see a great blue anchor tattooed on the back of the fellow's hand. That smacked of the sea. He had a military carriage. however. and regulation side-whiskers. There we have the marine. He was a man with some amount of selfâ€"impor- tance and a certain air of command. You must have observed the way in which he held his head and swung his cane. A steady respectable, middle- aged man, too, on the. face of himâ€"â€" he had been a sergeant." "\Vonderful‘." I ejaculated. “Commonplace,” said Holmes, though Cumsmm‘es I thought from his expression that he was pleased at my evident surprise and admiration. I said just now that there were no criminals. It appears that I am wrongâ€"look at this!" He threw me over the note which the commissionaire had brought. “Why,” I cried, as I cast my eye over it. "this is terrible!" This is the letter which I read to him: "My Dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes:â€" There has been a bad business during the night at 3 Lauriston Gardens, off. the Brixton Road. Our man on the} beat saw a light there about two in the morning, and as the house was an empty one, suspected that something was amiss. He found the door 096ml, and in the front room. which is bars. of furniture, discovered the body of a, gentleman, well dressed, and having, cards in his pocket bearing the name of Enoch J. Drebber, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. There had been no robbery. nor is there any evidence as to how; the man met his death. There arq‘ marks of blood in the room. but there is no wound upon his person. \Ve are; at a loss as to how he came into the‘ empty house; indeed, the whole affair is a puzzler. If you can come round,’ to the house any time before twelve. you will find me there. 1 have left, everything in statu quo until I hear from you. If you are unable to come, I shall give you fuller details, and“ would esteem it a great kindness if, you would favor me with your opinion. ' Yours faithfully, ‘ "TOBIAS GREGSON." "Gregson is the smartest of the Scot- land Yarders," my friend remarked; "he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad , lot. They are both quick and ener-. getic, but conventionalâ€"shockingly so,t They have their knives into one ano'her too. They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties. There will be some fun over this case if they are both i put upon the scent." I was amazed at the calm way in which he rippled on." "Surely there is not a moment to be lost,” I cried; "shall I go and order you a cab?" "I am not sure about whether I shall go. I am the most incurably lazy devil that ever stood in shoe leatherâ€"- that is, when the fit is on me, for I can be spry enough at times." "Why it is just such a chance as you have been longing for." .r “My dear fellow, what does it matâ€"1 ter to me? Suppose I unravel the‘ whole matter, you may be sure that. Gregson, Lestrade & Co., will pocket; all the credit. That comes of being an unofficial personage." i “But he begs you to help him.” ‘ "Ya. He knows that I am his super-, ior. and acknowledges it to me; lutt he would cut his tongue out before he I would own it to any third; person.t However. we may as well go and have a look. I shall work it out on my own hook. I may have a laugh at them,l if I have nothing else. Come on!“ ; He hustled on his overcoat, and hustled about in a. way that showed that an energetic fit had superseded the. apathetic one. .‘ “Get your hat," he said. I "YOu wish me to come?" d “Yes, if you have nothing better to o. ' A minute later we were both. in a hansom. driving furiously for the Brix- ,5 ton Road. 1 It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and ; a dun-colored veil hung over the‘ houseâ€"tops, looking like the reflectiont of the mudâ€"colored streets beneath.‘ My companion was in the best of spirits, and prattled away about Cre- mona fiddles, and the difference beâ€" tween a Stradivarius and an Amali.’ As for myself, I was silent, for the dull weather and the melancholy bus- t iness upon which we were engaged depressed my spirits. "You don't seem to glvs much I all facts which led me to believe thati 1h21nd. who rushed forward and wrung" -;md to IT WILL OUT i 0R, Y REAT MYSTERY. I thought to the matter in hand," It said, at last, interrupting Holmes's musical disquisition. "No data yet," he. answered. "It ist a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence, It biases the. judgment. “You will have your data soon." I remarked. pointing with my fingerzt "this is the Brixton Road. and that is‘. the house. if I am not very much mis-l taken." "80 it is. Stop, driver. stop!" “'3 were still a hundred yards or so from it, but he insisted upon our alighting, and we finished our journey upon! foot. No. 3 Lauriston Gardens wore an ill- omened and minatory look. It was one of four which stood back somi little‘ way from the street, two being oc- cupied and two empty. The latter looked out with three tiers of vacant, melancholy windows, which were I link and dreary, save that here and there a “To Let" card had developed like a. cataract upon the bleared panes. Al small garden sprinkled over with a scattered eruption of sickly plants, separated each of these houses from, the street, and was traversed by a narrow pathway, yellowish in color, and consisting apparently of a mixture of clay and gravel. The whole. place was very sloppy from the rain which had fallen through the night. The gap, den was bounded by a three-foot brick. wall with a fringe of wood rails iipon' the top, and against this wall was lcan- ing a stalwart police constable, sur-. rounded by a small knot of loafers, \‘l he craned their necks and strained their eyes in the vain hope of catching some-l glimpse of the proceedings within. I had imagined that Sherlouk Holmes would have at once hurried into the house and plunged into a study of the, mystery. Nothing appeared to be further from his intention. \Vith an‘ air of nonchalunce which. under the cirâ€" seemed to me to border upon affection, he lounged up and down the pavement and gazed vat-antly at the ground, the sky, the opposite houses, and the line of railings. Having‘ finished his scrutiny, he proceeded slowly down the path, or, rather, down the fringe of grass which flanked the path. keeping his eyes riveted upon the ground. Twice he stopped. and once I saw him smile and heard him utter ‘an exclamation of satisfaction. There were many marks of footsteps upon the wet, clayey soil, but since the piles had been coming and going over it. I was unable to see how my companion could hope to learn anything from it.‘ Still, I had had such extraordinary evi-‘ dence of the quickness of his perceptive. faculties that I had no doubt that he, could see a great deal which was bidâ€"! den from me. At the door of the house we were met by a tall, white-faced, flaxen- haired man, with a noteâ€"book in his my companion's hand with effusion. “It .is indeed kind of you to come,"t he said; "I have had everything left. untouched." ' "Except thatl" my friend answered. painting to the pathway. "If a herd’ of buffaloes had passed along there could not be a greater mess. No doubt” however, you had drawn your own con- clusions, Gregson, before you permitted ' this." "I have had so much to do inside! the house," the detective said, evasi- vely. “My colleague, Mr. Lestrade, is here. I had relied upon him to look‘ after this." Holmes glanced at me, and raised hist eyebrows sardonically. "With two such men as yourself and‘ Lestrade upon the ground, there will‘ not be much for a third party to find out," he said. G_regson rubbed his hands in a selfâ€"‘ satisfied way. i "I think that we have done all that can be done." he answered; “it’s a queer case. though, and I knew your taste for such things." 'You did not come here in a cab‘l'H asked Sherlock Holmes. 5 "No, sir." “ Nor Lestrade?" "No, sir." "Then let us go and look at the- I‘oum, ’ With which inconsistent remark he’ strode on into the house, followed by' G‘regson, whose features expressed his astonishment. A short. passage, bare-plunked and} dusty, led to the kitchen and offices. TI‘O doors opened out of it to theleft', ‘ the right. One of these lud‘ obvioust been closed for many weeks. The other belonged to the diningâ€" rooin, which was the apartment in which the mystr‘riors affair had occur- ed. Holmes walked in, and I followed hlm with that subdued feeling at, my heart which the presence of death in-n‘ spires. It was a large, square room, looking all the larger for the absence of all furniture. A vulgar, flaring pa- per adorned the walls, but it was blot- clied in places with mildew, and here and there great strips had become Ile- taclieil and hung down, exposing the yellow plaster beneath. Opposite the door was a showy fireplace, surmount- ‘ed by a mantleâ€"piece of imitatin white , marble. On one corner of this was stuck the stump of a red wax-candle. The solitary window was so dirty that. the light was hazy, and uncertain, giv-l ing. a dullâ€"gray tinge to eVei'ything, which was intensified by the thick lay- er of dust which coated the whole. apartment. All these details I observed after- ward. At present my attention was centered upon the single grim, motionâ€" less figure, which lay stretched upon, the boards. with vacant, sightless eyes' staring up at the discolored ceiling. It was that of a man about forty-three. - Gregson. 1 of London. t seven pounds broad-shouldered, with crisp, curling black hair, and a short, stubbly beard, He was dressed in a heavy broadcloth frock-coat and waistcoat. with light- colored trousers and immaculate collar and cuffs. A top~hat, well brushed and trim. was placed on the floor he- side hiin. His hands Were clinched. and his arms thrown abroad, while his lower limbs were interlocked as though his death struggle had been a griev- ous one. On his rigid face there stood an expression of horror, and, as it seemed to me, of hatred, such as I have never seen upon human features. This malignant and terrible contortinn combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognatbous jaw, gave the de id man a singularly simious and ape- like. appearance which was increased by his writhing unnatural posture. I have seen death in many forms, but never has it appeared to me in amore fearsome aspect than in that dark, grimy apartment, which looked out up- on one of the main arteries of subur- ban London. Lestrade, lean and ferâ€" retâ€"like as ever, was standing by the deorway, and greeted my companion and myself. " This case will make a stir, sir,“ he reinirked. " It beats anything I have seen, and I am no chicken." " There is no clew," said Gregson. " None at all,“ chimed in Lestrade. Sherlock Holmes, approached the. body and kneeling down, examined it in- tently, "You are sure that there is no wound I" be asked, pointing to num- erous gouts and splashes of blood which lay all around. "l‘ositivel" cried both detectives. " Then, or course, this blood belongs to a second indivirlualâ€"presumably the murderer, if murder has been commit- ted. It reminds me of the circum- stances attendant on the death of Van Jansen, in Utrecht, in the year ‘34. Do you remember the case, Gregson ?' " No, sir." ' Read it upâ€"you really should. There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before." As he spoke. his nimble finers were flying here, there and everywhere, feeling. Dressing, unbuttoning, examin- ing. while his eyes wore the same far- away expression which I have already remarked upon. So swiftly was the ex- amination made that one would hard- ly have guessed the miniiteness with which it was conducted. Finally, he sniffed the dead man‘s lips, and then glanced at the soles of his patent-leath- er boots, ” He has not been moved at all i" he asked. " No more than was necessary for the purpose of our examination.” " You can take him to the mortuary now,‘ he said. " There. is nothing more to be learned.“ Gregson had a stretcher and four men at, hand. At his call they entered the room, and the stranger was lifted and carried out. As they raised him, a ring tinkled down and rolled across the floor. Lestrade grabbed it up ‘ and stared at it with mystified eyes. “There's been a woman here," he cried. "It's a woman‘s weddingâ€"ring.” He. held it out, as he spoke, upon the palm of his hand. We. all gatherâ€" ed round him and gazed at it. There could be no doubt that that circle of plain gold had once adorned the finger of a bride. “This complicaces matters,” said “Heaven knows, they were complicated enough before 1" “You're sure it doesn't simplify them 2" observed Holme. "There‘s no~ thing to be learned by staring at it. What did you find in his pockets ‘f” "We have it all here," said Gregson, :pointing to a litter of objects upon one of the bottom steps of the stairs. "A gold watch, No. 97,163, by Barraud, Gold Albert chain, very heavy and solid. Gold ring, with Masonic device. Gold pinâ€"bullâ€"dog's head, with rubies as eyes. Russian- leather card-case, with cards of Enoch t J.'Drebber, of Cleveland, corresponding tw1th the E. J. D. upon the linen. No purse, but loose money to the extent of . thirteen. Pocket edi- tion of Boccaccio's ‘Dccameron,’ with name of Joseph Stangerson upon the flY-leaf. Two 1etters~one addressed to .E. J. Drebber and one to Joseph t Sti'angerson.” ‘fAt what address I" ' American Exchange, Strandâ€"to be left till called for. They are both ‘fl‘om the Guion Steamship Company, and refer to the sailing of their boats from Liverpool. It is clear that this unfortunate man was about to re- return to New Iork." “‘HziVe you made any inquiries as to this man Staugerscn t’" "I did it at once, sir," said Gregson. I have ‘had advertisements sent to all the newspapers, and one of my men has gone to the American Exchange, but. he has not returned yet." ‘lH’ave you scnt to Cleveland ?" "\\e telegraphed this morning." “How did you word your inquiries I" ' We simply detailed the circum- stances, antl said that we should be glad of any information which could help us." “You did not ask for particulars on any pomt which appeared to you to be crucial f" ' asked about Stangerson.‘ Nothing else! Is there no circum- stances cn which this whole case ap- pears to hinge? Will you not teleâ€" graph again f" “'l have said all I have to say," said bregson, in an offended voice. Sherlock Holmes chuckled to him- self, anil appeared to be about to make some remark, when Lestrade, who had been. in the front room while we were holding this conversation in the hall, reappeared upon the scene, rubbing his hands in a pompous and self-satis- fied manner. “Mr. Gregson," he said, "I have just made a discovery of the highest imâ€" portance, and one which would have been overlooked had I not made a careful examination of the walls." To Be Continued. _, + CLEAR AS MUD. Mrs Bibbs, suspiciouslyâ€"l don't ace how it is that type-writer girl of yours manages to dress better than I can. GUN TO FIGHT BALLOONS. New Idea In Ordnance “'Illcll has “68 Evolved by the United Slates Wiu' De- piirulicnl. A balloon gun, or rather a gun to demolish balloons, is the last evolu~ tion in artillery, and as in the case} of so many of the world‘s death dealing i contrivances, it comes from that sup- posedly most unwarlike of countries the United States. The gun has just been completed, having been constructed by a firm of. .ordnanceâ€"makers, from plans drawn atl ithe Rock Island Arsenal. It is pure- ly an experiment, and if it proves ef- ficient others like it will be built. The US. lVar Department has been for some time investigating the prob- lem of fightingâ€"balloons, inasmuch as the latter are destined unquestionably to be an important factor in the war- fare of the not-distant future. The balloon gun is mounted on a wagon and so placed upon “universal” bear- ings as to be aimed instantly at any Epoint from zenith to horizon. After the manner of the machine weapon, it throws a continuous stream of projec- tiles like water turned on from a hose, tand no gas exposed to its diacharge for many months could possibly stay aloft. The projectiles are conical and of Solid steel, having nif bursting charge, and weigh a pound apiece. A hollow conical stand fastened to the floor, of the Waggon supports the gun, ihe ar- rangement being such that when it has to be aimed directly upward the marksman must lie beneath it. Its ef- fective range is A MILE AND A QUARTER. Military experts whose opinions de- serve respect express the belief that the next war between any two great .powers, will evolve the. perfected fight- tingâ€"balloonâ€"perfected, that is to say, up to the point of being an efficient 'engine of destruction. Already there has been devised a so~callcd aerial tor-, peilo. which bears about the same re-l long years. Mr_ and Mrs. Roberts reâ€" lation to the future warâ€"balloon that‘ its borne by the Whitehead torpedo to the modern torpedoâ€"boat. This aerial torpedo is a small balloon‘ .which carries, suspended beneath lb, about thirty pounds of dynamite or other high explosive done up in a suit- 'able package. In its neck it has a 1 small metal cylinder containing a simâ€"i Jple electrical contrivance which will produce a spark at any time for which 1the instrument is set in advance. The direction and force of the wind 'being ascertained the little balloon; may he floated over a fortress or arm-' e.l camp, and, if its mech‘anical appar- atus has been set correctly, the spark: will at the proper moment set fire to; the gas in the balloon, causing the, latter to explode and to drop its dead- lylmd. i It has been ascertained by recent ex- periments in Germany that shrapnel can be used against balloons with, great effect at moderate ranges, and, the \Var Department contemplates, making similar trials with. its new bal-t loon gun, in which actual balloons will be floated and employed, as targets; This will involve the destruction of a‘ good many gas bags which cost money, but in recent years Uncle Sam has', not paused at liberal expenditure of cash where military knowledge was to be secured. Millions of dollars' worth Kiof guns and armour plate have been destroyed at the proving grounds to find out how many times the former. could be fired without losing their use-9 fulness and what shocks could be withâ€" stood by the latter. â€"â€"._.__._. \VIDOWS AND BACHELORS. Men and women have such differ- ent views on some subjects. Take matrimony, for instance. When a widower chooses a. second helpmate he looks about him for a spinster, but a; widow doesn't care two straws for a bachelor. She prefers a widower. ' expensive. To dissenters from this philanthri p'c View the statisxician offtrs unmlirr suggestion to the effect that a 11.2311 likes to be “boss” in his own limit“, and having learned from experience that after a woman has been mai’i' ‘tl a few years she is pretty apt In lake the reins of the household in her own hands, he prefers some one who tsetil.‘ uninitiated, so that he may enjoy at least a few months of luriling it be.- fore she gets broken in. \\'hether eithâ€" er of these hypothesies is correct it would be impossible to state positive- ly, but certain it is that a widower fights as strenuously against an alâ€" liance with a bereaved representa- tive of the opposite sex as did Mr: Pickwick when threatened with maâ€" trimonial entanglement with Mrs. Bar-dell, and quite frequently with less gratifying success. During the year the statistician studied matrimonial reports of the most popuJaous districts of the eastern and middle states and discov- ered that in that section and during that time 46,343 wiilowers took 46,343 spinsters unto themselves to love, cherish and protect. while only 6,13% widows were so honored. As that ar- rangement disposed of but a. small pro- portion of lonely females, 10,625 of them were forced to find solace by takâ€" ing as many single gentlemen from the realms of bachelorhood and transform- ing them into obedient benedicts. Whether these facts will be of any special benefit to anybody, neither the scribe nor the statistician pretends to say. They are merely given for what they are worth as conditions of life. A Victim of Neuralgia MRS. ROBERTS, 0F MONTREAL TELLS A WONDERFUL STORY. She Was :1 Siifl'crcr for some Seven Years, and Nlcdlcail ’l‘i'caitmcut l‘allcd to Give Her More Than Temporary [tellerâ€"A llernld Reporter Invedlgates the Case. From the Herald, Montreal. "I thought it was something won- derful wheanent three dayswithout being sick,” said Mrs. Annie Roberts to a representative -of the Montreal Herald, referring to her -remarkable recovery from an illness of over Seven side at 34 Wolfe. street, Montreal, and the reporter was cordially welcomed when he went to enquire as to the truth ofthe report that Mrs. Roberts had been restored to health through the. use of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts came to Canada from England a little more than five yearsago, and Mrs. Roberts' illness began while still in the Old Country. "I was really the victim of a combination of troubles,” says Mrs. Roberts. "For severalyears, neuralgia with all its excruciating pains, has been my almost constant attendant. Added to this Iwas attacked with rheumatism and palpitation of the heart, and for thelast five years, wasnot able to get out of doors duringihewinter months. SometimesI felt fjthough those. terriâ€" ble pains in my head would drive me mad; my nerves were all unstrung and a knock at the door would send me nearly crazy. [was treated at differ~ ent times by four doctorssince coming to Montreal, but without any lasting good, and Ihad given up hope of ever being better on this side of the grave. A friend of mine whose father had been helpless for two years, but was restored by Dr. \Villiams' Pink Pills, urged me. to try them. My husband asked the doctor who was attending me what he thought ofthem, and the doctor replied that he believed them to be a good medicine. This persuaded me to begin their use. No one who sees me now can form any idea/ of my condition when I began taking Dr. \V'illiams' Pink Pills, and I had only taken three boxes when. I began to reâ€" cover. But seven years of pain had nearly shattered my constitution and I did not look for a speedy recovery, and I was more than gratified to find that after I had used I think about a dozen and a half boxes, Iwas fully reâ€" stored to health. It Seemed all the more. wonderful because. the doctors both in England and here never done more than give me temporary relief, and their treatment was much more The past: summer was the with afund of domestic experience to; draw on. These are facts, Statistics prove them. As a. general thing the man who spends oneâ€"half of his time in memorizing statistics and the other. half firing them at his friendsâ€"or raâ€", ther his enemies, he has no friendsâ€"45 an unmitigated nuisance, but he is, withal, a useful and BVen necessary evil, and we tolerate him with resignaâ€" tion. (l‘here are cases in the desert of his tiresumeness. Once in a while when floundering in the depths of his Varied information he tells us some-1 t thing we would have never known, or perhaps would not even have thought‘ of had we not been blemed by his un- tiring diligence. One of the choice morsels of informaâ€"‘ tion recently gleaned is the above-‘ mentioned peculiarity of the sexes when hunting substitutes for lost partners.‘ Statistics do not explain whythis con-iv dition exists, but the statistician does. In fact he offers several exâ€" planations. Like the man at the .‘show, you can pay your money and take your choice. In the first place, he says",s a man who has lost his other ‘ half is much more anxious to marry than a woman. Indeed, so enamored is he of the matrimonial state that he is willing to give it not only a. second, i but even a third or fourth trial if neâ€" cessary, and each time he chooses a spinster. This the statistician partly accounts for by stating that as the fe- male population greatly exceeds the male, each man feels that it is his bounden duty to assist as many wo- first in years that I really enjoyed life. and I was able to go on a visit to 'Radnor Forges. Dr. \Villiams' Pink Pills have also! been of much benefit to my daughter Violet. She is just nine years old, but she suffered a great deal from pains in the back and sick headache, but the pills have m-ide her feel all right again.” "I never fail to recommend Dr. \Vil~ liams' Pink Pills when any of my friends are ill," said Mrs. Roberts. “While. visiting at Radnor Forges. I urged a young lady friend who has long been asufferer from curvature of the. spine, and obstinate constipation to try them, and they have done hera vast amount of good.” The reporter confesses that Mrs. Rttb‘rIS' story is a wonderful one, That she is now thoroughly well is clear from her face, her manner and her happy spirit. Mr. and Mrs. lltb~ erts are intelligent and reliablepeop‘e. Mr. Roberts is head engineer in the biscuit works of Viau 8: li‘rere, the. wealthiest firm in this line. in the Dominion, and be fully endorses the good words his wife has to say in favor of Dr. \Villiams' Pink Pills. Iv; fact, he says the speedy cure they wrought in his wife's case has saved him many dollars. Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills have no purgative action, and so do not weak~ en the body. They build up the blood by supplying it with the elements which enrich it, and strengthen the nerves. In this way they cure all illsâ€" eases having their origin in poor and watery blood. Always refuse the Pink colored imitations which some dealt-r2 offer. See that the full name Or \Villiams' Pink Pills for Pale Pong-2.- is on evei‘y package. you buy. If I , doubt, send direct to the Dr. “'illiziw " Medicine (70., Brockville. 0Fi’.. and Mr. Bibbsâ€"Why, you see, she works. men as possible into their true sphere they will be mailed post paid at 500 or forty-four years of age, middle-sized], for a living, and you don't. lof the borne circle. a box, or six boxes for $2.50. v.