handandpickeduptheDailyTelegraph,whichstilllayuponHolmes’sknee.
“Ifyouhadlookedatit,sir,youwouldhaveseenataglancewhattheerrandisonwhichIhavecometoyouthismorning.Ifeelasifmynameandmymisfortunemustbeineveryman’smouth.”Heturneditovertoexposethecentralpage.“Hereitis,andwithyourpermissionIwillreadittoyou.Listentothis,Mr.Holmes.Theheadlinesare:‘MysteriousAffairatLowerNorwood.DisappearanceofaWell-knownBuilder.SuspicionofMurderandArson.ACluetotheCriminal.’Thatisthecluewhichtheyarealreadyfollowing,Mr.Holmes,andIknowthatitleadsinfalliblytome.IhavebeenfollowedfromLondonBridgeStation,andIamsurethattheyareonlywaitingforthewarranttoarrestme.Itwillbreakmymother’sheart—itwillbreakherheart!”Hewrunghishandsinanagonyofapprehension,andswayedbackwardandforwardinhischair.
Ilookedwithinterestuponthisman,whowasaccusedofbeingtheperpetratorofacrimeofviolence.Hewasflaxen-hairedandhandsome,inawashed-outnegativefashion,withfrightenedblueeyes,andaclean-shavenface,withaweak,sensitivemouth.Hisagemayhavebeenabouttwenty-seven,hisdressandbearingthatofagentleman.Fromthepocketofhislightsummerovercoatprotrudedthebundleofindorsedpaperswhichproclaimedhisprofession.
“Wemustusewhattimewehave,”saidHolmes.“Watson,wouldyouhavethekindnesstotakethepaperandtoreadtheparagraphinquestion?”
Underneaththevigorousheadlineswhichourclienthadquoted,Ireadthefollowingsuggestivenarrative:
“Latelastnight,orearlythismorning,anincidentoccurredatLowerNorwoodwhichpoints,itisfeared,toaseriouscrime.Mr.JonasOldacreisawell-knownresidentofthatsuburb,wherehehascarriedonhisbusinessasabuilderformanyyears.Mr.Oldacreisabachelor,fifty-twoyearsofage,andlivesinDeepDeneHouse,attheSydenhamendoftheroadofthatname.Hehashadthereputationofbeingamanofeccentrichabits,secretiveandretiring.Forsomeyearshehaspracticallywithdrawnfromthebusiness,inwhichheissaidtohavemassedconsiderablewealth.Asmalltimber-yardstillexists,however,atthebackofthehouse,andlastnight,abouttwelveo’clock,analarmwasgiventhatoneofthestackswasonfire.Theenginesweresoonuponthespot,butthedrywoodburnedwithgreatfury,anditwasimpossibletoarresttheconflagrationuntilthestackhadbeenentirelyconsumed.Uptothispointtheincidentboretheappearanceofanordinaryaccident,butfreshindicationsseemtopointtoseriouscrime.Surprisewasexpressedattheabsenceofthemasteroftheestablishmentfromthesceneofthefire,andaninquiryfollowed,whichshowedthathehaddisappearedfromthehouse.Anexaminationofhisroomrevealedthatthebedhadnotbeensleptin,thatasafewhichstoodinitwasopen,thatanumberofimportantpaperswerescatteredabouttheroom,andfinally,thatthereweresignsofamurderousstruggle,slighttracesofbloodbeingfoundwithintheroom,andanoakenwalking-stick,whichalsoshowedstainsofblooduponthehandle.ItisknownthatMr.JonasOldacrehadreceivedalatevisitorinhisbedroomuponthatnight,andthestickfoundhasbeenidentifiedasthepropertyofthisperson,whoisayoungLondonsolicitornamedJohnHectorMcFarlane,juniorpartnerofGrahamandMcFarlane,of426,GreshamBuildings,E.C.Thepolicebelievethattheyhaveevidenceintheirpossessionwhichsuppliesaveryconvincingmotiveforthecrime,andaltogetheritcannotbedoubtedthatsensationaldevelopmentswillfollow.
“LATER.—ItisrumouredaswegotopressthatMr.JohnHectorMcFarlanehasactuallybeenarrestedonthechargeofthemurderofMr.JonasOldacre.Itisatleastcertainthatawarranthasbeenissued.TherehavebeenfurtherandsinisterdevelopmentsintheinvestigationatNorwood.BesidesthesignsofastruggleintheroomoftheunfortunatebuilderitisnowknownthattheFrenchwindowsofhisbedroom(whichisonthegroundfloor)werefoundtobeopen,thatthereweremarksasifsomebulkyobjecthadbeendraggedacrosstothewood-pile,and,finally,itisassertedthatcharredremainshavebeenfoundamongthecharcoalashesofthefire.Thepolicetheoryisthatamostsensationalcrimehasbeencommitted,thatthevictimwasclubbedtodeathinhisownbedroom,hispapersrifled,andhisdeadbodydraggedacrosstothewood-stack,whichwasthenignitedsoastohidealltracesofthecrime.TheconductofthecriminalinvestigationhasbeenleftintheexperiencedhandsofInspectorLestrade,ofScotlandYard,whoisfollowinguptheclueswithhisaccustomedenergyandsagacity.”
SherlockHolmeslistenedwithclosedeyesandfingertipstogethertothisremarkableaccount.
“Thecasehascertainlysomepointsofinterest,”saidhe,inhislanguidfashion.“May