”Ofherownchild，whosecrieshadrousedtheneighbours，nothingwastobeseen。Thewomanintheextremerearhadcarrieditofftoherroom；butwhenwecametoseeitlater，nodoubtwasfeltbyanyofusthatthischildwastooyoungtotalkconnectedly，nordidIeverhearthatiteversaidanythingwhichcouldinanywayguideinvestigation。”Andthatisasfarasweevergot。Thecoroner’sjurybroughtinaverdictofdeathbymeansofastabfromsomeunknownweaponinthehandofapersonalsounknown，butnoweaponwaseverfound，norwasiteversettledhowtheattackcouldhavebeenmadeorthemurdererescapeundertheconditionsdescribed。Thewomanwaspoor，herfriendsfew，andthecaseseeminglyinexplicable。Soaftercreatingsomeexcitementbyitspeculiarities，itfellofitsownweight。ButIrememberedit，andinmanyasparehourhavetriedtoseemywaythroughtheno-thoroughfareitpresented。Butquiteinvain。To-day，theroadisasblindasever，but-”hereSweetwater’sfacesharpenedandhiseyesburnedasheleanedcloserandclosertotheolderdetective-”butthissecondcase，sounlikethefirstinnon-essentialsbutsoexactlylikeitinjustthosepointswhichmakethemystery，hasdroppedathreadfromitstangledskeinintomyhand，whichmayyetleadustotheheartofboth。Canyouguess-haveyouguessed-whatthisthreadis?ButhowcouldyouwithouttheoneclewIhavenotgivenyou?Mr。Gryce，thetenementwherethisoccurredisthesameIvisitedtheothernightinsearchofMr。Brotherson。Andthemancharacterisedatthattimebythejanitorasthebest，thequietestandmostrespectabletenantinthewholebuilding，andtheoneyourememberwhosewindowopeneddirectlyoppositethespotwherethiswomanlaydead，wasMr。Dunnhimself，or，inotherwords，ourlateredoubtablewitness，Mr。OrlandoBrotherson。”
Mr。GRYCEFINDSANANTIDOTEFOROLDAGE”IThoughtIshouldmakeyousitup。Ireallycalculatedupondoingso，sir。Yes，IhaveestablishedtheplainfactthatthisBrothersonwasnearto，ifnotintheexactlineofthesceneofcrimeineachoftheseextraordinaryandbafflingcases。Averyoddcoincidence，isitnot?”wasthedryconclusionofoureageryoungdetective。”Oddenoughifyouarecorrectinyourstatement。ButIthoughtitwasconcededthatthemanBrothersonwasnotpersonallynear，-wasnoteveninthebuildingatthetimeofthewoman’sdeathinHicksStreet；thathewasoutandhadbeenoutforhours，accordingtothejanitor。””Andsothejanitorthought，buthedidn’tquiteknowhisman。I’mnotsurethatIdo。ButImeantomakehisacquaintanceandmakeitthoroughlybeforeIlethimgo。Thehero-well，Iwillsaythepossibleherooftwosuchadventures-deservessomeattentionfromonesointerestedintheabnormalasmyself。””Sweetwater，howcameyoutodiscoverthatMr。DunnofthisramshackletenementinHicksStreetwasidenticalwiththeelegantlyequippedadmirerofMissChalloner?””Justthisway。ThenightbeforeMissChalloner’sdeathIwasbroodingverydeeplyovertheHicksStreetcase。IthadsopossessedmethatIhadtakenthisstreetinonmywayfromFlatbush；
asifstaringatthehouseanditsswarmingcourtyardwasgoingtosettleanysuchquestionasthat！IwalkedbytheplaceandIlookedupatthewindows。Noinspiration。ThenIsaunteredbackandenteredthehousewiththefoolintentionofcrossingthecourtyardandwanderingintotherearbuildingwherethecrimehadoccurred。
Butmyattentionwasdivertedandmymindchangedbyseeingamancomingdownthestairsbeforeme，ofsofineafigurethatI
involuntarilystoppedtolookathim。Hadhemovedalittlelesscarelessly，hadhewornhisworkman’sclothesalittlelessnaturally，Ishouldhavethoughthimsomecollegebredmanoutonaslummingexpedition。Buthewasentirelytoomuchathomewherehewas，andtoounconsciousofhisjeansforanysuchconclusiononmypart，andwhenhehadpassedoutIhadenoughcuriositytoaskwhohewas。”Myinterest，youmaybelieve，wasinnowiseabatedwhenIlearnedthathewasthathighlyrespectabletenantwhosewindowhadbeenopenatthetimewhenhalftheinmatesofthetwobuildingshadrusheduptohisdoor，onlytofindapaperonitdisplayingthesewords：GonetoNewYork；willbebackat6：30。Hadhereturnedatthathour?Idon’tthinkanybodyhadeverasked；andwhatreasonhadIforsuchinterferencenow?Butanideaonceplantedinmybrainstickstight，andIkeptthinkingofthismanallthewaytotheBridge。Instinctivelyandquiteagainstmywill，IfoundmyselfconnectinghimwithsomepreviousremembranceinwhichI