”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
seemedtoseehistallformandstrongfeaturesunderthestressofsomegreatexcitement。Buttheremymemorystopped，tillsuddenlyasIwasenteringthesubway，itallcamebacktome。IhadmethimthedayIwentwiththeboystoinvestigatethecaseinHicksStreet。Hewascomingdownthestaircaseofthereartenementthen，verymuchasIhadjustseenhimcomingdowntheoneinfront。OnlytheDunnofto-dayseemedtohaveallhiswitsabouthim，whilethehugefellowwhobrushedsorudelybymeonthatoccasionhadthepeculiarlookofamanstrugglingwithhorrororsomeothergraveagitation。Thiswasnotsurprising，ofcourse，underthecircumstances。Ihadmetmorethanonemanandwomaninthosehallswhohadwornthesamelook；butnoneofthemhadputupasignonhisdoorthathehadleftforNewYorkandwouldnotbebacktill6：30，andthenchangedhismindsosuddenlythathewasbackinthetenementatthree，sharingthecuriosityandtheterrorsofitshorrifiedinmates。”Butthediscovery，whilepossiblysuggestive，wasnotofsopressinganatureastodemandinstantaction；andmoreimmediatedutiescomingup，Iletthematterslipfrommymind，tobebroughtupagainthenextday，youmaywellbelieve，whenallthecircumstancesofthedeathattheClermontcametolightandIfoundmyselfconfrontedbyaproblemverynearlythecounterpartoftheonethenoccupyingme。”ButIdidnotseeanyrealconnectionbetweenthetwocases，until，inmyhuntforMr。Brotherson，Icameuponthefollowingfacts：thathewasnotalwaysthegentlemanheappeared：thattheapartmentinwhichhewassupposedtolivewasnothisownbutafriend’s；andthathewasonlytherebyspells。Whenhewasthere，hedressedlikeaprinceanditwaswhilesoclothedheatehismealsinthecaf?oftheHotelClermont。”Butthereweretimeswhenhehadbeenseentoleavethisapartmentinaverydifferentgarb，andwhiletherewasnoonetoinsinuatethathewasslackinpayinghisdebtsorwasgiventodissipationoranyovertvice，itwasgenerallyconcededbysuchascasuallyknewhim，thattherewasamysterioussidetohislifewhichnooneunderstood。Hisfriend-aseeminglycandidandopen-mindedgentleman-explainedthesecontradictionsbysayingthatMr。
Brothersonwasahumanitarianandspentmuchofhistimeintheslums。Thatwhilesoengagedhenaturallydressedtosuittheoccasion，andifhewastobecriticisedatall，itwasforhiszealwhichoftenledhimtoextremesandkepthimtohistaskfordays，duringwhichtimenoneofhisup-townfriendssawhim。Thenthisenthusiasticgentlemancalledhimthegreatintellectuallightoftheday，and-well，ifeverIwantacharacterIshalltakepainstoinsinuatemyselfintothegoodgracesofthisMr。Conway。”OfBrothersonhimselfIsawnothing。HehadcometoMr。Conway’sapartmentthenightbefore-thenightofMissChalloner’sdeath，youunderstandbuthadremainedonlylongenoughtochangehisclothes。WherehewentafterwardsisunknowntoMr。Conway，norcanhetelluswhentolookforhisreturn。Whenhedoesshowup，mymessagewillbegivenhim，etc。，etc。IhavenofaulttofindwithMr。Conway。”ButIhadanideainregardtothiselusiveBrotherson。Ihadheardenoughabouthimtobemightysurethattogetherwithhisotheraccomplishmentshepossessedthegoldentongueandeasyspeechofanorator。Also，thathistendencieswererevolutionaryandthatforallhisfineclothesandhankeringaftertableluxuriesandthelike，hecherishedaspiteagainstwealthwhichmadehiswordsundercertainmoodscutlikeaknife。Buttherewasanotherman，knowntousofthe——Precinct，whohadverynearlythesesamegifts，andthismanwasgoingtospeakatasecretmeetingthatveryevening。ThiswehadbeentoldbyadisgruntledmemberoftheAssociatedBrotherhood。SuspectingBrotherson，Ihadthisprospectivespeakerdescribed，andthoughtIrecognisedmyman。
ButIwantedtobepositiveinmyidentification，soItookAndersonwithme，and-butI’llcutthatshort。Wedidn’tseetheoratorandthat’go’wentfornothing；butIhadanotherstringtomybowintheshapeoftheworkmanDunnwhoalsoansweredtothedescriptionwhichhadbeengivenme；soIluggedpoorAndersonoverintoHicksStreet。”ItwaslateforthevisitIproposed，butnottoolate，ifDunnwasalsotheoratorwho，surprisedbyaraidIhadnotbeenletinto，wouldbemakingforhishome，ifonlytoestablishanalibi。Thesubwaywasnear，andIcalculatedonhisusingit，butwetookataxicabandsoarrivedinHicksStreetsomefewminutesbeforehim。
Theresultyouknow。AndersonrecognisedthemanastheonewhomhesawwashinghishandsinthesnowoutsideoftheClermont，andtheman，seeinghimselfdiscovered，ownedhimselftobeBrothersonandmadenodifficultyaboutaccompanyingusthenextdaytothecoroner’soffice。”Youhaveheardhowheborehimself；whathisexplanationswereandhowcompletelytheyfittedinwiththepreconceivednotionsoftheInspectorandtheDistrictAttorney。Inconsequence，MissChalloner’sdeathislookeduponasasuicide-theimpulsiveactofawomanwhoseesthemanshemayhavescoutedbutwhomshesecretlyloves，turnawayfromherinallprobabilityforever。Aweaponwasinherhand-sheimpulsivelyusedit，andanotherdeplorablesuicidewasaddedtothemelancholylist。HadIputinmyoarattheconferenceheldinthecoroner’soffice；hadIrecalledtoDr。HeaththecuriouscaseofMrs。Spotts，andthenidentifiedBrothersonasthemanwhosewindowfrontedhersfromtheoppositetenement，adiversionmighthavebeencreatedandtheoutcomebeendifferent。
ButIfearedtheexperiment。I’mnotsufficientlyinwiththeChiefasyet，noryetwiththeInspector。Theymightnothavecalledmeafool-youmay；butthat’sdifferent-andtheymighthavelistened，butitwoulddoubtlesshavebeenwithanairIcouldnothaveheldupagainst，withthatfellow’seyesfixedmockinglyonmine。ForheandIarepittedforastruggle，andIdonotwanttogivehimtheadvantageofevenamomentarytriumph。He’sthemostcompletemasterofhimselfofanymanIevermet，anditwilltaketheunitedbrainandresolutionofthewholeforcetobringhimtobook-ifheeverisbroughttobook，whichIdoubt。Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?””Thatyouhavegivenmeanantidoteagainstoldage，”wastheringingandunexpectedreply，asthethoughtful，half-puzzledaspectoftheoldmanyieldedimpulsivelytoaburstofhisearlyenthusiasm。”Ifwecangetagoodgriponthethreadyouspeakof，andcanworkourselvesalongbyit，thoughitbebynomorethananinchatatime，weshallyetmakeourwaythroughthislabyrinthofundoubtedcrimeandearnforourselvesatriumphwhichwillmakesomeoftheserawandinexperiencedyoungfellowsaboutusstare。
Sweetwater，coincidencesarepossible。Werunuponthemeveryday。
Butcoincidenceincrime！thatshouldmakeworkforadetective，andwearenotafraidofwork。There’smyhandformyendofthebusiness。””Andhere’smine。”
Nextminutethetwoheadswerecloserthanevertogether，andthebusinesshadbegun。