Short Stories
"You are aware, Mr. Holmes, that our college doors are dou-
ble—a green baize one within and a heavy oak one without. As I
approached my outer door, I was amazed to see a key in it. For
an instant I imagined that I had left my own there, but on feeling
in my pocket I found that it was all right. The only duplicate
which existed, so far as I knew, was that which belonged to my
servant, Bannister—a man who has looked after my room for ten
years, and whose honesty is absolutely above suspicion. I found
that the key was indeed his, that he had entered my room to
know if I wanted tea, and that he had very carelessly left the key
in the door when he came out. His visit to my room must have
been within a very few minutes of my leaving it. His forgetful-
ness about the key would have mattered little upon any other oc-
casion, but on this one day it has produced the most deplorable
consequences.
"The moment I looked at my table, I was aware that someone
had rummaged among my papers. The proof was in three long
slips. I had left them all together. Now, I found that one of them
was lying on the floor, one was on the side table near the win-
dow, and the third was where I had left it."
Holmes stirred for the first time.
"The first page on the floor, the second in the window, the
third where you left it," said he.
"Exactly, Mr. Holmes. You amaze me. How could you possi-
bly know that?"
"Pray continue your very interesting statement."
"For an instant I imagined that Bannister had taken the un-
pardonable liberty of examining my papers. He denied it,
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