Short Stories
then that he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on the table.
What was it you put on that chair near the window?"
"Gloves," said the young man.
Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister. "He put his gloves
on the chair, and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy
them. He thought the tutor must return by the main gate and
that he would see him. As we know, he came back by the side
gate. Suddenly he heard him at the very door. There was no pos-
sible escape. He forgot his gloves but he caught up his shoes and
darted into the bedroom. You observe that the scratch on that ta-
ble is slight at one side, but deepens in the direction of the bed-
room door. That in itself is enough to show us that the shoe had
been drawn in that direction, and that the culprit had taken ref-
uge there. The earth round the spike had been left on the table,
and a second sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom. I
may add that I walked out to the athletic grounds this morning,
saw that tenacious black clay is used in the jumping-pit and car-
ried away a specimen of it, together with some of the fine tan or
sawdust which is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from slip-
ping. Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist?"
The student had drawn himself erect.
"Yes, sir, it is true," said he.
"Good heavens! have you nothing to add?" cried Soames.
"Yes, sir, I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure
has bewildered me. I have a letter here, Mr. Soames, which I
wrote to you early this morning in the middle of a restless night.
It was before I knew that my sin had found me out. Here it is,
sir. You will see that I have said, 'I have determined not to go
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