"We must use what time we have," said Holmes. "Watson, would
you have the kindness to take the paper and to read me the
paragraph in question?"
Underneath the vigorous head-lines which our client had quoted
I read the following suggestive narrative:---
Late last night, or early this morning, an incident occurred
at Lower Norwood which points, it is feared, to a serious crime.
Mr. Jonas Oldacre is a well-known resident of that suburb,
where he has carried on his business as a builder for many years.
Mr. Oldacre is a bachelor, fifty-two years of age, and lives in
Deep Dene House, at the Sydenham end of the road of that name.
He has had the reputation of being a man of eccentric habits,
secretive and retiring. For some years he has practically
withdrawn from the business, in which he is said to have amassed
considerable wealth. A small timber-yard still exists, however,
at the back of the house, and last night, about twelve o'clock,
an alarm was given that one of the stacks was on fire. The
engines were soon upon the spot, but the dry wood burned with
great fury, and it was impossible to arrest the conflagration
until the stack had been entirely consumed.
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