SHERLOCK　HOLMES
  THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　EMPTY　HOUSE
  by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle
  It　was　in　the　spring　of　the　year　1894　that　all　London　was
  interested；　and　the　fashionable　world　dismayed；　by　the　murder　of　the
  Honourable　Ronald　Adair　under　most　unusual　and　inexplicable
  circumstances。　The　public　has　already　learned　those　particulars　of　the
  crime　which　came　out　in　the　police　investigation；　but　a　good　deal
  was　suppressed　upon　that　occasion；　since　the　case　for　the
  prosecution　was　so　overwhelmingly　strong　that　it　was　not　necessary
  to　bring　forward　all　the　facts。　Only　now；　at　the　end　of　nearly　ten
  years；　am　I　allowed　to　supply　those　missing　links　which　make　up　the
  whole　of　that　remarkable　chain。　The　crime　was　of　interest　in　itself；
  but　that　interest　was　as　nothing　to　me　compared　to　the　inconceivable
  sequel；　which　afforded　me　the　greatest　shock　and　surprise　of　any　event
  in　my　adventurous　life。　Even　now；　after　this　long　interval；　I　find
  myself　thrilling　as　I　think　of　it；　and　feeling　once　more　that　sudden
  flood　of　joy；　amazement；　and　incredulity　which　utterly　submerged　my
  mind。　Let　me　say　to　that　public；　which　has　shown　some　interest　in
  those　glimpses　which　I　have　occasionally　given　them　of　the　thoughts
  and　actions　of　a　very　remarkable　man；　that　they　are　not　to　blame　me　if
  I　have　not　shared　my　knowledge　with　them；　for　I　should　have　considered
  it　my　first　duty　to　do　so；　had　I　not　been　barred　by　a　positive
  prohibition　from　his　own　lips；　which　was　only　withdrawn　upon　the　third
  of　last　month。
  It　can　be　imagined　that　my　close　intimacy　with　Sherlock　Holmes　had
  interested　me　deeply　in　crime；　and　that　after　his　disappearance　I
  never　failed　to　read　with　care　the　various　problems　which　came
  before　the　public。　And　I　even　attempted；　more　than　once；　for　my　own
  private　satisfaction；　to　employ　his　methods　in　their　solution；
  though　with　indifferent　success。　There　was　none；　however；　which
  appealed　to　me　like　this　tragedy　of　Ronald　Adair。　As　I　read　the
  evidence　at　the　inquest；　which　led　up　to　a　verdict　of　willful　murder
  against　some　person　or　persons　unknown；　I　realized　more　clearly　than　I
  had　ever　done　the　loss　which　the　community　had　sustained　by　the
  death　of　Sherlock　Holmes。　There　were　points　about　this　strange
  business　which　would；　I　was　sure；　have　specially　appealed　to　him；
  and　the　efforts　of　the　police　would　have　been　supplemented；　or　more
  probably　anticipated；　by　the　trained　observation　and　the　alert　mind　of
  the　first　criminal　agent　in　Europe。　All　day；　as　I　drove　upon　my　round；
  I　turned　over　the　case　in　my　mind　and　found　no　explanation　which
  appeared　to　me　to　be　adequate。　At　the　risk　of　telling　a　twice…told
  tale；　I　will　recapitulate　the　facts　as　they　were　known　to　the　public
  at　the　conclusion　of　the　inquest。
  The　Honourable　Ronald　Adair　was　the　second　son　of　the　Earl　of
  Maynooth；　at　that　time　governor　of　one　of　the　Australian　colonies。
  Adair's　mother　had　returned　from　Australia　to　undergo　the　operation
  for　cataract；　and　she；　her　son　Ronald；　and　her　daughter　Hilda　were
  living　together　at　427　Park　Lane。　The　youth　moved　in　the　best　society…
  had；　so　far　as　was　known；　no　enemies　and　no　particular　vices。　He　had
  been　engaged　to　Miss　Edith　Woodley；　of　Carstairs；　but　the　engagement
  had　been　broken　off　by　mutual　consent　some　months　before；　and　there
  was　no　sign　that　it　had　left　any　very　profound　feeling　behind　it。
  For　the　rest　of　the　man's　life　moved　in　a　narrow　and　conventional
  circle；　for　his　habits　were　quiet　and　his　nature　unemotional。　Yet　it
  was　upon　this　easy…going　young　aristocrat　that　death　came；　in　most
  strange　and　unexpected　form；　between　the　hours　of　ten　and
  eleven…twenty　on　the　night　of　March　30；　1894。
  Ronald　Adair　was　fond　of　cards…　playing　continually；　but　never　for
  such　stakes　as　would　hurt　him。　He　was　a　member　of　the　Baldwin；　the
  Cavendish；　and　the　Bagatelle　card　clubs。　It　was　shown　that；　after
  dinner　on　the　day　of　his　death；　he　had　played　a　rubber　of　whist　at　the
  latter　club。　He　had　also　played　there　in　the　afternoon。　The　evidence
  of　those　who　had　played　with　him…　Mr。　Murray；　Sir　John　Hardy；　and
  Colonel　Moran…　showed　that　the　game　was　whist；　and　that　there　was　a
  fairly　equal　fall　of　the　cards。　Adair　might　have　lost　five　pounds；　but
  not　more。　His　fortune　was　a　considerable　one；　and　such　a　loss　could
  not　in　any　way　affect　him。　He　had　played　nearly　every　day　at　one
  club　or　other；　but　he　was　a　cautious　player；　and　usually　rose　a
  winner。　It　came　out　in　evidence　that；　in　partnership　with　Colonel
  Moran；　he　had　actually　won　as　much　as　four　hundred　and　twenty　pounds
  in　a　sitting；　some　weeks　before；　from　Godfrey　Milner　and　Lord
  Balmoral。　So　much　for　his　recent　history　as　it　came　out　at　the
  inquest。
  On　the　evening　of　the　crime；　he　returned　from　the　club　exactly　at
  ten。　His　mother　and　sister　were　out　spending　the　evening　with　a
  relation。　The　servant　deposed　that　she　heard　him　enter　the　front
  room　on　the　second　floor；　generally　used　as　his　sittingroom。　She　had
  lit　a　fire　there；　and　as　it　smoked　she　had　opened　the　window。　No　sound
  was　heard　from　the　room　until　eleven…twenty；　the　hour　of　the　return　of
  Lady　Maynooth　and　her　daughter。　Desiring　to　say　good…night；　she
  attempted　to　enter　her　son's　room。　The　door　was　locked　on　the
  inside；　and　no　answer　could　be　got　to　their　cries　and　knocking。　Help
  was　obtained；　and　the　door　forced。　The　unfortunate　young　man　was　found
  lying　near　the　table。　His　head　had　been　horribly　mutilated　by　an
  expanding　revolver　bullet；　but　no　weapon　of　any　sort　was　to　be　found
  in　the　room。　On　the　table　lay　two　banknotes　for　ten　pounds　each　and
  seventeen　pounds　ten　in　silver　and　gold；　the　money　arranged　in
  little　piles　of　varying　amount。　There　were　some　figures　also　upon　a
  sheet　of　paper；　with　the　names　of　some　club　friends　opposite　to
  them；　from　which　it　was　conjectured　that　before　his　death　he　was
  endeavouring　to　make　out　his　losses　or　winnings　at　cards。
  A　minute　examination　of　the　circumstances　served　only　to　make　the
  case　more　complex。　In　the　first　place；　no　reason　could　be　given　why
  the　young　man　should　have　fastened　the　door　upon　the　inside。　There　was
  the　possibility　that　the　murderer　had　done　this；　and　had　afterwards
  escaped　by　the　window。　The　drop　was　at　least　twenty　feet；　however；　and
  a　bed　of　crocuses　in　full　bloom　lay　beneath。　Neither　the　flowers　nor
  the　earth　showed　any　sign　of　having　been　disturbed；　nor　were　there　any
  marks　upon　the　narrow　strip　of　grass　which　separated　the　house　from
  the　road。　Apparently；　therefore；　it　was　the　young　man　himself　who
  had　fastened　the　door。　But　how　did　he　come　by　his　death？　No　one
  could　have　climbed　up　to　the　window　without　leaving　traces。　Suppose
  a　man　had　fired　through　the　window；　he　would　indeed　be　a　remarkable
  shot　who　could　with　a　revolver　inflict　so　deadly　a　wound。　Again；
  Park　lane　is　a　frequented　thoroughfare；　there　is　a　cab　stand　within
  a　hundred　yards　of　the　house。　No　one　had　heard　a　shot。　And　yet　there
  was　the　dead　man　and　there　the　revolver　bullet；　which　had　mushroomed
  out；　as　soft…nosed　bullets　will；　and　so　inflicted　a　wound　which　must
  have　caused　instantaneous　death。　Such　were　the　circumstances　of　the
  Park　Lane　Mystery；　which　were　further　complicated　by　entire　absence　of
  motive；　since；　as　I　have　said；　young　Adair　was　not　known　to　have　any
  enemy；　and　no　attempt　had　been　made　to　remove　the　money　or　valuables
  in　the　room。
  All　day　I　turned　these　facts　over　in　my　mind；　endeavouring　to　hit
  upon　some　theory　which　could　reconcile　them　all；　and　to　find　that　line
  of　least　resistance　which　my　poor　friend　had　declared　to　be　the
  starting…point　of　every　investigation。　I　confess　that　I　made　little
  progress。　In　the　evening　I　strolled　across　the　Park；　and　found
  myself　about　six　o'clock　at　the　Oxford　Street　end　of　Park　Lane。　A
  group　of　loafers　upon　the　pavements；　all　staring　up　at　a　particular
  window；　directed　me　to　the　house　which　I　had　come　to　see。　A　tall；　thin
  man　with　coloured　glasses；　whom　I　strongly　suspected　of　being　a
  plain…clothes　detective；　was　pointing　out　some　theory　of　his　own；
  while　the　others　crowded　round　to　listen　to　what　he　said。　I　got　as
  near　him　as　I　could；　but　his　observations　seemed　to　me　to　be　absurd；
  so　I　withdrew　again　in　some　disgust。　As　I　did　so　I　struck　against　an
  elderly；　deformed　man；　who　had　been　behind　me；　and　I　knocked　down
  several　books　which　he　was　carrying。　I　remember　that　as　I　picked
  them　up；　I　observed　the　title　of　one　of　them；　The　Origin　of　Tree
  Worship；　and　it　struck　me　that　the　fellow　must　be　some　poor
  bibliophile；　who；　either　as　a　trade　or　as　a　hobby；　was　a　collector
  of　obscure　volumes。　I　endeavoured　to　apologize　for　the　accident；　but
  it　was　evident　that　these　books　which　I　had　so　unfortunately
  maltreated　were　very　precious　objects　in　the　eyes　of　their　owner。　With
  a　snarl　of　contempt　he　turned　upon　his　heel；　and　I　saw　his　curved　back
  and　white　side…whiskers　disappear　among　the　throng。
  My　observations　of　No。　427　Park　Lane　did　little　to　clear　up　the
  problem　in　which　I　was　interested。　The　house　was　separated　fr