The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-19

No: If she can come to Winchester TO
| meet as she can get away"
Quite 80. She has her freedom"
WI hat can be the matter then? Can You
| suggest no explanation ?'
Il have devised seven separate explana-
| tons, each Of which would cover the facts
as far as We know them. But which of
| these is correct can only be determined by
| the fresh information which we shall no
l DOUBT find waiting for US. Well, there is
| the tower of the cathedral. and we shall
soon learn ali that Miss Hunter has TO
| tel"
| The Black Swan is an inn of repute in
| the High street at no distance from the
| station. and there We found the young
| lady waiting fo- Us. She had engaged
| sitting room and our lunch awaited US on
| the table
81 am 90 delighted that you have come"
| she said, earnestly. ut IL so very kind of
| you both, but indeed DO not know what
/ should do. Your advice will be alto
| getner invaluable TO Tne.
| you"
| Il will do so. and must be quick. for
/ have promised Mr.. Rucastle to be back be-
| fore 3. got his leave 10 come into town
| this morning. though he little knew for
| what purpose"
Let rs have everything in its due
| order" Holmes thrust his long, thin
! legs out towards the ire and composed
himself to listen
In the first place may say that have
met on the whole with kind treatment
| from Mr.. and Mrs. Rucastle. 1t is only
| fair to them TO say that. But I cannot
| understand them, and | am not easy in
mind about them"
What can you not understand"
Their reasons for their conduct. But
| you shall have il ali just az il occurred.
When I came down Mr.. Rucastle met me
| here and drove me IN his dogcart 20 the
| Copper beeches. It is, as he said beauti-
fully situated, but it is not beautiful in it
self. tor il is large square block of
| house, whitewashed. but all stained and
| streaked with damp and bad weather.
| There are grounds round it. woods on
| three sides, and on the fourth a field which
slopes down 10 the Southampton high
road. which curves past about hundred
| yards from the front door. This ground
| in front belongs 10 the house, but the
| woods all around are part of Lord South
| erton's preserves. A clump of copper
beeches Immediately in front of the nall
| door has given its name to the place.
Il was driven over by my employer, who
| was as amlable as ever, and was intro
duced that evening TO his wife and the
child. There was no truth. Mr.. Holmes,
| in the conjecture which seemed TO Us TO
| be probable in your rooms al Baker street
| Mrs. Rucastle IS not mad. | found her to
| be a silent, pale-faced woman, much
Younger than her husband and not more
| than 30, | should think. while he can
| hardly be less than 45. From their con-
versation have gathered that they have
| been married about seven years; that ne
was widoyer, and that his only child by
the first wife was the daughter who has
/ gone 70 Philadelphia. Mr.. Rucastle told
! me in private that the reason why she had
J left them was that she had an unreason-
| ing aversion TO her stepmOther. As the
! daughter could not have been less than 20
| | can quite imagine that her position must
/ have been uncomfortable with her fathers
| young wife.
Mrs. Rucastle seemed to me to be color
| less in mind az well as in feature. She i'm
| pressed me neither favorably nor the re-
verse. She was nonentity. 1t was easy
| to see that she was passionately devoted
| both TO her husband and TO her little son.
| Her light gray eyes wandered continually
| from the one to the other. noting every
| little want and forestalling It if possible.
| He was kind 20 her also in his bluff, bois-
, terous fashion, and on the whole they
| seemed TO be happy couple And yet she
| had some secret sorrow. this woman. She
| would often be lost in deep thought with
| the saddest look upon her face. More than
! once | have surprised her in tears. have
| thought sometimes that il was the DISPOSE
/ ton Of her child which weighed upon her
/ mind for have never met so utterly spoilt
| and 90 iil-natured little creature. He is
small for his age, with head which is
4 quite dis oroportionately large. His whole
! life appears 10 be spent in an alienation
! between savage fits of passion and gloomy
/ intervals OF sulking. Giving pain 10 any
I creature weaker than himself appears TO
I lie his one idea Of amusement and he shows
! quite remarkable talent in planning the
/ capture Of mice, little birds and insects.
| But / would rather not talk about the
| creature, Mr.. Holmes. and indeed he has
| little 70 do with my story"
Il shall Try not to miss anything Of i'm
/ portance. The one unpleasant thing
| about the house. which struck me at once,
. was the appearance and conduct of the
! servants. There are only two, man and
| his wife. Toler, for that is his name, is
| rough, uncouth man, with grizzled hair
! and whIskers. and perpetual smell Of
/ drink. Twice since | have been with
| them he has been quite drunk, and yet
/ Mr.. Rucastle seemed 70 take no notice of
| it. His wife is a very tall and strong
! woman. with sour face, as silent as Mrs.
| Rucastle, and much less arniable. They
| are q most unpleasant couple. but FORUM
| ately spend most of my time in the
| nursery and my own room, which are
! next to each other in one corner Of the
| building.
For two days after my arrival at the
| Copper Beeches my life was very quiet. On
/ the third Mrs. Rucastle came down just
! after breakfast and whispered something
! to her husband.
''Ah. yes. said he, we are very much
| obliged to you for falling in with our
/ whims so far as TO cut your hair. / assure
! you that ii has not detracted the tiniest
| iota from your appearance. We shall now
| see how the electric blue dress will become
| you. You will find it laid out upon the
| bed in your room, and if you would be so
| good as 10 put it on, we should be ex-
tremely obliged"
PART II.
/ THE dress which | found waiting for
/ me was of a peculiar shade OF blue; il was
/ of excellent material. a sort OF beige, but
! Il bore Unrnistakable signs OF having been
i worn before. 1t could not have been a
better lit if had been measured for it.
| Both Mr. and Mrs. Rucastle expressed a
| delight ct the look Of it. which seemed
| quite exaggerated in its vehemence. They
/ were both waiting for me in the drawing
room. which is very large room, stretch
! ing along the entire second floor Of the
! front OF the house with three long win
! dows reaching down 10 the floor. chair
had been placed close 70 the central win
dow with its back turned toward it. In
! this | was asked 10 sit and then Mr.. Ru-
| castle, walking up and down the other
| side Of the room, began 10 tell me a
! series of the funniest stories that
| l have ever listened TO. gu
| cannot imagine how comical he was. and
| l laughed until / was quite weary. Mrs.
| RCcastle. however, who evidently has no