The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-11
a sszz4gxx.S;er
AASTy!YlIl 3
NE,E!|If WrSNRLEr.
CHAPTER Y.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

1t was close upon nine when he set
out. / had no idea how long he might
be, but 1 sat stolidly putting at my pipe
and skipping over the pages of Henri
Murger's "Vie de Boheme." Ten
o'clock passed, and I heard the foot
steps of the maids as they battered off
to bed. Eleven and the more stately
tread of the landlady passed my door,
bound for the same destination. 1t was
close upon twelve before l heard the
sharp sound of his latch-key. The in
slant he entered saw by his face that
he had not been successful Amuse-
mentand chagrin seemed to be strug-
CLING for the mastery, until the former
suddenly carried the day, and he burst
into hearty laugh.
81 wouldn't have the Scotland Yard
-ers know it for the world" he cried,
dropping into his chair; 81 have chaffed
them so much that they would never
have let me hear the end of it. l can
afford to laugh, because l know that /
will be even with them in the long
run
What is 1t, then?" asked.
OQ, L OOn Z I1lHO IclllIk BURY
against myself. That creature had
gone little way when she began to
limp and show every sign of being
foot-sore. Presently she came to halt,
and hailed four-wheeler which was
passing. I managed to be close enough
to her to hear the address, but / need
not have been so anxious, for she sang
it out loud enough to be heard at the
other side of the street. Drive to 13
Duncan street, Houndsditch, she
cried. This begins to look gen
uine, 1 cried, and having seen
her safely inside, l perched my
self behind. That's an art which every
detective should be an expert at. Well
away we ratified, and never drew a
rein until we reached the street in
question. | hoped off before we came
to the door, and strolled down the
street in an easy, lounging way. l saw
the cab pull up. The driver jumped
down, and l saw him open the door
and stand expectantly. Nothing came
out, though. When | reached him he
was cropping about frantically in the
empty cab, and giving vent to the
finest assorted collection of oaths that
ever l listened to. There was no sign
or trace of his passenger, and fear it
will be some time before he gets his
fare. On inquiring at No. Is found
that the house belonged to a respecta-
BILE paper-hanger, named Keswicl6, and
that no one of the name either of Saw
yer or Dennis had ever been heard of
there"
"You don't mean to say" cried, in
amazement, that that lettering, fee
BILE old woman was able to get out of
the cab while it was in motion, with
out either you or the driver seeing
her?"
''Old woman be d-dp' said Sherlock
Holmes, sharply. 1--WE were the old
women to be so taken in. 1t must have
been a young man, and an active one,
too, besides being an incompatible &C
tor. The get-up was inimltable. He
saw that he was followed, no doubt,
and used this means of giving me the
slip. 1t shows that the man we are
after is not as lonely as 1 imagined he
was, but has friends who are ready to
risk something for him. Now, doctor,
you are looking done-up. Take my adj
vice and turn in"
Twas certainly feeling very weary,
so 1 obeyed his injunction. 1 left
Holmes seated in front of the smolder-
ing fire, and long into the watches of
the night heard the low, melancholy
wailings of his violin, and knew that
he was still bordering over the strange
problem which he had set himself to
unravel.