Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-01-25

that I had given him notice ON the
| very day he came she said. But 1t
was q sore temptation. They were
paying a pound q day each-fourteen
pounds a week, and this Is a slack sea-
SON. / am q widow, and my boy in the
navy has cost me much. l grudged to
lose the money. I acted for he best
This last was too much, however, and
I gave him notice to leave on account
of it. That was the reason of his
going
"sWell?'
"sMy heart grew light when I saw
him drive away. My o is on leave
lust now, but / did not tell him any
| thing of this, for his temper is violent,
and he is passionately fond OF bis sis
ter. When I closed the door behind
them a load seemed to be lifted from
my mind. Alasl in less than an hour
there was a ring at the bell. and 1
learned that Mr.. Drebber had re-
turned. He was much excited, and
! evidently the worse for drink. He
forced his way into the room where l
was sitting with my daughter, and
made some incoherent remark about
having missed the train. He then
turned to Alice and, before my very
face, proposed to her that b should
| hy with him. "You are of age" he
said, land there is no law to stop you.
I have money enough and to spare.
| Never mind the old girl here. but
| come along with me now straight
away. You shall live like a princess"
Poor Alice was so frightened that
she shrunk away from him, but he
caught her by the wrist and ~endeavored
to draw her toward the door. l
screamed, and at that moment my son
Arthur came into the room. What
happened then / do o know. /
| heard oaths and the confused sounds
of a scufie. / was too terrified to
raise my head. When l did lock up
saw Arthur standing in the doorway
laughing, with a stick in his hand.
81 don't think that fine fellow will
trouble US again." he said. II will
! Just go after him and see what he does
with himself" With those words he
took his hat and started off down the
street. The next morning we heard of
MIR. Drebbcr's mysterious death
This statement came from Mrs.
| Ch~arpentier's lips with many gasps
and pauses. At times she spoke so
low hat I could hardly catch the
words. l made shorthand notes of all
that she said, however, SO that there
should be no possibility of a mistake"
'It's quite exciting" said Sherlock
Holmes, with a yawn. What happened
next?"
"When Mrs. Carpenter paused"
the detective continued, 81 saw that
the whole case hung upon one point.
Fixing her with my eye in a way which
/ always found effective with women,
I asked her at what hour her son re-
turned
"Tuo not know she answered.
"sNot know?'
":No; he has a latch-key, and let
himself in.'
latter you went to bed?'
"'Yes.'
"'When did you go to bed?'
"tAbout eleven
$50 your son vas gone at least two
hours?'
Yes
POSSIBLY four or fve?'
Eyes
"'What vas he doing during that
time?'
81 do not know she answered, turn
ing white to her very lips.
'Of course after that there was
nothing mor to be done. found out
where Lieut.. Carpenter was, took
two officers with me, and arrested him.
When l touched him on the shoulder
and warned him to come quietly with
us, he answered us as bold as brass: 4
-, - --oz<s,r r,a Co. lo,-~
concerned in the death of that scoun-
drel. Drebber,' he said. We had said
nothing to him about it, SO that his
abiding to it had a most suspicious
aspect"
very" said Holmes.
"He still carried the heavy stick,
which the mother described him as
having with him when he followed,
Drebber. 1t was a stout oak cudgel."
What is your theory, then?" 8
"Well, my theory is that he followed
Drebber as far as the Brixton road.
When there, a fresh alteration arose,
between them, in the course of which
Drebber received a blow from the
stick, in the pit of the stomach, per-
haps, which killed him without leaving
any mark. The night was so wet that
n one was about, sc Carpenter
dragged the body of his victim into
the empty house. AS to the candle,
and the blood, and the writing on the
wall, and the ring, they may all be SO
many tricks to throw the police on to
the wrong scent"
"Well done!' said Holmes, in an en-
couraging voice. Really, Gregson,
you are getting along. We shall make
something of you yet"
II fiatter myself that i have man
aged it rather neatly" the detective
volunteered a statement, in which he
said that after following Drebber some
time, the latter perceived him, and
took a cab in order to get away from
him On his way home he met an old
shipmate, and took a long walk with
him. On being asked where this old
shipmate lived, he was unable to give
any satisfactory reply. think the
whole case fits together uncommonly
we'll What amuses me is to think of
Lestrade, who had started off upon the
wrong sect am afraid he won't
make much of it. Why, by jove, here's
the very man himself"
It was indeed Lestrade, who had
assembled the stairs while we were
talking. and who now entered the
room. The assurance and jauntiness
which generally marked his demeanor
and dress were, however, wanting.
His face was disturbed and troubled.
while his clothes were disarranged
and untidy. He had evidently come
with the intention of consulting with
Sherlock Holmes, for on perceiving his
colleague he appeared to be enbar-
raised and put out. He stood in the
center of the room. fumbling nervous
ly with his hat, and uncertain what to
dc. This is a M extraordinary
case" he said at last-''a most incom-
~prehensible affair"
"Ah, you find it so, Mr.. Lestradey'
cried Gregson, triumphantly. II
thought you would come to that con-
clusion. Have you managed to find
h secretary, Mr.. Joseph StangersonP"
THE secretary, Mr.. Joseph Stanger-
son" said Lestrade. gravely. was muir