The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-31
Continued from Last Sunday.
THE MAN ON THE TOR.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.


which forms the last chapter has
brought my narrative up to the 18th
of october, a time when these strange
events began to move swiftly towards
their terrible conclusion. The Incl
dents of the next few days are indeli-
hIv craven upon my recollection, and
7 can tell them without reference to
the notes made at the time. I start
then from the day which succeeded
that upon which 1 had established two
facts of great importance, the one that
Mrs. Laura Lyons of Coombe Tracey
had written to Sir Charles Baskerville
and made an appointment with him at
the very place and hour that he met
his death, the other that the lurking
man upon the moor was to be found
among the stone huts upon the hill
side. With these two facts in my pos
session 1 felt that either my intelli-
gence or my courage must be deficient
if | could not throw some further
light upon these dark places.
| had no opportunity to tell the bar
onet what l had learned about Mrs.
Lyons upon the evening before, for
DR.. Mortimer remained with him at
cards until it was very late.
At breakfast, however, 1 informed him
about my discovery, and asked him
whether he would care to accompany
me to Coombe Tracey. At first he was
very eager to come, but on second
thoughts it seemed to both of us that
if I went alone the results might be
better. The more formal we made the
visit the less information we might
obtain. 1 left Sir Henry behind, there
fore, not without some prickings of
conscience, and drove off upon my new
quest.
When I reached Coombe Tracey I
told Perkins to put up the horses, and
I made inquiries for the lady whom 1
had some to interrogate l had no
difficulty in finding her rooms, which
were central and well appointed. A
maid showed me in without ceremony,
and as l entered the sitting room a
lady, who was sitting before a Rem
tngton typewriter, sprang up with a
pleasant smile of welcome. Her face
fell however, when she saw that 1
was stranger, and she sat down
again and asked me the object of nv
visit
The first impression left by Mrs.
Lyons was one of extreme beauty Her
eyes and hair were of the same rich
hazel color, and her cheeks, though
considerably freckled, were flushed
with the exquisite bloom of the bru-
nette, the dainty pink which turks at
the heart of the sulphur rose. Ad-
miration was, I repeat, the first I'M
preston. But the second was criti-
clsm. There was something subtly
wrong with the face, some coarseness
Of expression, some hardness, perhaps,
OF eyes, some looseness of lip which
married its perfect beauty. But these,
of
moment 1 was simply conscious that
l was in the presence of a very hand
some woman, and that she was asking
me the reasons for my visit 1 had
not quite understood until that instant
now delicate my mission was.
Il have the pleasure" said I, "of
knowing your father
1t was a clumsy introduction. and
the lady made me feel it,
There is nothing in common be-
tween my father and me-" she said. ct
owe him nothing, and his friends are
not mine. If it were not for the late
Sir Charles Baskerville and some other
KIND hearts / might have starved for
all that my father cared"
1t was about the late Sir Charles
baskerville that I have come here to
see you"
The freckles started out on the lady's
face.
What can tell you about him p,
she asked, and her fingers played ner-
Vously over the stops of her type
writer.
You knew him, did you not?"
Il have already said that / owe a
great deal to his kindness. If am
aDle TO support myself it is largely
que to the interest which he took in
my unhappy situation"
Dld you correspond with him?"
The lady looked quickly up with an
angry CLEAN in her hazel eyes.
what is the object of these ques-
uons?" she asked, sharply.
The object is to avoid a. public
scandal. 1t is better that 1 should ask
mem here than that the matter should
pass outside our control"
one was silent and her face was still
very pale. At last she looked up with
something reckless and defiant in her
Well, I'll answer" she said. what
are your questions
les?" WIN N'ii OiiSi-
I'll certainly wrote to him once or
tWlce to acknowledge his delicacy and
his generosity"
Have yeu the dates of those let
NO"
lave you ever met him ?"
Yes, once or twice, when he came
Ilfto e Coombe Tracey. He was a very
turing man, and he preferred to do
GOOD by stealth"
but if you saw him so seldom and
wrote SO seldom, how did he know
enough about your affairs to be able
dOne?" ~
r, ohe met my difficulty with the ut
most readiness.
l.. There were several gentlemen who
anew my sad history and united to
oip me- One was Mr.. Stapleton, a
HH[llenoor and intimate friend of Sir
onaIless He was exceedingly kind,
Ia. 1t was through him that Sir Char
learned about my affairs"
new, new already that Sir Charles Bask-
u,Nl4le had made Stapleton his almoner
Upon several occasions, so the lady's
upon it,
DID you ever write to Sir Charles
ued.
YRS. Lyons flushed with anger again.
really, sir, this is a very extra
urinary question"
~ am sorry, Madame, but must re-
Then I answer, certainly not"
death?" -' "a Oh ieS
The flush had faded in an instant
9 I deathly face was before me-
her dry lips could not speak the mo-
which saw rather than heard.
surely your memory deceives you"
s@'d /. II could even quote a passage
vi your letter II ran fpIaaea plaaga