The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-21

had nothing to fear from them. The
first half of his task was successfully
accomplished, but the more difficult
still remained.
1T is possible Stapleton did not
know of the existence of an heir in
Canada. In any case he 1 would very
soon learn it from his friend DR.. Nor
timer, and he was told by the latter all
details about the arrival of Henry
Baskerville. Stapleton's first idea was
that this young stranger from Canada
might possibly be done to death in
London without coming down to Dew
onshire at all. He distrusted his wife
ever since she had refused to help him
in laying a trap for the old man, and
he dared not leave her long out of his
sight for fear he should lose his inf1u-
ence over her. 1t was for this reason
that he took her to London with him.
They lodged, 1 find, at the Marlborough
Private Hotel, in Craven street, which
was actually one of those called upon
by my agent in search of evidence.
Here he kept his wife imprisoned in
her room while he, disguised in a
beard, followed DR.. Mortimer to Baker
street and afterwards to the station
and to the Northumberland Hotel. His
wife had some inkling of his plans;
but she had such a fear of her hus-
banda fear founded upon brutal ILL
treatment-that she dare not write to
warn the man whom she knew to be in
danger. If the letter should fall into
Stapleton's hands her own life would
not be safe. Eventually, as we know,
she adopted the expedient of cutting
out the words which would form the
message, and addressing the letter in
a disguised hand. 1t reached the bar
onet, and gave him the first warning
of his danger
1T was very essential for Stapleton
to get some article of Sir Henry's at
tire so that, in case he was driven to
use the dog, he might always have the
means of setting him upon his track.
With Characteristic promptness and
audacity he set about this at once, and
we cannot doubt that the boots or
chamberhaid of the hotel was we'll
bribed to help him in his design. By
chance, however, the first boot which
was procured for him was a new one
and, therefore, useless for his purpose.
He then had it returned and obtained
another-a most instructive incident
since it proved conclusively to my
mind that we were dealing with real
hound, as no other supposition could
explain this anxiety to obtain an old
boot and this Indifference to a new
one. The more outre and grotesque
an incident is the more carefully it de-
serves to be examined, and the very
point which appears to complicate a
case is. when duly considered and sci
entifically handled, the one which is
most likely to elucidate it.
Then we had the visit from our
friends next morning Swallowed always
by Stapleton in the cab From his
knowledge of our rooms and of my ap-
pearance, as we'll as from his general
conduct, l am inclined to think that
Stapleton's career of crime has been by
no means limited to this single Basker-
Vile affair. 1t is suggestive that dur
ing the last three years there have
been four considerable burglaries in
the West Country for none of which
was any criminal ever arrested The
last of these, al Folkestone Court. in
May, was remarkable for the cold
blooded pistoling of the page, who
surprised the masked and solitary bur
glar l cannot doubt that Stapleton
recruited his waning resources in this
fashion, and that for years he has been
desperate and dangerous man.
we mad an example of his readi-
ness OF resource that morning when
he got away from US so successfully.
and also of his audacity in sending
back my own name to me through the
cabman. From that moment he under
stood that l had taken over the case
was no chance for him there. He
! returned to Dartmoor and awaited the
| arrival of the baronet"
One moment!" said I. "You have.
no doubt, described the sequence of
events correctly, but there is one point
which you have left unexplained.
What became of the hound when Its
master was in London?"
i have given some attention to this
matter and it is undoubtedly of inn
portance. There can be no question
that Stapleton had a confidant, though
1t is unlikely that he ever placed him
self in his power by sharing all his
plans with him. There was an old
man-servant at Merripit House, whose
name was Anthony. His connection
with the Stapletons can be traced for
several years, as far back as the
scnool-mastering days, so that he
must have been aware that his mas
ter and mistress were really husband
and wife. This man has disappeared
and has escaped from the country. 1t
is suggestive that Anthony is not a
common name in England, while An
tonic is so in all Spanish or Spanish
American countries. The man, like
Mrs. Stapleton herself, spoke good