The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

becoming q morass. I found the black tor
upon which I had seen the solitary watcher,
and from Its craggy summit l looked out
myself across the melancholy downs. Rain
squalls drIfted across their russell face. and
the heavy. slate-colored clouds hung low
over the Landscape. trailing in grey wreaths
down the sides OF the fantastic hills. In
the distant hollow on the left. half hidden
by the mist. the two thin towers of Ras-
kerville Hall rose above the trees They
could see. saws only those prehistoric huts
which lay thickly upon the slopes OF the
hills Nowhere was there any trace OF
that lonely man whom l had seen on the
came spot two nights before.
As I walke back I was overtaken by
Doctor Mortimer driving in his dog cart
over a rough moorland track. which led
from the outlying farmhouse OF Foulmire.
He has been very attentive to Us. and hard
ly a day passed that he has not called at
the hail 10 see how we were getting on. He
insisted upou my climbing into his dog cart
ard he gave me a lift homewards. 1 found
him much troubled over the disappearance
OF his little spaniel. II had wandered on
to ths moor and had never come back. I
gave him such consolation as 1 might, but
I thought OF the pony on the Grimpen Mire.
and ! DO not fancy that be will see his lit
tie dog again.
by the way, Mortimer" said 7, as we
IN@N~~ "a AN ASN@ ooN Il oBRO NICAS
are few people living within driving dis
lance OF this whom you do not known
Hardly any. I think"
Can you. then. tell me the name Of any
woman whose initials are L. LIP
He thought for a few minutes.
No." said he. There are a few gypsies
and lahoring folk for whom I can't answer,
but among the farmers or gentry there IS
no one whose initials are those. Wait q bit
though" he added, after a pause. There
is Laura Lyons-her initials are L. L-but
she lives IN Coombe Tracey"
who IS she?' l asked.
She Is FrankIand's daughter"
What! Old Frankland the crankr"
Exactly. She married an artist named
Lyons. who came sketching on the moor.
He proved TO be a BLACKBOARD and deserted
her. The fault from what 1 hear may not
have been entirely on one side Her father
refused to have anything to do with her.
and perhaps for one or two other reasons as
well. So. between the old sinner and the
young one the girl has had a pretty bad
How does she liver
II fancy old Frankiand allows her a pit
tance, but It cannot be more, for his own
AFFAIRS are considerably involved. what
ever she may have deserved one could not
allow her 10 go hopelessly 10 the bad. Her
here I'D something to enable her to earn
an honest living. Stapleton did for one, and
Sir Charles for another; I gave a trtfs
myself. 1t was to set her up In q type
writing business"
He wanted to know The object OF my in
cuiries. but l managed TO satisfy his curfos-
fly without telling him too much. for there
is no reason why We should a anyone
into our confidence. Tomorrow morning
] shall find my way to Coombe Tracey, and
II l can see this Mrs. Laura Lyons, OF
equivocal reputation. a long step will have
been made towards clearing one incident In
this chain OF mysteries. 1 am certainly de-
veloping the wisdom of the serpent, for
when Mortimer pressed his questions to an
announcement extent asked him casually
TO what type Frankland'S skull belonged.
and so heard nothing but cranfology for the
rest Of our drive. I have not lived for
years with Sherlock Holmes for nothing
To Be Continued.
Copyright. 1872. by George Newnea-
Copyright. 1872. by A. Conan Doyla