The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-03
CHAPTER VII.
The stnnIeton. of MerrIpit IIouse.

the grim and gray impression which had
been left upon both of us by our first tx
perience Of Baskerville Hall. As Sir Henry
and I sat at breakfast the sunlight flooded
IN through the high mullioned windows.
THROWN watery patches OF color from the
coats-of-arms which covered them. The
dark paneling g!owed like bronze in tho
golden rays, and II was hard TO realize tI5t
this was. indeed. the chamber which h3d
struck such n gloom into our souls npon
the evening before.
7 guess 81 is ourselves and not the house
that we have TO blame!'" raid the baronet.
I'VE were tired with our journey aud
chilled by our drive. 70 we took a gray
view OF the place. Noy we are fresh and
well. so st is all cheerful once more"
And yet It was not entirely a question
4aof Imagination" I answered. Did you, Tor
9feXample. happen to hear some one. q wom-
ian. 1 think. sobbing In the night
THAT is curious, for l did when ] was
half asleep fancy that heard something
OF the sort. I waited quite a time. t':t
there was no more Of II. so l conclu@ed
that It WIS all a dream"
81 heard r. distinctly. and I am sure that
Il was really the sob of n woman"
I'VE must ask about this right away"
He rang the bell and asked BARRYMORE
whether H. could account for our expert
ence. It seemed TO me that the pailid fHa-
lures Of the butler turned n shade paler
still as he listened to his masters ques-
tion.
There are only two women in the house.
fir Henri" he answered. lone is the soul
lery maid. who sleeps in the other wing.
The othe= is my wife, and 1 can answer
for It that the sound could not have come
from her"
And vet he lied as he said it, for It
CHANGED that after breakfast I met Mrs.
Barrymore in the long corridor with the sun
fun anon her face. She was a large, I'M
passive. heavy featured woman with a stern
1911 De - T1fn
ewes were rcd and glanced at me from be-
tween swollen lids. 1t was she, then. who
wept in the night. and II she did so her
husband MIST know Il. Yet he had taken
the obvious risk OF discovery in declaring
that II was not so. Why had he done this?
And why did she weep so bitterly? Already
round this pale-faced, handsome. black
bearded man there was gathered an atmos-
phere of mystery and of gloom. 1t was ne
VINO had been the first to discover the body
of Sir Charles, and We had only his Word
for all the circumstances which led
IN to the old mans death. Was II possible
that II was Barrymore, after all, whom we
had seen in the cab in Regent street? The
beard might well have been the same. The
cabman had described a somewhat shorter
man, but such an impression 6 easily
have been erroneous. How could 1 settle
the point forever? Obviously the first thing
TO do was to see the Grtmpen
and find whether the telegram had really
been placed in Barrymore's hands. Be the
answer what It might, l should at least
have something to report to Sherlock
Holmes.
Sir Henry had numerous papers to exam
Inc after breakfast, so that the time was
propitious for my excursion. II was a
pleasant walk of four miles along the edge
of the moor. leading me at last to q SINAI
gray hamlet. in which two larger build
ings, which proved to be the inn and the
house of Doctor Mortimer, stood high above
Athe rest. The Postmaster, who was also
f$he village grocer, had a clear recollection
z of the telegram.
telegram delivered to Mr.. Barrymore e1-
actly as directed
"Who delivered tt?'
My boy here. James. you delivered that
telegram TO Mr.. Barrymore at the Hall
last week, Old you not?"
Yes, father. 1 delivered IT."
Into his own hands?' / asked.
We'll. he was up in the loft at the time.
so that l could not put II into his own
hands. but 1 gave it into Mrs Barry mores
hands, and she promised to deliver it at
once"
did you see Mr.. Barymore?"
mo, sir; l tell you he was in the loft"
IF you didn't see him how do you know
he was in the loftr'
We'll, surely, his own wife ought to know
where he is" said the Postmaster. testify.
''Didn't he get the telegram II there Is
any mistake it y for Mr. Barrymore him
self TO complain"
1t seemed hopeless to pursue the inquiry
any further, hut it. was clear that in spite
OF Tuse We had no proof that
had not been In London all the
time Suppose that It we're so-suppose
that the same man had been the last who
had seen Sir Charles alive, and the first to
dog the new heir when he returned to
England. What then2 Was he the agent
OF others or had he some sinister design
OF his own2 What interest could he have
in prosecuting the Baskerville famiIy2 !
thought Of the strange warning clipped out
OF the leading article OF the Times. Was
that his work or vas It possibly the doing
OF some one who was bent upon counter
acting his schames7 The only conceivable
motive waS that which had been suggested
by Sir Henry, that II the family could bs
scared away q comfortable and permanent
homo would be secured for the Barry
moTea But surely such an explanation as
that would be quite inadequate to
Eccount tor the deep and subtle scheming
which seemed to be weaving an invisible
net around the young baronet Holmes
himself had said that no more complex
case had come TO him in al the long series
Of his sensational investigations l prayed
as l walked along the gray, lonely road.
that my friend might soon be freed from his
pTeoccupauons and able to come down to
take this heavy burdan of responsibility
from my shoulders.
Suddenly my thoughts were Interrupted by
the sound OF running feet behina me and
by a voice which called me by name. I
turned, expecting to see Doctor Mortimer,
but to my surprise 1t was q stranger VINO
was pursuing me-. He was q small, slim,
clean-shaven, prim-faced man, faxen-haired
and lean-jawsd between thirty and forty
years Of age, dressed In 9 gray suit and
wearing a straw hat A TIN box for bo-
tRnical specimens hung over his shoulder
and be carried a green butterfy-nst in one
of his hands-
You viii, I am sure, excuse my pre-
sumption, Doctor Watson" said he, as lie
came painting up to where / stood Here
On the moor We are homely folk and DO
mot wait for formal tntrOductons. You may
kossibly have heard my name from our mu-
NJ friend, Mortimer. 1 ana Stapleton, Of
Aerripit House"
Your net and box would have told me as
much" said I, for 1 knew that Mr.. Sta
pleton was q naturalist But how did you
know mer' |
81 have been calling On Mortimer, and he
pointed you out to me from the window of
his surgery as you passed As our road lay
the same way l thought that / would over |
take you and introduce myself. 1 trust that
Sir Henry Is none the worse for his jour
ney?"
H Is very well, thank you"
I'VE were all rather afraid that after the
sad death of Sir Charles the new barones
might refuse to live here. 1t IL asking
much Of q wealthy man to come down and |