The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-17

of his were blazing with fury. What
was doing with the lady? How dared
offer her attentions which were dis
tasteful to her? Did 1 think that be-
cause l was a baronet l could do what
liked? If he had not been her brother
I should have known better Row to an
swer him. AS il was l told him that
my feelings towards his sister were
such as I was not ashamed OF. and
that l hoped that she might honor me
by becoming my wife. That seemed to
make the matter no better so then /
lost my temper too, and I answered
him rather more holly than I should
perhaps. considering that she was
standing by. So it ended by his going
off with her. as you saw, and here am
1 as badly puzzled a man as any in this
county. Just tell me what it all means,
Watson, and I'll owe you more than
ever l can hope to pay"
tried one or two explanations, but,
indeed I was completely puzzled my
self. Our friends title, his fortune, his
age, his character, and his appearance
are all in his favor and l know Moth
ing against him, unless it be this dark
fate which runs in his family That
his advances should be rejected so
brusquely without any reference to the
lady's own wishes, and that the lady
protest is very amazing. However, our
conjectures were set at rest by visit
from Stapleton himself that very after
noon. He had come to offer apologies
for his rudeness of the morning, and
after long private interview with Sir
Henry in his study, the upshot of their
conversation was that the breach is
quite healed, and that we are
to dine at Merripit House next Fri
day as q sign of it.
II don't say now that he isn't a
crazy man." said Sir Henry; 81 can't
forget the look in his eyes when he
ran at me this morning, but l must
allow that no man could make more
handsome apology than he has done"
did he give any explanation of his
conduct?"
His sister is everything in his life,
he says. That is natural enough, and
l am glad that he should understand
her value. They have always been to-
gether, and according to his account
he has been a very lonely man, with
only her as companion, so that the
thought of losing her was really ter
rible to him. He had not understood,
he said, that / was becoming attached
to her, but when he saw with his own
eyes that 1t was really so, and that
she might be taken away from him,
it gave him such a shock that for a
time he was not responsible for what
he said or did. He was very sorry for
all that had passed. and he recognized
how foolish and how selfish it was that
he could hold a beautiful woman like
his sister to himself for her whole
life. If she had to leave him he had
rather it was to a neighbor like. my
self than to any one else. But in any
case it was a blow to him, and it
would take him some time before he
could prepare himself to meet it. He
would withdraw all opposition upon his
part If | would promise for three
months to let the matter rest and to
be content with cultivating the ladys
friendship during that time without
claiming her love. This | promised,
and so the matter rests"
So there is one of our small mys-
teries cleared up. 1t is something to
have touched bottom anywhere IN this
bog in which we are laundering. We
know now why Stapleton looked with
disfavor upon hin sisters suitor-eVen
when that sutton was so eligible a one
as Sir Henry. And now l pass on to
another thread which / have extricated
out of the tangled skein, the mystery
of the sobs in the night, of the tear
stained face of Mrs. Barrymore, of the
secret journey of the butler to the
western lattice window. Congratulate
me. my dear Holiness and tell me
that l have not disappointed you as
an agent-that you do not regret the
confidence which you showed in me
when you sent me down. All these
things have by one nights work been
thoroughly cleared.
] have said "by one nights work"
but, in truth, 1t was by two nights
work, for on the first we drew entire
ly blank. l sat up with Sir Henry
in his room until nearly 3 o'clock in
the morning, but no sound of any sort
did we hear except the Ginning clock
upon the stairs. 1t was a most melan-
choly vigil, and ended by each of us
falling asleep in our chairs. Fortu-
nately, we were not discouraged and
we determined to try again. The next
night we lowered the lamp, and sat
smoking cigarettes without making The
least sound. 1t was incredible how
slowly the hours crawled by and vet
we were helped through it by the same
sort of patient interest which the hun
ter must feel as he watches the trap
into which he hopes the game may
wander. One struck, and two, and we
had almost for the second time given
1t up in despair, when in an instant we
| both sat bolt upright in our chairs with
all our weary senses keenly on the
alert once more. We had heard the
creak of step in the passage.
Very stealthily we heard it pass
along until 1T died away in the dis
lance. Then the baronet gently opened
| his door and we set out in pursuit. AL
ready our man had gone round the
gallery, and the corridor was all in
| darkness. Softly we stole along until
we had come into the other wing.
We were just in time to catch a
glimpse of the tall, black bearded fig
ure, his shoulders rounded, as he tip
toed down the passage. Then he pass
ed through the same door as before
and the light of the candle framed it
in the darkness and shot one single
yellow beam across the gloom of the
corridor. We shuffled cautiously to-
wards it, trying every plank before we
dared to put our whole weight upon it,
We had taken the precaution of leav-
ing our boots behind u.s. but, even SO.
the old boards snapped and creaked
beneath our tread. Sometimes it SEEM
ed impossible that he should fail to
hear our approach. However, the man
is fortunately rather deaf, and he was
entirely preoccupied in that which he
was doing. When at last we reached
the door and peeped through we found
: him crouching at the window, candle
| in hand, his white, intent face pressed
against the pane, exactly as L had seen
him two nights before.
| We had arranged no plan of cam
! paign, but the baronet is a man to
whom the most direct way is always
! the most natural. He walked into the
room, and as he did so BARRYMORE
| sprang up from the window with