The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-17
THE HOUND OF
THE BASKERVILLES
ANOTHER ADVENTURE OF
SHERLOCK HOLMES
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
A.
BY A., CONAN DOYLE.
Copyright, 1902. by A. Conan Doyle.


saw him at once. He was on the moor
PATH about a quarter of mile off,
and a lady was by his side who could
only be Miss Stapleton. 1t was clear
that there was already an understand
ing between them and that they had
met by appointment. They were walk
ing slowly along in deep conversation,
and l saw her making quick little
movements of her hands as if she were
very earnest in what she was saying,
while he listened intently, and once or
twice shook his head in strong dissent.
l stood among the rocks watching
them, very much puzzled as to what
/ should do next. To follow them and
break into their intimate conversation
seemed to be an outrage, and yet my
clear duty was never for an instant to
let him out of my sight. To act the
spy upon friend was a hateful task.
Still, l could see no better course than
to observe him from the hill, and to
clear my conscience by confessing to
him afterwards what l had done. 1t is
true that if any sudden danger had
threatened him / was too far away to
be of use, and yet 1 am sure that you
Will agree with me that the position
was very difficult, and that there was
nothing more which 1 could do.
Our friend, Sir Henry, and the lady
had halted on the path and were
standing deeply absorbed in their con-
Versation, when l was suddenly aware
that / was not the only witness of
their interview. A wisp of green float
ing in the air caught my eye. and an
other glance showed me that it was
carried on a stick by a man who was
moving among the broken ground. 1t
was Stapleton with his butterfiy-ne
He was very much closer to the pair
than | was, and he appeared to be
moving in their direction. At this in
slant Sir Henry suddenly drew
Miss Stapleton to his side.
His arm was round her, but it
seemed to me that she was straining
away from him with her face averted.
He stopped his head to hers, and she
raised one hand as if in protest Next
moment l saw them spring apart and
turn hurriedly round. Stapleton was
the cause of the interruption. He was
running wildly towards them, his alb
surd net dangling behind him. He
gesticulated and almost danced with
excitement in front of the lovers. What
the scene meant l could not imagine,
but 1t seemed to me that Stapleton
was abusing Sir Henry, who offered
explanations, which became more an
CRY as the other refused to accept
them. The lady stood by in naughty
silence. Finally Stapleton turned upon
his heel and beckoned in a peremptory
way to his sister, who after an ir-
resolute glance at Sir Henry, walked
off by the side of her brother. The
naturalist's angry gestures showed that
the lady was included in his displeas-
ure. The baronet stood for minute
looking after them, and then he walk
ed slowly back the way that he had
come, his head hanging, the very pic
ture of detection.
What all this meant could not i'm
agine, but l was deeply ashamed to
have witnessed so intimate a scene
without my friends knowledge 1 ran
down the hill, therefore, and met the
baronet at the bottom. His face was
flushed with anger and his brows were
wrinkled, like one who is at his wits
ends what to do.
"Halloa. Watson! Where have you
dropped from?' said he. "You don't
mean to say that you come after me-
in spite of all?"
I'explained everything to him; how
l had found it impossible to remain
behind, how I had followed him, and
how l had witnessed all that had oc-
Cured. For an instant his eyes blazed
at me, but my frankness disarmed his
anger, and he broke at last into a rath-
er rueful laugh.
You would have thought the middle
of that prairie a fairly safe place for
man to be private" said he, but,
by thunder, the whole countryside
seems to have been out to see me do
my wooing-and a mighty poor WOO
ing at that! Where had you engaged
a seat?"
81 was on that HILL
quite in the back row. Ell? But
her brother was well up to the front.
Did you see him come out on us?"
Yes, I did,
did he ever strike you as being
crazy-this brother of hers?"
II can't say that he ever did,
81 daresay not. / always thought
him sane enough until to-day, but you
can take it from me that either he or
/ ought to be in strait-j Jacket. What's
the matter with me, anyhow? You've
lived near me for some weeks Wat
son. Tell me straight, now! Is there
anything that would prevent me from
making good husband to a woman
that 1 loved?"
Il should say not"
HE can't object to my worldly DO
sition, so It must be myself that he has
this down on. What has he against
me? l never hurt man or woman in
my life that l know Of And vet he
would not so much as let me touch the
tips of her fingers"
Did he say so?''
THAT, and a deal more. I tell YOU,
Watson, I've only known her these
few weeks, but from the first l lust
felt that she was made for me, and
she, too-she was happy when she was
with me, and that I'll swear. There's a
light in a woman's eyes that speaks
louder than words. But he has never
let us get together, and it was only
to-day for the first time that I saw a
chance of having a few words with
her alone. She was glad to meet me,
but when she did, 1t was not love that
she would talk about; and she wouIdn't
have let me talk about it either if she
could have stopped it. She kept coming
back to it that this was a place of
danger, and that she would never be
happy until l had left it. / told her
that since / had seen her I was in no
hurry to leave it, and that if she really
wanted me to go the only way to work
it was for her to arrange to go with
me. With that I offered in as many
words to marry her. but before she
could answer down came this brother