Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-09

fused light which threw n feeble 90
cular glimmer upon the slimv nav~
ment The yellow glare from the SHOW
windows streamed out into the stcany
vaporous air, and threw a m1rlxy
shifting radiance across the crovydsIsr
thoroughfare. There was to INV NINA
something eerie and ghost-like in IN.
endless procession of faces which f;tt.A
across these narrow bars of light-s.a
faces and glad. haggard and merrv.
Like all human kind, they fitted from
the gloom into the light, and so bach
into the gloom once more. am not
subject TO impressions, but the dull-
heavy evening. with the strange bust-
ness upon which we were enpaped-
combined TO make me nervous and de-
pressed | could see from Miss Nor
STAINS manner that she was sufferina
from the same feeling Holmes alone
could rise superior to petty influences
lie held his open notebooks upon M,
knee, and from time TO time he iotted
down figures and memoranda in thu
light of his pocket lantern
AT the Lyceum theater the crowd.
were already thick at the side en-
frances In front a continuous stream
OF hansoms and four-wheelers vera
rafting up, discharging their carpoes
OF Shlrt-fronted men and beshawled-
oedlamonded women. We had hardly
reached the third pillar. which was o,,,
rendezvous, before a small. dark br;slr
man in the dress of a coachman az
costed us
Are you the parties who come with
Miss .MorstanP' he asked
II am Miss MorStan. and these tvn
gentlemen are my friends" said she.
He bent pair of wonderfully pene-
trating and questioning eyes upon u,
You Will excuse me. miss" he said.
with certain logged manner. but 4
was to ask you to give me your word
that neither of your companions is a
police officer"
u give you my word on that" shs
answered
He gave shrill whistle. on which a
street Arab led across a four-wheeler
and opened the door The man who
had addressed us mounted to the box,
while we took our places inside. w.
had hardly done so before the driver
whipped up his horse. and we plunged
away alta furious pace through the
foggy streets.
The situation was n curious one Wa
were driving to an unknown place. ON
an unknown errand Vet our invita-
ton was either complete hoax
which was an incOpceivable hvpothesi,
or else we had good reason to think
that important issues might hang upon
our journey Miss Morstan's demeanor
was as resolute and collected as ever.
i endeavored 20 cheer and amuse hep
by "reminiscences of my adventures in
Afghanistan; but, to ten the truth. I
was myself so excited at our situation,
ana so curious as TO our destination
that my stories were Slightly involved
To this day she declares that | told her
one moving aGecdOte as TO how a mus
Aet iooNe9 INTO my tent at the dead OF
nlEhh and how ! fred a double bar-
relied tiger cub at it, At first | had
some idea as to the direction in which
we We're driving; but soon, what with
our pace. the fog. and my own limited
knowledge of London, lost nv bear
ings, and knew nothing. save that wa
seemed to be going very long wav.
Sherlock Holmes was never at fault.
however, and he muttcred the names
in and out by tortuous by-streets
Rochester row" said he 'sNovv
Vincent square Now we come ont on
the NauNhau Bridge road. We are
making for the Surrey side apparently
Yes thought so Now we are on the
bridge. You can catch glimpses of the
river"
We did indeed get flccting view of
stretch of the Thames with the lamps
shining upon the broad, silent water;
but our cab dashed on, and was soon
involved in a labyrinth of streets upon
the other side.
Wordsworth road" said my COM
panion. "priory road Lark Hall
lane. Stocllwell place. Robert street.
Cold lIarbor lane. Our quest does not
appear TO take us to very fashionable
regions"
We had, indeed, reached question:
able and forbidding neighborhood.
Long lines of duh brick houses were
only relieved by the coarse glare and
tawdry brilliancy of public houses at
the corner. Then came two rows of
two-storicd villas each with a fronting
of miniature garden, and then again in
termindble lines of new staring brick
buildingS--thc monster tentacles which
the giant city was throwing out into
the country At last the cab drew I'M
Mt the third house in new terrace.
None of the other houses were inhab-.
tied, and that ut which we stopped was
as dark as its neigh borS, save for sim
gle glimmer in the kitchen window.
[ r,ndTaNH .1 !