Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-09-12
lad also bee, slept In. but he hn


on the floor. He had undoubtedly let
himself down by the ivy, for we could
see the marks Of his feet where he had
landed on the lawn. His bicycle was
kept in a small shed beside this lawn.
and 1t was also gone.
"He had been with me for two
years and came with the best refer
lences, but he was silent, morose
man, not very popular either with
masters or boys. No trace could be-
found of the fugitives, and now, on
Thursday morning, we are as igno-
rant as we were on Tuesday. Inquiry
was, of course, made at once at Holder
nesse Hall. 1t is only few miles
away, and we imagined that in some
sudden attack of homesickness the boy
had gone back to his father, but nothing
had been heard of him. The duke is
greatly agitated, and as to me you
have seen yourselves the state Of
nervous prostration to which the sus-
pense and the responsibility have re-
duced me. Mr.. Holmes, If ever you
put forward your full powers i'm
| plore you to do SO now, for never in
your life could you have case which
is more worthy Of them"
Sherlock Holmes had listened with
the utmost intentness to the statement
of the unhappy schoolmaster. His
drawn brows and the deep furrow be-
tween them showed that he needed no
eXhortation to concentrate all his at
tention upon a problem which, apart
from the tremendous interests involved,
must appeal so directly to his love Of
the complex and the unusual. He now
drew out his notebook and jotted
down one or two memoranda.
"You have been very remiss In not
coming to me sooner" said he severe
ly. you start me on my investigation
with a very serious handicap. It is
inconceivabie, for example, that this
ivy and this lawn would have yielded
nothing to an expert observer"
81 am not to blame, Mr.. Holmes. His
grace was extremely DESTROYS to avoid
all public scandal. He was afraid of
his family unhappiness being dragged
before the world. He has deep hor-
ror of anything Of the kind"
"But there has been some official In.
vestigation2"
Eyes, sir, and it has proved most dis.
appointing. An apparent clew was al
once obtained, since boy and a young
man We're reported to have been seer
leaving a neighboring station by ar
early train. Only last night we had
news that the couple had been hunted
down in Liverpool, and they prove t.
have no connection whatever with the
matter in hand. Then it was that II
my despair and disappointment after .
sleepless night came straight to yor
by the early train"
'T suppose the local investigation
was relaxed while this false clew wal
being followed up2"
"It was entirely dropped"
$50 that three days have been vast
ed. The affair has been most deplor
ably handled"
~ feel it and admit it."
:.And yet the problem should be ca
pable of ultimate solution. shall b.
very happy to look into it. Have yo'
been able to trace any connection be
tween the missing boy and this Ge,
man master2'
4 sNone at ALL
"Was he in the masters olass?"
/ mo; he never exchanged wort
with him so far as know"
"That is certainly very singular. Hat
the boy blcycle?"
mo"
"Was any other bicycle missing?"
mo"
"Is that certain?''
quite"
well, now, you do not mean to SER
ously suggest that this German rod
off upon bicycle IN the dead of tn
night, bearing the boy In his arms?"
certainly not"
.'Ihen what is the theory in you
mindfn
"fhe bicycle may have been blind
1t may have been hidden somewher
and the pair gone off on foot"
"Quite SO, but 1t seems rather an al
surd blind, does it notY Were Their
other bicycles in this shed?"
Several"
would he not have hidden coupl
had he desired to give the idea tha
they had gone Off upon themr
II suppose he would"
"Of course he would. The blin,
theory won't do. But the incident Ia Al
admirable starting point for an in
yestigation. After all, bicycle is no
an easy thing to conceal or to destroy
One other question. Did any one cal
to see the boy on the day before b
disappeared7"
J "No."
!: did he get any letters7"
Yes, one letter."
"From whom2'
u "From his father"
"Do you open the boys letters"
mo"
"How do you know 1t was from tn
!. fatherp
1.-The coat Of arms was on the 81
velope and it was addressed in th
dukes peculiar stiff hand. Besides, th
duke remembers having written
"When had he letter before that?
mot for several days."
i "Had he ever one from FranceT
mo, never"
"You see the point of my question
Of course. Either the boy was carrie
1 of by force or he went Of his own fire
1 Will. In the latter case you would e.
pect that some prompting from outsid
4 would be needed to make so young
4 lad do such a thing. II he has ha
/; no visitors. that prompting must hay
i come In letters; hence try to fin
i out who were his correspondents"