Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-15

sworc
"Sho was next Of kin. no doubt. and
you were aware that the old fellow
would make no will"
Couldn't read or WRITE" said Car
ruthsrs.
80 you came over. the two OF you
and hunted up the girl. The idea wal
that one Of you was to marry her and
the other have q share of the plumber
For some reason Woodley was chosen
as the husband. Why was that"
I'VE played cards for her on tn,
voyage. He won"
Il see. You got the young lady int
your service, and there Woodlcy wa,
to DO the counting. She recognized the
drunken brute that he was and would
have nothing to do with him. Mean
while your arrangement was rather up
set by the fact that you had yourself
fallen In love With the lady. YOU
could no longer bear the idea Of this
ruff1an owning hcr?'
mo, by George. I couldn't"
There was n quarrel between you
He left you in rage and began ia
make his own plans independently OF
you"
1T strikes me. Williamson, there
isn't very much that we can tell this
gentleman" cried Carruthers. with a
bitter laugh. Yes. we quarreled, and
he knocked me down. am level with
him on that, anyhow. Then lost sight
Of him. That was when he picked up
With this cast padre here. l found
that they had set up housekeeping to-
gether at this place on the line that
she had TO pass for the station.
kept my eye OH her after that. for
knew there was some devilry In the
wind. saw them from time to time,
for I was anxious to know what they
were after.
1.-TWO days ago Woodlcy came up to
my house with this cable. which show
ed that Ralph Smith was dead. He ask.
ed me If would stand by the bargain
I said would not He asked me II
would marry the girl myself and glv'
him a share. said would willingl.
do so, but that she would not have me
He said. Let us get her married first
and after week or two she may SCI
things bit different said woull
have nothing to do with violence SO ht
went OF cursing. like the foul nouthed
BLACKBOARD that he was. and swearing
that he would have her vet. She was
leaving me this week end, and l had
got a trap to take her to the station.
but was so uneasy in my mind that
followed her on my bicycle. She had
got n start, however. and before
could catch her the mischief was done.
The first thing knew about It was
when saw you two gentlemen driving
back In her dogcart"
Holmes rose and tossed the end OF his
cigarette into the crate. II have been
very obtuse, Watson" said he. when
In your report you said that you had
seen the cyclist. as you thought, arrange
bis necktie in the shrubbery that alone
should have told me all. However, we
may congratulate ourselves upon Gu.
rious and In some respects a unique
case. ! perceive three of the county
constabulary in the drive. and am
to keep pace with them. so II is likely
that neither he nor the interesting
bridegroom will he permanently dam
aged by their mornings adventures. I
think. Watson. that in your medical
capacity you might wait upon Miss
Smith and tell her that il she is sufl-
GENTLY recovered we shall be happy to
escort her to her mothers home. II she
Is not quite convalescent you will End
that hint that we were about to tele.
graph to q young electrician In the
Midlands will probably complete the
cure. As to you, MIR. Carruthers, I
think that you have done what you
could to make amends for your share
In an evil plot. There Is my card, sir
and il my evidence can be of help to
you In your trial it shall be at your
disposal"
In the whii1 of our incessant activity
1t has often been diflcult for me- as
the reader has probably observed. to
round off my narratives and to give
those final details which the curious
might expect Each case has been the
prelude to another. and the crisis once
over the actors have passed forever
out of our busy lives. I find. however,
short note at the end Of my manu-
script dealing with this case. in which
have put it upon record that Miss
violet Smith did indeed inherit a large
fortune and that she Ia now the wife OF
Gym Morton, the senior partner Of
Morton 4 Kennedy. the famous West
minister electricians. Williamson and
Wood'ey were both tried for abductio:
ana assault the former getting sevo:
years and the latter ten. OF the fate
Carruthers have no record. but q.
sure that his assault was not view,
very gravely by the court. since Woo
ley had the reputation OF being q mo
dangerous ruftian. and think that
few months ve-c sufficient 70 sou.c
the demands If jra'ico.