The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-12

atlcaI in the hatred which ne bore my
heir. In his view he should himself
have been heir Of all my estates, and
he deeply resented those social laws
which made it impossible At the same
time, he had a definite motive also. He
was eager that i should break the en-
tail, and he was of opinion that Ii lay
in my power to do So He intended to
make a bargain with me-to restore
/ Arthur if / would break the entail,
and so make it possible for the estate
to be left to him by Will He knew
we'll that / should never willingly in-
woke the aid of the police against him.
1 say that he would have proposed
such a bargain to me; but he did not
/ actually do So for events moved too
quickly for him, and he had not time
to put his plans into practice,
What brought all this wicked
scheme to wreck was your
discovery of this man Heideg-
gers dead body. James was
seized with horror at the news. 1t
| came to us yesterday, as we sat to-
gether in this study. DR.. HuXtable had
sent telegram. James was so over
whelmed with grief and agitation that
my suspicious, which had never been
| entirely absent, rose Instantly to
| certainty, and / taxed him with the
| deed. He made complete voluntary
confession. Then he implored me to
! keep his secret for three days longer,
| so as to give his wretched accomplice
J a chance of saving his guilty life. I
/ yielded-as / have always yielded-to
| his prayers, and instantly James hur-
ried off to the Fighting Cock to warn
| Hayes and give him means of flight.
could not go there by daylight with-
out provoking comment, but as soon
as night fell / hurried off to see my
4 dear Arthur. / found him safe and
well. but Mortified beyond expression
| by the dreadful deed he had witnessed.
| In Difference to my promise, and much
against my will I consented to leave
him there for three days, under the
| charge of Mrs. Hayes, since it was evil
dent that 1t was impossible to inform
/ the police where he was without tell
| ing them also who was the murderer,
| and / could not see how that murderer
could be punished without ruin to my
| unfortunate James. You asked for
| frankness, Mr.. Holmes, and | have
| taken you at your word, for / have
! told you everything without an attempt
at circumlocution or concealment. Do
! you in turn be as frank with me"
I WILL" said Holmes. In the first
] place, your Grace, [ am bound to tell
you that you have placed yourself in
/ q most serious position in the eyes of
, the law. You have condoned a felony,
and you have aided the escape of a
murderer, for I can not doubt that any
money which was taken by James Will
der to aid his accomplish i'm his fight
came from your Grace's purse"
The Duke bowed his assent
This is, indeed. a most serious mat
ter. Even more culpable in my opin-
ion, your Grace is your attitude to-
wards your younger son. You leave
him in this den for three days"
Under solemn promises"
What are promises to such people
as these? You have no guarantee that
he will not be spirited away again. To
humour your guilty elder son, you
have exposed your innocent younger
son to imminent and unnecessary dan
ger. It was a most unjustifable ac-
ton"
The proud lord of HoIdernesse was
not accustomed to be so rated in his
own ducal hall. The blood flushed
into his high forehead but his con-
science held him dumb.
Il will help you, but on enc condi-c
ton only. 1t is that you ring for the
footman, and let me give such orders
as I like
without word, the Duke pressed
! the electric bell. A servant entered
You will be glad to hear, said
Holmes. that your young master Is
| found. 1t is the Dukes desire that the
/ carriage shall go at once to the Fight
ing Cock Inn to bring Lord Satire
| home.
'.Now", said Holmes, when the re-
| joiocing lackey had disappeared HAY
! ing secured the future, we can afford
| to be more lenient with the past. / am
not in an official position and there
| is no reason, so long as the ends OF
| justice are served, why / should dis
close all that / know. AS to Hayes,
say nothing. The gallows awaits him,
and ] would do nothing to save him
| from it. What he will divulge | can
| not TELL but / have no doubt that your
! Grace could make him understand
1 that it is to his interest to be silent
From the police point Of view he VIII
| have Kidnapped the boy for the pur-
pose of ransom. If they do not them
selves find it out, / see no reason why
/ I should prompt them to take a
| broader point of view. l would warn
your Grace, however that the con-
| tinued presence of Mr.. James Wilder
| in your household can only lead to
misfortune.
Il understand that, Mr.. Holmes
and it is already settled that he shall
| leave me forever, and go to seek his
| fortune in Australia"
Gin that case, your Grace, since you
| have yourself stated that any unhappi-
ness in your married life was caused
| by his presence, / would suggest that
you make such amends as you can to
the Duchess. and that you try to re-
sumo those relations which have
/ been so unhappily interrupted"
THAT also I have arranged, Mr.
Holmes. l wrote to the Duchess this
morning.
In that case" said Holmes, rising,
II think that my friend and I can con-
| graduate ourselves upon several most
happy results from our little visit to
the North. There is one other sUalI
point upon which / desire some light
This fellow Hayes had shod his horses
with shoes which counterfeited the
tracks of COWS. Was it from Mr.. viii
der that he learned so extraordinary a
device %
The Duke stood in thought for a
moment, with a look of intense sur
prise on his face. Then he opened a
door and showed us into a large room
furnished as museum. He led the
way to a glass case in a corner. and
pointed to the inscription.
These Shoes it ran, were dug up
in the moat of Ho1dernesse Hall They
are for the use of horses, but they are