The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-12

1 could see that the unfortunate doc
tor was in the last stage of indecision,
from which he was rescued by the
deep, Sonorous voice of the red-bearded
duke, which doomed out like dinner
gOni;-
4 agree with Mr.. Wilder. Dr.. Hulk
table, that you would have done wisely
10 consult me. But since Mr.. Holmes
has already been taken into your con-
fdence. ii would indeed be absurd that
we should not avail ourselves of his
services. Far from going TO the inn.
Mr.. Holmes. | should be pleased if you
would come and stay with me at
HolderneSSe hall"
I thank your grace. For the pur-
poses Of my investigation. L think that
it would be wiser for me to remain at
the scene of the mystery
Just as you like. MI Holmes Any
information which Mr.. Wilder or l can
give you is. of course, at your dis
pOsaI"
1T will probably be necessary for me
to see you at the hail. said Holmes 4
would only ask you now, sir, whether
you have formed any explanation in
your own mind as to the mysterious
disappearance of your Son2'
No, sir; l have not"
Excuse me if 1 aIlude to that which
is painful to you. but l have no alter
native. Do you think that the duchess
had anything to do with the natter
BILE hesitation.
Il do not think so" he said. at last
The other most obvious explanation
is that the child has been kidnapped for
the purpose of levying ransom. You
have not had any demand of the sort?
NO, sir
"One more question. your grace I
understand that you wrote TO your son
upon the day when this incident Oc-
cured
No, I wrote upon the day before
Exactly. But he received it on that
day?"
Yes
WAS there anything in your letter
which might have unbalanced him or
induced him to take such a step"
No. sir, certainly not"
Did you post that letter yOUTself?"
The nobIeman's reply was interrupted
by his secretary, who broke in with
some heat.
His grace is not in the habit of post
ing letters himself" said he. This
letter was laid with others upon the
study table, and myself put them in
the post bag"
You are sure this one was among
them?"
Yes. [ observed it"
How many letters did your grace
write that day?'
Twenty or thirty. / have large
correspondence. But surely this is
somewhat irrelevant"
Not entirely" said Holmes.
For my own part the duke con-
tinued. Il have advised the police to
turn their attention to the south of
France. I have already said that I
do not believe that the duchess would
encourage so monstrous an action, but
the lad had the most wrong headed
opinions. and it is possible that he may
have fed to her. aided and abetted by
this German. L think, DIR. Huxtable.
that we will now return to the hall"
/ could see that there were other
questions which Holmes would have
wished to put but the nobleman's
abrupt manner showed that the inter
view was at an end. 1t was evident
that TO his intensely aristocratie ma
ture this discussion of his intimate
family affairs with "A stranger was
most abhorrent and that he feared lest
every fresh question would throw a
tiercer light into the discreetly sha-
dowed corners of his ducal history
When the nobleman and his secre-
tary had left, my, friend flung himself
at once with characteristic eagerness
into the investigation.
The boys chamber was carefully ex-
amined and yielded nothing save the
absolute conviction that il was only
through the window that he could have
escaped The German masters room
and effects gave no further clue. In