The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-05
BY SIR A. CONAN DOYLE.


upon either side. 1t had. been deserted
when I'left it, but now 1 saw a cyclisr
riding down it from the opposite di-
rection to that in which I had come
He was clad in a dark suit, and 1 saw
that he had a black beard. On reach
ing the end of darlington grounds.
he sprang from his machine and led
it through a gap in the hedge, disap-
pearing from my view.
a quarter of an hour passed, and a
second cyclist appeared This time it
was the young lady coming from the
station 1 saw her look about her as
she came to the Charlington hedge
An instant later the man emerged
from lis hiding place, spra ng upon his
cycle. and followed her. In all the
broad landscape those were the only
moving figures, the graceful girl sitting
very straight upon her machine, and
the man behind her bending low over
his handle-bar with a curiously furtive
suggestion in every movement. She
looked back at him and slowed her
pace. He slowed also. She stopped
He at once stopped, too, keeping two
hundred yards behind her. Her next
movement was as unexpected as it was
spirited. She suddenly whisl1ed her
wheels round and dashed straight at
him. He was as quick as she, how
ever and darted off in desperate flight.
Presently she came back up the road
again, her head haughti1y in the air
not deigning to take any further notice
OF her silent attendant. He had turned
also, and still kept his distance until
the curve of the road hid them from
my sight.
I remained in my hiding place, and
it was well that did So for presently
the man reappeared, cycling slowly
back He turned in at the hall gates
and dismounted from his machine For
some minutes I could see him standing
among the trees. His hands were
raised, and he seemed to be settling his
necktie. Then he mounted his cycle
and rode away from me down the drive
toward the hall. I ran across the heath
and peered through the trees Far
away could catch gIimpses of the old
grey building with its bristling Tudor
chimneys. but the drive ran through
a dense shrubbery, and 1 saw no more
OF any man.
However it seemed to me that I
had done a fairly good mornings work.
and 1 walked back in high spirits to
Farnham. The local house agent could
tell me nothing about Charlington hall
and referred me to a. well known firm
in Pail Mall. There l halted on my
way home, and met with courtesy from
the representative. No. I could not
have Charlington hall for the summer
1 was just too late. It had been let
about a month ago. Mr.. Williamson
was the name of the tenant He was
a respectable, elderly gentleman. The
polite agent was afraid he could say
no more, as the affairs of his clients
were not matters which he could dis
cuss-
Mr.. Sherlock Holmes listened with
attention TO the bong report which T.
was able TO present 10 him that even
ing. but it did not elicit that word of
curt praise which 1 had hoped for and
should have valued. On the contrary.
his auStere face was even more severe
than usual as he commented upon the
things that had done and the things
that I had not.
Your hiding place. my dear Wat
son, was very faulty. You should
have been behind the hedge then YOU
would have had a close view Of this
interesting person. As it is. you were
some hundreds Of yards away. and can
tell me even less than Miss Smith. She
thinks she does mot know the man:
am convinced she does Why, other
wise, should he be so desperately anx-
ious that she should not get so near
him as to see his features? You de-
scribe him as bending over the handle
bar. Concealment again. you see You
really have done remarkably badly. He
returns to the house, and you want to
find out who he is. You come to
IOilOOll mousse agent
What should / have done?" | cried
with some heat.
Gone to the nearest public house
That is the center Of country gossip
They would have told you every name
from the master to the scuIlery maid
Williamson? 1t conveys nothing to nv
mind. If he is an elderly man he is
not this active cyclfst, who sprints
away from that young Iady's athletic
pursuit. What have wegained by your
expedition? The knowledge that the
girls story is true. never doubted it,
That there is a connection between the
cyclist and the hall. never doubted
that. either. That the hall is tenanted
by Williamson. Who's the better for
that? Well, well. my dear sir. don't
look so depressed. We can do little
more until next Saturday and in the
meantime l may make one or two in
cuiries myself"
Next morning. we had note from
Miss Smith, recounting shortly and &C
curately the very incidents which I
had seen, but the pith of the letter lay
in the prostscript:
''I am sure that you Will respect my
confidence, Mr.. Holmes, when / tell
you that my place here has become
difficult. owing TO the fact that my
employer has proposed marriage to
me. I am convinced that his feelings
are most deep and most honora BILE
At the same time, my promise is. of
course, given. He took my refusal
very seriously, but also very gently
You can understand, however that
the situation is little strained
Our young friend seems 10 De get
ting into deep waters" said Holmes.
thoughtfully, as he finished the let
ter. The case certainly presents
more features Of interest and more
possibility of development than 1 had
originally thought. I should be none
the worse for a quiet, peaceful
day in the country, and / am in
clined to run down this afternoon and
test one or two theories which L have
formed
Holmes quiet day in the country had
a singular termination. for he arrived
at Baker street late in the evening
with a cut lip and a discoIored lump
upon his forehead, besides a general
air of dissipation which would have
made his own person the fitting object
Of a Scotland Yard investigation He
was immensely tickled by his own ad-
ventures. and laughed heartily as he
recounted them.
II get so little active exercise that
IL is always a treat" said he You
are aware that have some proficiency
in the good old British sport of boxing
Occasionally, il is OF service. TODAY