The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-03
author, A. Conan Doyle, Famous.
mo.
cor get letters from it,"

"No.' L
&c" Or get letters from it,"
HThank you. should like to think
over the matter little now. If the
cottage is now permanently deserted
we may have some difficulty. If, on the
other hand, as fancy is more likely,
the inmates were warned OF your COM
ing, and left before you entered yester-
day, then they may be back now, and we
should clear it all up easily. Let me
advise you, then to return to Norbury,
and to examine the windows of the cot
tage again. If you have reason to be-
lieve that it is inhabited, do not force
your way in, but send a wire to my
friend and me. We shall be. with you
within an hour of receiving it, and we
shall then very soon get to the bottom Of
the business
1'And if it is still empty?''
In that case [ shall come out to-
morrow and talk it over with you.
Good-bye; and, above all, do not fret
until l,a you ~ k \ " that you really have
IT am afraid that this is a bad bust
ness, WATSON said my companion. as
he returned after accompanying Mr..
Grant Munro to the door. What do
you make of it,"
| cit had an ugly sound" | answered:
eyes. There's blackmail in it, or l
am much mistaken
HAnd who is the blackmailer9'
"Well, it must be the creature who
lives in the only comfortable room in
the place, and has her photograph above
his fireplace. Upon my word, Watson,
there is something very attractive about
/ that livid face at the window, and
would not have missed the case for
worlds. -
stYou have theory?'
be surprised if it does not turn out to
he correct. This woman's first husband
is in that cottage -, .
"Why do you think so?' IL
elbow else can we explain her
frenzied anxiety that her second one
should not enter it? The facts, as l
read them, are something. like this:
This woman was married in America;
Her husband developed some hate1ul
qualities; or shall we say that ne cIn-
tracted some loathsome disease ana Pc pc:
came leper or an imbecile? She flies
from him at last, returns to England,
changes her name and starts her life,
as she thinks, afresh. She has been
married three years and believes that
her position is quite secure, having
shown her husband the death certll-
cate Of some man whose name she mas
assumed, when suddenly her where
abouts are discovered by her first hus-
band; or, we may suppose, by, some
INSCRIPTIONS woman who has attached
herself to the invalid. They write to
the wife and threaten to come and ex.
pose her. She asks for a hundred
pounds and endeavors to buy them of
They come in spite Of it, and when the
husband mentions casually to the wife
|
tage, she knows in some way that they
are her pursuers She waits until he1
2 husband is asleep and then she rushe:
l. down to endeavor to persuade them tt
Z leave her in peace. Having no sue
l cess, she goes again next morning ant
' her husband meets her, as he has toit
l us, as she comes out. She promises
!; two days afterward the hope Of get
l ting rid of those dreadful neighbor
e was too strong for her, and she mad
Y another attempt, taking down with he
g the photograph which had probably
K beer demanded from her. In the mids
e Of this interview the maid rushed il
+ to say that the master had come home
t on which the wife, knowing that h
:: would come straight down to the cot
o probably, which was mentioned a
standing near. In this way he foun
e the place deserted I shall be yer
e much surprised, however, if it is sti]
k so when he reconmoiters it this ever
It ing. What do you think of m
n theory2' g..
# cit is all surmise.''
n "But at least it covers all the facts
o When new facts come to our knowledg
e which cannot be covered by it, it will b
e time enough to reconsider it. We ca
2, do nothing more until we have a mes
d sage from our friend at Norbury:'
T, But we had not very long time t
e wait for that. It came just as we ha
d finished our tea: nThe 1 cottage is ST. IT.
1t face again at the window. Will NEE
a the O'Clock train and will take n
e, steps until you arrive
st He was waiting on the platform whe
4 we stepped out and we could see in tn
r light of the station lamps that he we
y very pale and quivering with agitation
ut HThey are still there, Mr.. Holmes.
d said he, laying his hand hard upon m
20 eettae as slG | came down We shall Sc
I'd tie it now once and for all.
~ HWhat is your plan, then?' aske
e. Holmes, as he walked down the darl
tree-lined road.
n III am going to force my way in an
W see for myself who is in the house.
)u wish YOU both to be there as witnesses.
tsYou are quite determined to do thu
I. in spite Of your wife's warning that
ne is better that you should not solve tt
mystery9' -,
no NWell, I think that you are ~ t
at right Any truth is better than lndefl
n lite doubt We had better go up at ono
X OF course, legally, we are putting on
Sc. selves hopelessly in thu wrong; but
nd think that it is worth it. -
| It was very dark night and tn
ge rain began to fall as we turned fro
as the high-road into narrow lane, deep
en- rutted, with hedges on either side n
Id Grant Munro pushed lmpatlently +
ng ward, however, and we stumbled al
he him as best we could.
to "There are the lights OF my house
re- he murmured, pointing to gllmn
ny among the trees. And here is the G.
ay tage which I am going to enter.
Ill, We turned a corner in the lane as
tor spoke, and there was the building elc
- beside us. A yellow bar falling acre
he the black foreground showed that t
Try door was not quite closed and one W
in dow in the upper story was brlgh
no Illuminated. AS we looked, we saw
no dark blur moving across the blind.
For "There is that creature, cr1
nd, Grant Munro. You can see for 70
selves that some one is there. n
I'D follow me and we shall soon know all
ace We approached the door. but sud-
" woman appeared out of the shad
me and stood in the golden track OF
I'M lamplight could not see her face1n
darkness, but her arms were thrown {
H. &c ,%rna w