Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-24

with a very serious handicap. 1t is
ipconceivable. for example, that this
ivy and this lawn would have yielded
nothing to an expert observer"
II am not to blame. Mr.. Holmes. His
grace was extremely DESTROYS to avoid
all public scandal. He was afraid Of
his family unhappiness being dragged
before the world. He has q deep hor-
ror of anything Of the kind"
But there has been some official in
v~esqgati2p:'
Yes, sir, md it has proved most dis
appointing. An apparent clew was at
once obtained, since a boy and a young
man were reported to have been seen
leaving a neighboring station by an
early train. Only last night We had
news that the couple had been hunted
down in Liverpool, and they prove to
have no connection whatever with the
matter in hand. Then it was that in
my despair and disappointment after a
sleepless night I came straight to you
by the early train"
Il suppose the local investigation
was relaxed while this false clew was
being followed upf"
ut was entirely dropped"
80 that three days have been vast
ed. The affair has been most deplor-
ably handled"
81 feel it and admit it."
And yet the problem should be ca
pable of ultimate solution. I shall be
very happy to look into it. Have you
been able to trace any connection be-
tween the missing boy and this Ger
man master:'
"None at ALL"
WAS be in the masters class?"
"No: he never exchanged a word
with him so far as 1 know"
THAT is certainly very singular. Had
the boy a bicycle?"
NO"
"Was any other bicycle missing?"
mo"
SIS that certatn:"
quite"
"Well, now. you do not mean to seri-
ously suggest that this German rode
off upon a bicycle in the dead of the
night, bearing the boy in his arms?"
Certainly not"
"Then what is the theory in your
mind?"
The bicycle may have been a blind.
1t may have been hidden somewhere
and the pair gone off on foot"
quite so, but it seems rather an alb
surd blind. does it not? Were there
other bicycles in this shed"
Several"
Would he not have hidden a couple
had he desired to give the idea that
they had gone off upon them""
II suppose he would"
"Of course he would. The blind
theory won't do. But the incident is an
admirable starting point for an in
vestigation. After all. a bicycle is not
an easy thing to conceal or to destroy.
One other question. Did any one call
to see the boy on the day before he
disappeared:
No"
Did he get any letters"
Yes, one letter"
From whom
Prom his father
do YOU open the boys letters?"
NO"
How do you know it was from the
father:'
The coat Of arms was on the en-
velope, and it was addressed in the
dukes peculiar stiff hand. Besides, the
duke remembers having written
when had he a letter before that:s'
Not for several days.
Had he ever one from France:'
"No, never
you see the point of my questions.
Of course. Either the boy was carried
off by force or he went Of his W free.
will. In the latter case you would eI-
pect that some prompting from outside
would be needed to make SO yuuI.g q
lad do such a thing. If he has had
no visitors, that prompting must have
come in letters; hence l try to find
out who were his correspondents"
Il fear l cannot help you much. His
only correspondent, SO far as | know.
was his own father"
"Who wrote to him on the very day
Of his disappearance. Were the rela-
tons between father and son very
friendly"
His grace is never very friendly
with any one. He is completely in
mersed in large public questions md is
rather inaccessible to all ordinary emo
tons. But he was always kind to the
boy in his own way
But the sympathies of the latter
were with the mother?"
Eyes"
"Did he say SOL"
"No.''
"The duke, tben?"
Good heavens, no"
"Then how could you know?'
II have had some confidential talks
with Mr. James Wilder. his grlcc's
secretary. 1t was he who gave me tho
information about Lord Saltire's feel
ings.'
II see. BY the way, that last letter
of the duhe's-was 1t found in the boys
room after be was gomez"
NO; he had taken it with him. |
think, Mr.. Holmes, it is time that we