Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-10-10
xxrXxYxdXx3xNy

placed 1t IN his pOcketDOoK.
This promises to be most interest
ing and unusual case" said he. You
gave me few particulars in your let
ter, Mr.. Hilton Cubitt, but should
be very much obliged If you would
kindly go over it all again for the ben
eft of my friend, DR.. Watson"
"I'm not much Of story teller" said
our visitor, nervously clasping and un
clasping his great, strong hands. "You
will just ask me anything that don,
make clear. I'll begin at the time OF
/ my marriage last year. but l want to
say first of all that, though I'm not
, rich man. my people have been at Rid
ing Thorpe for matter of five centu
res, and there Is no better known fam
ily in the county Of Norfolk. Last year
l came up to London for the Jubilee
and I stopped at boarding house IN
Russell square, because Parker, the
vicar Of our parish, was staying in 1t.
"There was an American young lady
tbere-Patrck was the name-Elsie
| N.
friends, until before my month was up
I was as much in love as man could
be. We were quietly married at reg
istry office, and we returned to Nor
folk n welded couple. You'll think II
very mad, Mr.. Holmes, that man OF
a good old family should marry wife
| In this fashion. knowing nothing of heI
past or of her people, but If you saw
her and knew her 1t would help you to
understand.
"She was very straight about 1t, was
Elsie. l can't say that she did not give
me every chance Of getting out of it II
| wished to DO 50. I have had some
very disayrceable associations in my
| life,' said she, 4 wish to forget all
about them. would rather never al
lude to the past, for it Is veN painful
to me. If you take me, Hilton. you Will
take woman who has nothing that
she need be personally ashamed Of, but
YOU will have to be content with my
word for it and to allow me to be silent
as to all that passed up to the time
when l became yours. If these condi'
tions are too hard, then go back to Nor,
| folk and leave me to the lonely life In
which you found me- 1t was only the
day before our wedding that she said
those very words to me. l told her that
| was content to take her on her own
| terms, and ! have been as good as my
word
"Well we have been married now for
year, and very happy we have been.
But about q month ago, at the end of
June, / saw for the first time signs of
trouble. One day my wife received a
letter from America. l saw the Amer
lean stamp. She turned deadly white,
read the letter and threw 1t into the
| fire. She made no allusiOn to it after
ward, and / made none, for a promise
is a promise, but she has never known
an easy hour from that moment. There
Is always a look Of fear upon her face
"a look as II she were waiting and ex-
| pect!ng. She would do better to trust
/
friend. But until she speaks can say
| nothing. Mind you, she is truthful
woman, Mr.. Holmes, and whatever
trouble there may have been in her
past life 1t has been no fault Of hers.
am only simple Norfolk squire, but
there Is not a man in England who
ranks his family honor more highly
than l do. She knows it well, and she
knew 1t well before she married me.
She would never bring any stain upon
Il; of that am sure.
We'll, now I come to the queer part
| Of my story. About week agO-it
was the Tuesday of last week. found
Oh one of the window sills number of
absurd little dancing figures like these
upon the paper. They were scrawled
with chalk. I thought that 1t was the
stable boy who had drawn them, but
the lad swore he knew nothing about
1t. Anyhow, they had come there dur
ing the night. had them washed out
| und only mentioned the matter to my
| wife afterward TO my surprise She
took it very seriously and begged me II
any more came to let her see them
| Non. did come for week, and then
| Yesterday morning l found this paper
lying OH the sundial in the garden.
showed it to Elsie, and down she drop
| ned in u dead faint. Since then she has
looked like q woman in dream, haE
| dazed and with terror always lurking
in her eyes. 1t was then that l wrote
and sent the paper to you, Mr.. Holmes
1t was not thing that l could take tt
the police, for they would have laughed
at me, but you will tell me what to do
am not rich man, but If there Is an!
danger threatening my little woman
would spend my last copper to shield
her."
He was a fine creature, this man ol
the old English soil-simple, straigh
and gentle, with his great, earnest blu'
eyes and broad, comely face. His low
for his wife and his trust In her shon'
in his features. Holmes had listened
to his story with the utmost attention
and now he sat for some time In silen
thought.
Don't you think, Mr.. Cubitt," sale
he at last, that your best plan woult
be to make a direct appeal to you
wife and to ask her to share her secre
with your"
Hilton Cubitt shook his massive head
"A promise Is q promise, Mr.. Holmes
II Elsie wished to tell me she would
II not, it is not for me to force her con
fdence. But am justified In taking
my own llne-and will"
"Then will help you with all m.
heart. In the first place, have yo'
heard of any strangers being seen Ii
your neighborhoodT"
| no"
II presume that 1t is a very Quie
place. Any fresh face would caus
comment?'
I'm the immediate neighborh0od, YES
But we have several small watering
places not very far away. And tn
farmers take In dodgers"
"These hieroglyphlcs have evidentl
a meaning. II it is IA purely arbitrar
one it may be impossible for us t
solve 1t. If, OH the other hand, 1t
systematic. l have no doubt that W
shall get to the bottom Of it. But thi