The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-28

In half an hour we were clear of the
town and fastening down a country
road.
''What have you done, HolmesP" l
asked
"a threadbare and venerable device,
but useful upon occasion. l walked
into the doctors yard this morning and
shot my syringe full of aniseed over
the hind wheel. A draghound will fol-
low aniseed from here to John O.
Groat's, and our friend Armstrong
would have to drive through the Cam
| before he would shake Pompey off his
trail Oh, the cunning rascal This is
how he gave me the slip the other
night"
The dog had suddenly turned out of
the road into grass grown lane. Half
! a mile farther this opened into another
! broad road, and the trail turned hard
to the right in the direction of the
town which we had just quilted. The
road took a sweep to the south of the
town and continued in the opposite
direction to that in which we had
started
"This detour has been entirely for
our benefit. them" said Holmes. mo
wonder that my inquiries among those
villages led to nothing, The doctor has
certainly played the game for all it is
worth. and one would like to know the
reason for such elaborate deception.
This should be the village of Trumping-
ton to the right of us. And by Jove,
here is the brougham coming round the
| corner. Quick, Watson-quick, or we
are doner'
He sprang through a gate into a field.
dragging the reluctant Pompey after
him. We haG hardly got under the
shelter of the hedge when the carriage
ratified past I caught a glimpse of
! DR.. Armstrong within, his shoulders
bowed, his head sunk on his hands. the
very image of distress. l could tell by
my companions graver face that hs
also had seen.
Il fear there is some dark ending to
our quest" said he. 1T cannot be long
before we know it. Come, Pompey!
All, it is the cottage in the fieldr'
There could be no doubt that we had
! reached the end of our journey. Pom
pey ran about and whined eagerly out
side the gate, where the marks of the
brougham's wheels We're still to be
seen. A footpath led across to the lone
ly cottage. Holmes tied the dog to the
hedge, and we FASTENED onward. MY
friend knocked at the little rusty door
and knocked again without response.
And yet the cottage was not deserted,
/ for low sound came to our ears-a
kind of drone Of misery and despair
which was indescribably melancholy.
Holmes paused irresolute, and then he
glanced back at the road which he had
just traversed. A brougham was COM
ing down it, and there could be no mis-
taking those gray horses.
'By Jove. the doctor is coming backr'
cried Holmes. THAT settles it. We are
bound to see what it means before he
comes"
He opened the door, and we stepped
into the hall. The droning sound swell
ed louder upon our ears until it became
one long, deep wall of distress. 1t came
from upstairs. Holmes darted up, and
1 followed him. He pushed open a
half closed door, and we both stood ap-
palled at the sight before us.
A woman, young and beautiful, was
lying dead upon the bed. Her calm,
pale face, with dim, wide opened blue
eyes, looked upward from amid a great
tangle of golden hair. At the foot of
the bed, half sitting, half kneeling, his
face buried in the clothes, was young
man, whose frame was racked by his
sobs. SO absorbed was he by his bitter
grief that he never looked up until
Holmes hand was on his shoulder
Are you Mr.. Godfrey Staunton?'
yes, yes, am-but you are too late.
She is dead"
The man was so dazed that he could
not be made to understand that we
were anything but doctors who had
been sent to his assistance. Holmes
was endeavoring to utter a few words
of consolation and to explain the alarm
which had been caused to his friends
by his sudden disappearance when
there was a step upon the stairs, anO
there was the heavy, stern, question
ing face of DR.. Armstrong at the door,
80, gentlemen" said he, you have
attained your end and have certainly
chosen a particularly delicate moment
for your intrusion. | would not brawl
in the presence of death, but l can as
sure you that if l were younger man
your monstrous conduct would not
pass with impunity."
Excuse me, DR.. Armstrong, l think
we are "A little at cross purposes" said
my friend, with dignity. IF you
could step downstairs with us we may
each be able to give some light to the
other upon this miserable affair"
A minute later the grim doctor and
ourselves were in the sitting room be-
low.
"Well, sir?" said he
81 wish you to understand, in the
first place, that am not employed by
Lord Mount-James and that my SYM
pathies in this matter are entirely
against that nobleman. When man
is lost it is my duty to ascertain his
fate, but having done so the matter
ends so far as l am concerned, and so
long as there is nothing criminal am
much more anxious to hush up private