Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-16

you desire that should help you"
 Young Overton's face assumed the bothered look of man who Is. more accustomed to using his muscles than his wits, but by degrees, with many repetitions and obscuritles which l may omit from his narrative, he laid his strange story before us.
 Its this way, MT. Holmes. As have said, am the skipper of the Rug ger team of Cambridge varsity, and Godfrey Staunton is my best man. To morrow we play Oxford. Yesterday we all came up, and we settled at Bent ley's private hotel At 10 o'clock I went round and saw that all the fellows had i gone to roost, for I believe in strict training and plenty of sleep to keep a Godfrey before he turned in. He seem i ed to me to be pale and bothered. I asked him what was the matter. He said he was all right-just touch of headache. I bade him good night and { left him. Half an hour later, the DOT ] ter tells me. rough looking man with ] a beard called with a note for Godfrey. He had not gone to bed. and the note was taken to his room. Godfrey read 1t and fell back in a chair as if he had i been pole axed. The porter was so scared that he was going to fetch me, but Godfrey stopped him, had drink of water and pulled himself together. ! Then he went downstairs, said few words to the man who was waiting in the hall, and the two of them went of together. The last that the porter saw of them they were almost running down the street in the direction of the Strand. This morning Godfrey's room was empty. his bed had never been slept in, and his things were all just as l had seen them the night before. He had gone off at moments notice with this stranger. and no word has come from him since. don't believe he will ever come back. He was a sportsman, was Godfrey. down to his marrow. and he wouldn't have stopped his training and let in his skipper if it were not for some cause that was too strong for him. No: feel as if he were gone for good. and we should never see him again."
 Sherlock Holmes listened with the deepest attention to this singular mar rative
 What did you do?" he asked.
 1r-ir.d to <o loorr anything had been heard of him there. l have had an answer No one has seen him.
 Could he have got back to Cam bridge?"
 'Yes: there is a late train-quarter past H."
 But, so far as you can ascertain. he did not take it?''
 'No: he has not been seen."
 What did you do next?" ''I wired to Lord Mount-James." "Why to Lord Mount-James" Godfrey is an orphan. and Lord his uncle, 1 believe"
 Indeed. This throws new light upon the matter. Lord Mount-James is one of the richest men in England"
 "So I've heard Godfrey say'
 And your friend was closely re- lated?"
 ''Yes: he was his heir. and the old boy is nearly eighty-cram full of gout too. They say he could chalk his bill Hard cue with his knuckles. He never allowed Godfrey shilling in his life. for he is an absolute miser, but it will all come to him right enough"
 Have you heard from Lord Mount James!"
 No"
 What motive could your friend have in going to Lord Mount-James:
 Well, something was worrying him the night before, and if it was to do with money it is possible that he would make for his nearest relative. who had so much of it, though from all have heard he would not have much chance of getting it. Godfrey was not fond of the old man. He would not go if he could help it
 Well, we can soon determine that. If your friend was going to his relative, Lord Mount-James. you have then to explain the visit of this rough looking fellow at so late an hour and the agi- tation that was caused by his coming"
 Cyril Overton pressed his hands to his head. "I can make nothing of il" said he.
 I shall be happy to look into the mat ter said Holmes. "I should strongly recommend you to make your prepara- tions for your match without reference to this young gentleman. It must. as you say, have been an overpowering necessity which tore him away in such a fashion. and the same necessity is likely to hold him away. Let us step round together to the hotel and see if the porter can throw any fresh light upon the matter"
 Sherlock Holmes was past master In the art of putting a humble witness at his ease. and very soon, in the pri- vacy Of Godfrey staunton's abandoned room. he had extracted all that the DOT ter had to tell. The visitor of the night before was not a gentleman, neither was be wOrkingrnan. He was simply what the porter described as a ''medi- um looking chap" a man of fifty. beard grizzled. pale face. quietly dress cd. He seemed himself to be agitated.