Morris tribune., 1905-07-08

| L
by the Lord, I'll be as good as my
| word"
You're too late. She's my wife"
"No; she's your widow"
His revolver cracked, and l saw
blood squirt from the front Of Wood
scream and fell upon his back, his hid
| eous red face turning suddenly to a
| dreadful notified pallor. The old man,
still clad in his surplice, burst into such
string of foul oaths as l have never
| heard and pulled out revolver of his
| own, but before he could raise 1t he
was looking down the barrel Of Holmes
( weapon.
Enough of this" said my friend
coldly. Drop that pistol! Watson pick
| it up! Hold it to his head! Thank you.
You, Carruthers, give me that revolver.
Well have no more violence. Come;
hand it over!'
'WhO are you, thenw
'My name is Sherlock Holmes"
"Good Lord.'
"You have heard of me, 1 see. will
represent the official police until their
arrival Here, your he shouted to
frightened groom who had appeared at
the edge of the glade. "Come here.
Take this note as hard as you can ride
to Farnham" He scrubbed a few
words upon leaf from his notebook.
"Give it to the superintendent at the
police station. Until he comes must
detain you all under my personal Gus
tody"
The strong, masterful personality Of
Holmes dominated the tragic scene,
and all were equally puppets in his
hands. Williamson and Carruthers
fbAlnd themselves carrying the wound
ed Woodley into the house, and 1 gave
my arm to the frightened girl. The in
jured man was laid on his bed, and at
Holmes request I examined him. I
carried my report to where he sat In
the old tapestry hung dining room with
his two prisoners before him.
''He will live" said l.
''WhatW cried Carruthers, springing
out of his chair. "IIl go upstairs and
finish him first Do you tell me that
that girl, that angel, is to be tied to
Roaring Jack Woodley for life?"
"You need not concern yourself about
that" said Holmes '"There are two
very good reasons why she should under
no circumstances be his wife, In the
first place, we are very safe in ques-
tioning Mr.. Williamson's right to sol
emnize marriage"
81 have been ordained" cried the old
rascal
"And also unfrocked.'
"Once clergyman. always clergy
man"
81 think not. How about the IL
cense?"
1--WE had license for the marriage. |
have it here in my pocket"
Then you got it by trick. But in
any case forced marriage is no mar
Rage, but 1t Is very serious felony,
rs you will discover before you have
finished. You'll have time to think the
point out during the next ten years or
70, unless am mistaken. AS to you,
you would have done bet
er to keep your pistol in your pocket"
II begin to think so, Mr. Holmes, but
when thought of all the precaution l
had taken to shield this girl-for /
owed her, Mr.. Holmes, and it is the
'nly time that ever I knew what love
fairly drove me mad to think
hat she was in the power Of the great
st brute and bully in South Africa-a
nan whose name is holy terror from
to Johannesburg. Why, Mr..
Holmes, you'll hardly believe it, but
ver since that girl has been in my
Employment l never once let her go
'ast this house, where knew the ras-
ads were lurking, without following
er on my bicycle just to see that she
anne to no harm. 1 kept my distance
rom her, and l wore a beard so that
he should not recognize me- for she is
good and high spirited girl, and she
wouldn't have stayed in my employ
aent long If she had thought that l ,
vas following her about the country 1
oads." ,
"Why didn't you tell her of her dan
err" ,
Because then, again, she would have {
eft me, and [ couldn't bear to face {
hat. Even If she couldn't love me it !
vas a great deal to me just to see her Y