Morris tribune., 1905-07-01

81 ask nothing better" said the Amer.
ican. 81 guess the very best case /
can make for myself is the absolute
naked truth"
ut is my duty to warn you that it
will be used against you," cried the
inspector, with the magnificent fair
| play of the British criminal law.
Slaney shrugged his shoulders.
''I'll chance that" said he. First of
| all, want you gentlemen to under
stand that have known this lady
since she was child. There were sew
en- of us in gang in Chicago, and Ell
sizes father was the boss of the Joint.
He was a clever man, was old Patrick.
1t was he who invented that writing,
which would pass as a cnild's scrawl
unless you just happened to have the
key to it. Well, Elsie learned some of
our ways bUt she couldn't stand the
business, and she had bit of honest
money of her own, SO she gave us all
the slip an6-S2t away to London. She
had been engaged to me, and she would
have married me, | believe, if | had
taken over another profession, but she
would have nothing to do with any
thing on the cross. 1t was only after
her marriage to this Englishman that
was able to find out where she was.
wrote to her, but got no answer. After
that l came over, and, as letters were
no use, put my messages where she
could read them.
"Well. have been here a month
now. lived on that farm, where 1 had
room down below, and could get in
and out eve-y night and no one the
wiser. tried all l could to coax Elsie
away. 1 kneF that she read the mes
sages, for once she wrote an answer
under one of them. Then my temper
got the better of me, and I began to
imploring me to go away, and saying
that it would break her heart if any
scandal should come upon her husband.
She said that she would come down |
when her husband was asleep at in |
the morning and speak with me |
through the end window, if would go |
away afterward and leave her in peace.
with her, trying to bribe me to go. /
This made me mad, and l caught her |
arm and tried to pull her through the
window. At that moment in rushed
the husband with his revolver in his
hand. Elsie had sunk down upon the
floor, and we were face to face. 1 was
heeled also, and I held up my gun to
scare him off and let me get away. He
fired and missed me. I pulled off al
most at the same instant, and down he
dropped. l made away across the gar
den, and as / went heard the window
shut behind me. That's Gods truth,
gentlemen every word of it; and I
heard no more about 1t until that lad
came riding up with note which made
me walk in here like jay and give
myself into your hands,"
A cab had driven up while the Amer
lean had been talking. Two uniformed
policemen sat inside. Inspector Mar
tin rose and touched his prisoner on the
shoulder.
'It Is time for us to go.''
'Can 1 see her first ~
NO, Sne is not conscious. sherlock
I only hope that if ever again /
have an important case shall have
the good fortune to have you by my
,ide." I
We stood at the window and watched .
he cab drive away. AS turned back +
my eye caught the pellet of paper i
which the prisoner had tossed upon the c
-able. 1t was the note with which t
Holmes had decoyed him.
''See If you can read it, Watson said 8
le, with smile.
1t contained no word, but this little
Inc of dancing men:
~ >NYYYYYYYYvY&YYEee " " g .