The news & observer., 1905-12-03

i
compelled to open the window, and
you had your chance"
How did that help you?"
at was all-important. When a
| woman thinks that her house is on
| fire, her instinct is at once to rush
! to the thing which she values most.
1t is perfectly overpowering Impulse
and / have more than once taken ad-
vantage of it, III the case of the Dar-
lngton Substitution Scandal it was or
| use TO me- and also in the Arnsworth
| Castle business A married woman
grabs at her baby; an unmarried one
reaches for her jewel-box. Now 1t
was clear to me that our lady of today
| had nothing in the house more
| precious to her than what we are in
/ quest of. She would rush to secure II.
| The alarm of fire was admirably done.
| The smoke and. shouting were enough
| to shake nerves of steel. She respond
ed beautifully. The photograph is in
| a recess behind a sliding panel just
above the right bell-pull. She was
there in an instant, and | caught
glimpse of it as she half-drew it ont.
When / cried out that it was false
alarm, she replaced it, glanced at the
! rocket. rushed from the room, and l
| have not seen her since. l rose, and,
making my excuses, escaped from the
to secure the photograph at once; but
the coachman had come in, and he
was watching me narrowly, it SEEM
ed, safer to wait A little over-pre-
cipitance may ruin all.
T. "And now?"' I asked.
"Our quest is practically finished.
l shall call with the King tomorrow.
and with you if you care to come with
u.s. We VII be shown into the sitting
hn 1o6x &
probable that when she comes she
may find neither us nor the photo
graph 1t might be a satisfaction to
His Majesty to regain it with his own
hands,
"And when will you call? ?"
tAt eight in the morning. She will
not be up, so that we shall have
clear field Besides, we must be
prompt, for this marriage may mean
complete change in her life and
habits. ] must wire to the King with
out delay
We had reached Baker street, and
stopped al the door. He was search
ing hts pockets for the key, when
some one passing said
"Good-night, Mister Sherlock
IIolmos.''
There were several people on the
pavement at the time, but the greet
youth in IAN ulster who had hurried
''I've heard that voice before" saiF
Holmes, staring down the dimly-lit
street Now, l wonder who the deuce
that could have been"
III.
slept at Baker street that night
and we were engaged upon our toast
and coffee in the morning when the
Of Do
room.
you have really got it, he cried,
grasping Sherlock Holmes by either
shoulder, and looking eagerly into his
face.
mot yet
"But you have hopes?"
81 have hopes"
"Then, come. / am all lmpatlence
to be gone"
1--WE must have a cab"
''No my brougham is waiting
"Then that will simplify matters.
We descended, and started off once
more for Briony Lodge.
Irene Adler is married" remarked
Holmes.
Married! Whcn?"
yesterday
'To an English lawyer named Nor
tom
"But she could not love him?''
"I am in hopes that she does"
"And why in hopes?"
Because it would spare your MaJes-
ty all fear of future annoyance. Ii
the lady loves her husband, she does
not love your Majesty. If she does not
love your Majesty, there is no reason
why She should interfere with your
! Majesty's plan"
at is true And yet Welll /
wish she had been of my own station.
What a queen she would have made!"
He relapsed into a moody silence.
which was not broken until we drew
up in Serpntine Avenue.
The door of Briony Lodge was open.
and an elderly woman stood upon the
steps She watched us with a sar-
donic eye as we stepped from the
brougham.
"Mr. Sherlock Holmes, 1 believer"
said she.
AZ am Mr.. Holmes" answered my
companion, looking at her with
questioning and rather startled gaze.
Indeed. My mistress told me that
you were likely to call. She left this
morning with her husband by the 5:15
train from Charing Cross for the Con-
tinent.'
What" Sherlock Holmes staggered
back, white with chagrin and surprise
'Ilo you mean that she has left Eng
land?"
Never to return"
"And the papers?" asked the King,
hoarsely. ''AIl is lost
1--WE shall see.' He pushed past the
servant and rushed into the drawing
room, followed by the King and my
self The furniture was scattered
about in every direction with disman-
tied shelves and open drawers, as if
the lady had hurriedly ransacked
them before her flight Holmes rush
ed at the bell-pull, tore back a small
sliding shutter, and, plunging in his
hand, pulled out a photograph and q
letter. The photograph was of Irene
Adler herself in evening dress, the let
ter was superscribed to Sherlock
Holmes, Esq. To be left till called
for" My friend tore it open, and we
will all three read it together. 1t
was dated at midnight of the preced-
ing night, and ran in this way:
my Dear Mr.. Sherlock Holmes
You really did it very well. You took
me in completely. Until after the
alarm of fire, / had not a suspicion.
But then, when 1 found how | bad
betrayed myself, l began to think.