The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-26
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Holmes examined it for some time,
and then folding it carefully up, lie
placed it in his pocketbook
"This promises 60 be a most interest
ing and unusual case" said he You
gave me q few particulars in your let
ter, Mr. Hilton Cubitt but I should
be very much obliged II you would
kindly go over it all again FOR the ben
EFT Of my friend, Or. Watson"
I'm not much Of a story teller" said
our visitor, nervously clasplng and un-
clasping his great, strong hands. you
viii just ask ne cuything that don't
make clear I'll begin at the time Of
my marriage last year but I want TO
say FIRST Of ali that, though I'm not a
rich man, my people have been at Rid
ing Thorpe for q matter of fve centu-
ries and there is no better known fam
lily in the county Of Norfolk. Last year
came up to London for the jubilee,
and / stopped at a boarding house in
Russell square, because Parker, the
vicar of our parish was staying in It.
"rhere was an American young lady
there-Patrick was the name-E Elsie
Patrick. In some way we became
friends, until before my month was up
/ was as much In love as man could
be. We were quietly married at a reg
istry Office, and we returned to Nor
folk a welded couple You'll think II
very mad. Mr.. Holmes. mat a man Of
a good old family should marry a wife
in this fashion, knowing nothing OF her
past or of her people but If you saw
her and knew her It would help you to
understand.
"Sbe was very straight about il, was
Elsie. / can't say that she did not give
me every chance Of getting out OF it II
wished to do so. I have had some
very disagreeable associations In my
life.' said she. I wish to forget all
about then / would rather never al
lude to the p st, for 1t is very painful
to me. II you take me. Hilton, you will
take a woman who has nothing that
she reed be personally ashamed Of, but
you will have to be content with my
word for sand TO allow me 10 be silent
as to all hat passed up TO the time
when became yours. II these condi-
tons are TOO hard, then go back to Nor
folk ani leave me TO the lonely life in
which you found me- II was only the
day before our wedding that she said
those very words to me. ! told her that
wa content 10 take her on her own
term Z, and have been as good as my
wCg4
'Web, we have been married now for
a year, and very happy we have been.
But about a month ago. at the end Of
June. l saw for the first time signs ce
trouble One day my wife received
letter from America. I saw the Amer
lean stamp. She turned deadly white,
read the letter and threw II into the
fire. She made no allusion to it after
ward, and / made none, for promise
Is promise, but she has never known
an easy hour from that moment There
is always a look Of fear upon her face
"a look as II she were waiting and ex-
pecting. She would do better 10 trust
me. She would find that / was her best
friend. But until she speaks l can say
nothing, Mind you, she is truthful
woman, Mr.. Holmes. and whatever
trouble there may have been in her
past life IT has been no fault OF hers.
! am only simple Norfolk squire, but
there is not a man in England who
ranks his fPiplly honor more highly
than do She knows It well, and she
knew II well before she married me.
She would never bring any stain upon
It; Of that am sure.
"Well, now come to the queer part
OF my story. Aboat a week ago-it
was the Tuesday OF last week. found
on one Of the window sills a number OF
absurd little dancing figures like these
upor the paper They were scrawled
with chalk ] thought that It WAS the
stable boy who had drawn them, but
the lad swore he knew nothing about
1t. Anyhow, they had colae there dur
ing the night / had them washed out
and only mertloned the matteg TO my
wife afterward. To my surprise she
took It very seriously and begged lne II
NAAN AA0LN NAAAN ~ ANA nNA nNN AAANAAr
None did come for q week. and then
yesterday morning | found this paper
lying on the sundial la the garden
showed It to ENie. and down she drop
ped IN a dead faint Since then she has
looked like a woman ia dream, half
dazed and with terror always lurking
in her eyes. Ii was then that l wrote
and sent the paper TO you, Mr. Holmes
II was not thing that 1 could take 70
the policA for they would have laughed
al me, but you will tell me what 10 do.
am not rich man. but II there is any
danger threatening my little woman
would spend my last copper 10 shield
her.
lie was a fne creature, this man or
the Old English so.l-simple, straight
and gentle, win bis great. earnest blue
eyes and brosd, comeiy face His love
for bis wife and bis trust Ia her shone
Ia his features. Holmes bad listened
10 bis story with the utmost attention,
and now he sat Tor some time in silent
thought
"pent you mink, Mr. Cubitt said
he az laaE that your best pian would
be ~ maze 4 direct appeal 10 your
wife and o ask heT b shave Aer secret
Witl tau.