The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-16

! shoulder.
Il accuse you," said he And now,
your grace, I'll trouble you for that
check"
Never shall / forget the dukes ap-
pearance as he sprang up and clawed
with his hands, like one who is sinking
| into an abyss. Then. with an extraor-
binary effort of aristocratic self com
mand, he sat down ANA sank his face
In his hands. 1t was some minutes be-
fore he spoke.
How much do you know" he asked
at last without raising his head
81 saw you together last night"
Does any one else beside your friend
know"
81 have spoken to no one"
The duke took pen in his quiverins
fingers and opened his check book.
Il shall be as good as my word Mr..
Holmes. | am about to write your
check, however unwelcome the infor-
nation which you have gained may be
to me. When the offer was first made
l little thought the turn which events
might take But you and your friend
are men of discretion, Mr.. Holiness
Il hardly understand your grace
Il must put it plainly, Mr.. Holmes.
If only You two know of this incident
there is no re; son why it should go
any further. | think ll2.000 is the sum
that owe you. is it not:'
But Holmes smiled and shook his
head.
Il fear, your grace, that matters can
hardly be arranged so easily. There is
the death of this schoolmaster to be ac-
counted for"
But James knew nothing of that.
You cannot hold him responsible for
that. 1t was the work of this brutal
ruilian whom he had the misfortune to
employ"
Il must take the view. your grace.
that when Il man embarks upon IL
crime he is morally guilty of any other
crime which may spring from it,"
Morally, Mr.. Holmes; no doubt you
are right but surely not in the eyes OF
the law, \ man cannot be condemned
for murder mt which he was not
present and which he loatheS and alb
hors as much as you do. The instant
that he heard of it he made complete
confession to me, so filled was he with
horror and remorSe He lost not an
hour in breaking entirely with the muir
derer. Oh, Mr. Holmes. you must save
him-yOu must save him! | tell you
! that you must save him. The duke
had dropped the last attempt at self
: command and was pacing the room
with Il convulsed face and with his
clinched hands waving in the air. At
last he mastered himself and sat down
once more nj his desk. II appreciate
| your conduct in coming here before you
! spoke to any one else" said he. "At
| least we may take counsel how far we
can minimize this hideous scandal"
Exactly" said Holmes. Il think.
| your grace that this can only be done
/ by absolute frankness between us. |
am disposed to help your grace to the
best of my ability, but in order to do
so | must understand to the last detail
how the matter stands | realize that
your words applied to Mr.. James Will
der and that he is not the murderer"
mo, the murderer has escaped"
Sherlock Holmes smiled demurely.
Your grace can hardly have heard
Of any small reputation which | pos
sess or you would not imagine that it is
so easy to escape me. Mr.. Reuben
Hayes was arrested at Chesterfield on
my information at II o'clock last night
had a telegram from the head of the
local police before left the school this
morning"
The duke leaned back in his chair
and stared with amazement at my
friend
you seem to have powers that are
hardly human" said he 80 Reuben
Hayes is taken? l am right glad to
hear it if it will not react upon the fate
of James,"
Your secretary"
mo, sir; my SON.
1t was Holmes turn to look aston
ished.
Il confess that this is entirely new to
me, your grace. ! must beg you to be
more explicit"
! Il will conceal nothing from you. |
! agree with you that complete frank
ness. however painful it may be to me,
is the best policy in this desperate stu
alton TO which James folly and ieal-
ousy have reduced us. When | was a
very young man, Mr.. Holmes. | loved
with such love as comes only once in
a lifetime. | offered the lady marriage,
but she refused it on the grounds that
such match might mar my career.
Had she lived | would certainly never
have married any one else. She died
and left this one child, whom for her
sake have cherished and cared for. /
could not acknowledge the paternity to
the world, but | gave him the best of
educationS, and since he came to man.
hood | have kept him near my person.
He surmised my secret and has pre-
sumed ever since upon the claim which
he has upon me and upon his power of
provoking scandal which would be
abhorrent to me. His presence had
something to do with the unhappy is
sue of my marriage Above all. he
hated my young legitimate heir from
the first with persistent hatred
"You may well ask me why. under
these circumstances, still kept James
under my roof. l answer that it was
because / could see his mothers face
in his and that for her dear sake there
was no end TO nv long suffar;no An