The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-07

bent bent and something :, like a box
He appeared to be deformed, for
he carried his head low and walked
with his knees bent. We were
passing him when. he raised his face to
look at us in the circle of light thrown
by the lamp, and as he did so he
stopped and screamed out in dread
full voice, "My God, it IS Nancy" Mrs.
Barclay turned as white as death, and
would have fallen down had the dread
her. [ was going to call for the police,
but she, to my surprise, spoke quite
civilly to the fellow. .
'HI thought you had been dead
this thirty years, Henry she said, in
a shaking voice. :. q.
$50 I have,' said he, and it was
awful to hear the tones that he said it
and CLEAN in his eyes that comes back
to me in my dreams. His hair and whis-
kers were shot with gray, and his face
was all crinkled and puckered like a
withered apple. ..-.
9 "Just walk on little way, dear,'
said Mrs; Barclay; 81 want to have
word with this man There is nothing
to be afraid Of" She tried to speak
boldly, but she was still, deadly pale
the trembling Of her lips.
[ did as she asked me, and then
they talked together for few minutes.
Then she came down the street with her
| eyes blazing, and saw the crippled
wretch standing by the lamppost and
shaking his clenched fists in the air as
if he were mad with rage. She never
here, when she took me by the hand
and begged me to tell no one what had
80 cit IS an old acquaintance Of mine
who has come down in the world, - said
she. When I promised her [ would say
nothing, she kissed me, and have never
seen her since. I have told you now
the whole TRUTH. and if I withheld it
from the police it is because | did not
realize then the danger in which my
dear friend stood. / know that it can
only be to her advantage that every
thing should be known
"There was her statement, Watson
and to me, as you can imagine, it was
! like light on dark night. Everything
which had been disconnected before be.
/ gan at once to assume it's true place
and | had a shadowy presentiment OF
the whole sequence of events. My next
step obviously was to find the man who
had produced such a remarkable impress
/ sion upon Mrs. Barclay. If he were still
in Aldershot it should not be very diff
1 fcult matter. There are not such 9
4 very great number Of civilians, and 8
deformed man was sure to have at
tracted attention. ] spent day in the
search, and by evening very eve
ming, Watson--I had run him down. The
mans name is Henry Wood, and hi
lives in lodgings in this same street il
which the ladies met him. He has only
been five days in the place. In tn,
character Of a registration agent hat
a most interesting gossip with his land
lady. The man is by trade a conjure
and performer, going round the can
! teens after nightfall, and giving lit
tie entertainment at each. He carrie
some creature about with him in tina
box, about which the landlady SCENE,
, to be in considerable trepidation, TO
! she had never seen an animal like ii
4 He uses it in some Of his tricks accord
: ing to her account. So much the won
an was able to tell me, and also that j
: was a wonder the man lived, seems
! how twisted he was, and that he spok
! | in strange tongue sometimes, and tina
i for the last two nights she had hear
3 him grooming and weeping in his bed
/ room. He was all right, as far as none
) went, but in his deposit he had give
i her what looked like a bad form Sh
[ showed it to me, Watson, and it was a
Indian rupee.
o so now, my dear fellow, you Sc
t exactly how we stand and why it is
|, want you. It is perfectly plain tina
|, latter the ladies parted from this ma