The Washington times., 1905-12-31

Hendry. my servant, saw to II that
I should not forget Inspector Ad-
dington' Grey. = Shortly after the ad-
venture which have already mar
rated I left London for a round of
country visits. And if a paragraph
concerning that eminent detective
chanced to appear ,in newspaper,
the substance of IL was brought to
me with my shaving-water in the
morning
Il see as e as been up to is
games again, sir was Hendrys usual
overture. My word. but 'e's a sly
one. by all ACCOUNTS. was the GUS
tomary conclusion.
] believe that Hendry often gained
considerable notoriety in the ser
wants hall by a boasted friendship
with Grey. To this l attribute the
fact of his being consulted by Mr..
Heavitree's butler on the occasion
Of the burglary that took place
while 1 was staying at Crandon.
Hendry,s' ludicrous fascn which
nearly resulted IN a lawsuit for false
Imprisonment, need not be narrated
here, though it was considered a
remarkably good joke against me at
the time.
Toward the end of December I re-
turned to London for a few days. and
On the third night after my arrival
I decided to visit the inspector.
Hendry had discovered that he was
a bachelor. and lived in two little
rooms on the third floor. The floors
that separated us were let out as
hot af
/ at the bottom had the old house
10 ourselves after Z o'clock
The little man was at home. and
seemed pleased to see me. With his
sparrow-like agility he hoped about,
producing glasses and bottle of
whisky. Finally. with our pipes in
full blast. we sat facing each other
across the fire, and soon dropped
into conversation which To me,
at least, was of unusual interest. A
very curious knowledge of London
and it's peoples had Inspector Adding
ton Grey.
An hour quickly slipped by. ard when
I rose to go 1 asked # he would dine
with me on my return from Clouds
ham. in Norfolk. where I was spend
ing Christmas. He would be pleased,
TO light a spill in the Goals:
"You stay with the Baron Steen, I
suppose?'' he asked.
Yes
And why?"
"why?'' 1 echoed in some surprise.
.You have relatives or other
friends2,
My nearest relative is a sour old
uncle in Bradford. who calls me hard
names for using the gifts Providence
gave me instead of adding up figures
in a smoky office. AS for friends
well. / am fairly rich man, inspector,
and. as such. have many friends. What
is there against the Baron Steen?"
.'Oh. nothing he said. putting at
his pipe. so that he spoke as from
cloud. mistily.
Il know that he has played a bold
game on the stock exchange" I con-
tinued. and there may be a few out
wltted fnanciers growing at his heels.
But IL would be hard to find a more
thoughtful host. Yes. 1 am going to
Cioudsham tomorrow,
We shook hands warmly on parting,
and as L descended the stairs he lean
ed over the rail. smiling down upon
me
Remember your dinner engage
ment." 1 called up to him- Il snail
see you after the New Year
Yes, II not before" he said; and 1
seemed TO catch the faint echo Of a
laugh as 1 turned the corner.
II was on the afternoon OF December
"a that 1 stepped from the train at
the little station OF Cloudsham. Fresh
snow had fallen. and the wind came
ha nF 2 hH
fen country. A distant clock was
striking four as the carriage passed
into the crested entrance-gates and
tugged up a rising slope of park land
dotted with ragged oaks and storm
bowed spinnies. which showed as black
stains upon its snow-clad undulations.
AT the summit the road bent sharply,
and l saw below ne the old manor OF
Cloudsham. beyond which-a somber
plain, losing itself In the evening mists
that swathed the horizon-stretched the
restless waters of the North sea
The house lay in a broad depression,
in shape as the hollow OF a hand. save
only on the seaward side where the
line OF clin biz II like the grip Of a
giants teeth. The gray front looked
up, across a slope OF grass 9and. 10 a
semicircle OF forests that swept away
in dark shadings Of fir and oak From
the long. oblong Of the main buildings
were thrust back two wings. fanked
on the nearer side by a chapel.
From the back Of the house to the
edge Of the sea cliffs a distance Of
some quarter Of a mile ran an irregu-
lar avenue OF frs with clipped yew
walks and laurel-edged flower gardens
on either hand
dozen men sweeping the paths
and a telegraph boy on a pony mount
ing the hill toward me showed as
black pygmies against the drifts
OF snow.
My bachelor host was absent when
i was ushered into the great central
hall where the house party were met
together for their tea. ] am by ma
ture shy of strangers, taken in large
doses. and IL was with relief that I
recognized Jack Talman. the gIiZzIed
cynic OF "A academician, sitting in "A
corner seat well out of reach of
draughts anu female conversation
Hello. Phillips" he welcomed me
And what financial gale brings you
hareo''