The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-12-24

There were q number of letters. bills
and notebooks. which Holmes turned
over and examined with quick, nery-
Gus fingers and darting, penetrating
eyes Nothing here" he said at last
"By the way, I suppose your friend
; was d healthy young fellow-nOthing
amiss with him?'
Sound as a bell"
"Have you ever known him ill?7
"NOt a day. He has been laid M
/ with a hack. ana once he slipped his
/ kneecap, but that was nothing"
Perhaps he was not so strong as
you suppose. I should think he may
have mad some secret trouble. With
your assent, I win put one OF two Of
these papers in my pocket, in case
they should bear upon our future in
/ quiry."
cone monochrome moment" cried a
/ Querulous voice. and we looked up
I to ind a queer little old man jerking
and twitching in the doorway. He
was dressed in rusty black, with a
very broad brimmed top hat and
| loose white necktie-the whole effect
being that of a very rustic parsOn
or OF an undertaker's mute. Yet, IN
spite Of his shabby and even absurd
appearance, his voice had a sharp
/ crGckle and his manner a quick f.
| tensity which commanded attention.
"WhO are you, sir and by what right
do you touch this gentleman's papers ?'
he asked.
II am a private detective, and I am
endeavoring to explain his disappear
ancs."
"Oh, you are, are you? And who
instructed you ehTa
'sThis gentleman, Mr. Stauntons
friend, was referred TO me by Scot
land Yard"
who are you, sirf'
i am Cyril Overflow
''Then it is you who sent me a tele-
gram. My name is Lord Mount
James. came round as quickly as
the Bayswater bus would bring me.
SO you have instructed a detecuve?
Eyes, sir
And are you prepared to meet the
costY'
II have no doubt, sir that my friend
Godfrey, when we find him, viii be
prepared to do that"
but If he is never found. eh2 An
swer me thatr'
In that case no doubt his fa-iilyT-
Nothing Of the sort, sir" screamed
the little man. Don't look to me for
a penny-not a penny. You under
stand that Mr. Detectivel I am all the
family that this young man has got,
ana ] tell you that I am not respon-
sible If he has any expectations it is
due to the fact that have never vast /
ed money, and do not propose to be- (
gin TO do so now. AS to those papers
with which you are making so free, I
may tell you that in case there should
be anything Of any value among them
you will be held strictly to account for
what you do with them"
Very good, sir" said Sherlock +
Holmes. "AIay 7 ask in the meanwhile
whether you have yourself any theory
% account for this young mans dlsap-
pearance%
mo, sir, ] have not He is big
enough and old enough TO look after
himself and If he Is so foolish as TO
lose himself I entirely refuse to accept T
the responsibility of hunting for him.
II quite understand your position" 4
said Holmes. with q mischievOus twin .
kle IN his eyes Perhaps YOU don't .
quite understand mine. Godfrey Staun- /
ton appears to have been n poor man.
If he has been kidnapped it could not
have been for anything which he him
self possesses. The fame Of your
wealth has gone abroad, Lord Mount
James, and 1t is certainly possible that
q gang Of thieves have secured your
nephew IN order to gain from him some
Information as to your house, your
habits and your treasure"
The face Of our unpleasant little Wis
ltOr turned as white as his nacltie.
Heavens sir. what an idea. never
thought Of such vlllainy, What inhu-
man rogues there are IN the worId!
But Godfrey is a fne lad-a stanch lad
Nothing would iIsuCe him to give has
old uncle away. III have the plate
In the meantime spare no pains, Mr.
Detective. I beg you TO leave no stone
unturned 10 bring him safely back As
TO money, WELL so far as q flyer or even
a teuner goes. you can always look to
me-"
Even in his chastened frame of mind
the noble miser could give us no infor-
nation which could help us. for he
knew little of the private life Of his
nephew. Our only c!ew lay I'm the trun-
Gated telegram. and with copy Of this
il his hand Holmes set forth to end
second link for his chain We had shak-
GA OF Lord 3IoGnt-James. and Overt0n
he'd gone to consult with the other
Eembers of his team over the misf0r-
tune which had befanen them.
There was a telegraph Office at a
short distance from the hotel We halt
g outside f.
"Its worth trying Watson said
Holmes. OF course with a warrant we