Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11
have yielded nothing to an expert d

| have yielded nothing to an expert OBJ
| server
| II am not to blame Mr.. Holmes. His
| grace was extremely DESTROYS to avoid AN
| public scandal. He was afraid OF his faml-
| ly. unhappiness being dragged before the
world He has a deep horror OF anything
/ of the kind" ~
| but there has been some officia1 lnVeS-
| Eyes. sir. and 1t has proved most disap-
| pointing. An apparent clue was at once
| obtained, since a boy and young man
were reported to have been seen leaving a
neighborfng station by an early train. Only
| last night we; had news that the couple hao
been hunted down in Liverpool, ana tney
prove to have connection whatever with
| the matter in hand. Then 1t was tnat III
my despair and disappointment after
! sleepless night, I came straight to you py
| the early train.
II suppose the local investigation was
| relaxed while this false clue was being fol-
| lowed up?
TT was entirely dropped.
so that three days have been wasted.
The affair has been most deplorably hand
led"
II feel It, and admit it.
And yet the problem should be capable
of ultimate solution. l shall be very happy
| to look into 1t. Have you been able TO
trace any connection between the missing
| boy and this German master?
None at all.
was he in the masters class?'
mo, he never exchanged word with
him, so far know.
.That is certainly very singular. Had the
boy a bicycle?"
mo"
was any other bicycle rnissing?'
mo"
"Is that certain?"
quite
wei, now, you do not mean to seriously
suggest that this German rode off upon
bicycle in the dead of the night, bearing
the boy in his arms?'
Certainly not
",rhen what is the theory in your mind?
1.-The bicycle may have been a blind. IL
may have been hidden somewhere ana the
pair gone Off on foot.
Quite So but it seems sra rather thsra an ot he
surd blind, does 1t not? Were there olhei
bicycles in this she'd?
Several"
would he not have hidden couple. had
he desired to give the idea that they hao
gone off upon them?
Il suppose he would
"Of course he would. The blind theory
won't do. But the incident Is an dohii. q
Bile starting point for an investigator AZ
ter ALL bicycle is not an easy thlns 10
| conceal or to destroy. One other question
Did anyone call to see the boy on the day
before he disappeared!
| NO"
Did he get any letters?"
| Eyes, one letter.
From whom?
From his father. 80
| do you open the pcSS iSetSiS'
| NO"
"How do you know it was from the
| father2
The coat of arms was the envelope,
| and it was addressed in the dukes peculiar
| stiff hand. Besides, the ouhe ieiieioS-'
| having written. ,.o,,
when had he a letter before that?'
| mot for several days.
| "Had he ever one from France?
| No never.
| ..You see the point of my questions, or
| course Either the boy was carried on ny
| force or he went of his own tree Will. III
the latter case you would eNpee' Ina ,a ooi
prompting from outside would be heeueo
J to make so young a lad do SUCH thlng.
If he has had no visitors, that prompting
must have come in letters; hence L ny u
| find out who were his correspondents.
! II fear | cannot help you much. His only
| correspondent, so far as L know, was III"
| own father" %
WHO wrote to him on the very day OF
| his disappearance. Were the relations De-
| tween father and son very friendly
| His grace is never very friendly with
any one. He is completely immersed IN
large public questions. and Is rather nv ,ea
| ceSsible to all ordinary emotions. but ne
| was always kind to the boy in MS own
| way -
But the sympathies of the latter were
| with the mother?'
| YES"
The duke, then?"
! Good heavens, nor syss !
| Then how could you known
| 81 have had some confidential talks Win
| Mr.. James Wilder, his grace's secretary
| 1t was he who gave me the lnIorihalioh
| about Lord Saltire's feelings.
II see By the way, that last letter OIL
the duke's-was it found in the boys room
| after he was gomez"
NO, he had taken it with him. think
Mr. Holmes. it is time that we were leaV-
| ing for Euston.'
| II will order a four-wheeler. In quar-
| ter of an hour we shall be at your service
| If YOU are telegraphing home, Mr.. HuXta-
| BILE, it would be well to allow the people III
! your neighborhood to imagine that the IN
| curry is still going on in Liverpool or
| wherever else that red herring led your
! pack. In the meantime l will do a little
| quiet work at your own doors, ana perhaps
| the scent is not so cold but that TWO oio
hounds like Watson and myself may get
| sniff of it,.
THAT evening found us in the cold, brac-
| ing atmosphere of the Peak country, IN
| which Dr. Huxtables famous school IS stu
| ated 1t was already dark when we reach-
| ed it, A card was lying on the hall table
| and the butler whispered something to his
| master. who turned to us with agitation in
every heavy feature.
s'The duke is here" said he. "The duke
and Mr.. Wilder are In the study. COME
| gentlemen, and I will introduce you.
I was. of course familiar with the pic
| lures of the famous statesman, but the
| man himself was very different from MS
| representation. He was a tall and stately
| person. scrupulously dressed, with drawn,
! thin face, and a nose which was gfotesquely
| curved and long. His complexion was OF a
| dead pallor which was more startling by
| contrast with a long, dwindling beard OF
| vivid red, which flowed down over his white
| Waistcoat, with his watch chain cleaning
| through its fringe. Such was the stately
| rxhn GfOnilV