The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-23
THE RETURN OF
SHERLOCK HOTTIES,
by A. CONAN DOYLE.
Continued from page e.

Il could see from Hopkins face that
he never had, but Holmes was keenly
interested.
You mean the west country bank
ers." said he. They failed for a mil
lion. ruined half the county families
of Cornwall and Neligan disappeared"
Exactly Neligan was my father"
At last we were getting something
positive, and yet it seemed a long gap
between an absconding banker and
Captain Peter Carey pinned against
the wall with one of his own harpoons.
We all listened intently to the young
mans words.
1T was my father who was really
concerned Dawson had retired. |
was only ten years Of age at the time.
but | was old enough to feel the shame
and horror of it all. 1t has always
been said that my father stole all the
securities and fed. 1t is not true 1t
was his belief if he were given time in
which to realize them all would be
well and every creditor paid in full.
He started in his little yacht for Nor
way Just before the warrant was is
sued for his arrest. | can remember
that last night, when he babe farewell
to my mother He left us list of the
securities he was taking, and he swore
that he would come back with his
honor cleared and that none who had
trusted him would suffer Well, no
word was ever heard from him again.
Both the yacht and he vanished utter
~. We believed. my mother and |,
that he and it, with the securities that
he had taken with him. were at the
bottom of the sea We had a faithful
friend. however. who is a business
man. and it was he who discovered
some time ago that some of the Sc
curities which my father had with
him had reappeared on the London
market You can imagine our amaze
ment | spent months in trying to
trace them. and at last. after many
doubtings and difficulties. l discovered
that the original seller had been Cap.
tain Peter Carey, the owner of this
& hut.
Naturally. / made some inquiries
about the man. | found that he had
been in command of a whaler which
was due to return from the arctic seas
at the very time when my father was
crossing to Norway. The autumn of
that year was a stormy one, and there
was long succession of southerly
gales My fathers yacht may well
have been blown to the north and there
met by Captain Peter Carey's ship. If
that were so. what had become of my
father? In any case, if | could prove
from Peter Carey's evidence how these
securities came on the market it would
be Il proof that my father had not sold
them and that he had no view to per-
sOnal profit when he took them
Il came down to Sussex with the in
tention of seeing the captain, but it
was at this moment that his terrible
Death occurred. | read at the inquest
a description of his cabin, in which it
stated that the old logbooks of his YES
sci were preserved in it. 1t struck me
that if could see what occurred in the
month of August 1883, on board the
Sea Unicorn might settle the mystery
of my fathers fate. | tried last night
to get at these logbooks, but was una
bic TO open the door Tonight | tried
ngain and succeeded, but find that the
pages which deal with that month have
been torn from the book 1t was at that
moment | found myself a prisoner in
YOUR hands,
"Is that all?" asked Hopkins
Yes that is ALL His eyes shifted as
be said it,
you have nothing else to tell us?"
He hesitated
mo, there is nothing"
''YOu have not been here before last
light"
'No."
f'Then how do you account for that?'
cried Hopkins, as he held up the damn
ing notebook. with the initials of our
prisoner OH the first leaf and the blood
stain on the cover.
The wretched man collapsed. He
sank his face in his hands and trem-
bed all over.
Where did you get it?" he groaned.
ulu nut hnOW. L luOuSul udu lOSI
It ht the hotel.'
That is enough" said Hopkins stern
III Whatever else you have to say,
NQn must say in court. You will walk
N8yn with me now to the police sta
u4h Well, Mr.. Holmes, l am very
MN ch obliged to you and to your friend
Tor coming down to help me. AS it
turhs out, your presence was unnec-
safy, and | would have brought the
Il to this successful issue without
54R; but, none the less, am grateful
A.#ms have been reserved for you at
k17 Brambletye hotel, so we can all
walls down to the village together"
Wen, Watson, what do you think of
MT asked Holmes as we travelled back
next morning.
can see that you are not salts
ph yes. my dear Watson: ! am per
~ satisfied. At the same time
sf7piey Hopkins methods do not com
men themselves to me. | am disap-
poAted in Stanley Hopkins | had
n9led for better things from him. One
snQR ID always look for n possible al
tskNptiye and provide against it. 1t is
Ne first rule of criminal investiga-
hat, then, is the alternative?"
Pc line of investigation which /
A4*e myself been pursuing. 1t may
|X. us nothinU 7 oannot foil R1It of