Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-08

before we know it. Come. Pompey.
All, 1t is the cottage in the field!''
There could be no doubt that we had
reached the end of our journey. Pom
pey ran about and whined eagerly out
side the gate, where the marks of the
brougham's wheels We're still to be
seen. A footpath led across TO the lone
" cottage. Holmes tied the dog to the
hedge, and we FASTENED onward. My
friend knocked at the little rusty door
and knocked again without response.
And yet the cottage was not deserted,
for a low sound came TO our ears-a
kind of drone Of misery and despair
which was indescribably melancholy.
Holmes paused irresolute, and then he
glanced back at the road which he had
just traYersed. A brougham was COM
ing down il, and there could be no mis-
taking those gray horses.
by Jove. the doctor is coming back
cried Holmes. That settles ii. We are
bound to see what IL means before he
comes"
He opened the door, and we stepped
into the hall The droning sound swell
ed louder upon our ears until it became
one long, deep wall of distress. 1t came
from upstairs. Holmes darted up, and
I followed him. He pushed open a
half closed door, and we both stood APP
palled at the sight before US.
\ woman. young and beautiful, was
lying dead upon the bed. Her calm,
pale face with dim, wide opened blue
eyes, looked upward from amid great
tangle of golden hair. At the foot of
the bed, half sitting, half kneeling, his
face buried in the clothes, was young
man, whose frame was racked by his
sObs. So absorbed was he by his bitter
grief that he never looked up until
Holmes hand was on his shoulder.
Are you Mr.. Godfrey Staunton?"
Yes. yes, l am-but You are too late.
She is dead"
The man was so dazed that he could
not be made to understand that we
were anything but doctors who had
been sent 10 his assistance. Holmes
was endeavoring to utter a few words
of consolation and 10 explain the alarm
which had been caused TO his friends
by his sudden disappearance when
there was n step upon the stairs. and
there was the heavy. stern, question
ing face of DIR. Armstrong ut the door
so, gentlemen" said he, you have
attained your end and have certainly
chosen Il particularly delicate moment
for your intrusion. 1 would not brawl
in the presence of death, bTI l can as
sure you that if l were younger man
your mOnstrous conduct would not
pass with impunity."
asI'XR11sn I think
we are little at cross purposes said
my friend, with dignity. IF you
could step downstairs with us we may
each be able TO give some light to the
other upon this miserable affair"
a minute later the grim doctor and
ourselves were in the sitting room be-
low.
well, sir" said he.
II wish you to understand. in the
first place that / am not employed by
Lord Mount-James and that my sym
pathies in this matter are entirely
against that nobleman. When Il man
is lost it is my duty to ascertain his
fate, but having done so the matter
ends 50 far as l am concerned, and So
long as there is nothing criminal | am
much more anxious to hush up private
scandals than TO give them publicity.
If, as l imagine, there is no breach OF
the law i'll this matter. you can abso-
lutcly depend upon my discretion and
my cooperation i'll keeping the facts
out Of the papers"
DIR. Armstrong took Il quick step for
ward and wrung Holmes by the hand.
You are u good fellow" said he Il
had misjudged you. l thank heaven
that my conjunction at leaving poor
Staunt0n all alone in this plight caused
me to turn my carriage back and so to
make your acquaintance. Knowing as |
much as you do. the situation is very
easily explained. A year ago Godfrey |
Staunton lodged in London for Il time |
and became passionately attached to |
lis landlady's daughter, whom he mar
ried. She was as good as she was |
beautiful and as intelligent as she was |
good. No man need be ashamed of |
such a wife But Godfrey was the heir |
10 this grabbed old nobleman, and it |
was quite certain that the news of his |
would have been the end of |
ais inheritance. / knew the lad well, |
and 1 loved him for his many excellent |
qualities. We did our very best TO |
keep the thing from every one, for
when once such whisper gets about it
5 not long before every one has heard /
t. Thanks to this lonely cottage and |
lis own discretion, Godfrey has up to
low succeeded. Their secret was
known to no one save to me and to
)ne excellent servant, who has at pres
mt gone for assistance to Trimming
on. But at last there came n terrible
blow in the shape of dangerous illness
o his wife. 1t was consumption of the
most virulcnt kind. The poor boy was
Ialf craZcl with grief, and yet he had
o 80 to London to play this match, for
re could not get out of it without eX-
JlanatiOns which would expose his Sc
ret. l tried to cheer him up by wire.
md he sent me one in reply imploring !
ne to do all l could. This was the tele-