The news & observer., 1905-12-17

That's the worst of it. Mr.. Holmes
| don't know"
Where did he liVe?"
He slept on the premises
And you don't know his ADDRESS
"No-except that it was Leadenhall
street.
Where did you address your let
ters, then?"
"To the Leadenhall street post
office. to be left TIL called FOR. lie
said that # he were sent to the ofllce
he would be chaffed by all the other
clerks about having letters from "a
lady, so ] offered to typerite them,
like he did his. but he wouldn't nave
that, for he said that when | wrote
them they seemed to come from me-
but when they were typewriter he
always felt that the machine had
come between as. That will show
YOU how fond he was of me, Mr..
Holmes and the Little things that he
would think of"
"It was most suggestive SAID
Holmes at has long been an axiom
of mine that the little things are in
tinitely the most important. can yoa
remember any other little things
about Mr. Hosmer Angel?'
He was very shy man, Mr..
Holmes. He would rather walk with
me in the evening than in the day
light, for he said that he hated to be
conspicuous. Very retiring and gen
tlemanly he was. Even his vo ce was
gentle. Held had the quinsy and
swollen gland when he was young,
he told me, and it had left him with
q week throat and hesitating,
whispering fashion of speech. He was
always well dressed, very neat and
plain. but his eyes were weak, just as
mine are. and he wore tinted glasses
against the glare
.Wen, and what happened when
Mr. Wind bank, vour stepfather, re-
turned to France"
Mr. Hosmer Angel came to the
house again, and proposed that we
should marry before father came
back He was in dreadful earnest,
and made me swear with my hands
on the Testament, that whatever nap
pencd | would always be true t him.
Mother said that il was quite right 10
make me swear, and tl:at it was g sign
of his passion. Mother was all in his
favor from the first. and was even
fonder of him than was. Then. whea
they talked of marrying within the
week. | began 10 ask about father;
but they both said never to mind
about father. but Just to tell him al
tcrWards. and mother said she would
make it all right with him. didHt I
quite like that. Mr. Holmes. 1t seemed
funny that | should ask his leave. as
he was only few years older than
me: but / didn't want to do anything
on the sly, so ! wrote To father at
Bordeaux. where the company has its
French offices. but the lettc' came
,Ir -, h q ~ nj al
wedding"
al missed him thcn"'
"Yes, sir; for he had started 10
England just before it arrived"
Hal that was unfortunate. Your
wedding was arranged, then for Fri
day Was Il to be in church ?''
Yes. sir, but very quietly It was
To be at st. SaviOur'S. near Kings
Cross. and we were TO have breakfast
afterwards at the ST. PancraS Hotel.
Hosmer came for us in q hanson. but
as there were two of us,he put us both
into il. and stepped himself into
four wheeler, which happened to be
the only other cab in the street. We
got to the church first, and when the
four wheeler drove up we waited FOR
him to step out. but he never did,
and when the cabman got down from
the box and looked. there was no one
therei The cabman said that he could
not imagine what had become of him.
for he had seen him get in with his
own eyes. That was last Friday, Mr..
Holmes, and / never have seen or
heard anything since then to throw
any light upon what became of him"
1T seems to me that you have
been very shamefullyF treated" said
Holmes.
ooh no, sir. He was too good and
kind to leave me so. Why. all the
morning he was saying 70 me that,
whatever happened I was TO be true;
and that if even something quite UNI
forseen occurred to separate us. | was
always to remember thar | was
pledged to him. and that he would
claim his pledge sooner or later. 1t
seemed strange talk for a wedding
morning, but what has happened since
gives a meaning to it."
Most certainly it does. Your own
opinion is. then. that some unfore-
seen catastrophe has occurred to
hm?"
Eyes, sir l believe that he fore
saw some danger, or else he would
not have talked so And then I think
that what he foresaw happened.
But you have no notion as to
what it could have been?"
None"
Zone more question. How did your
mother take the matter?'
''She was angry, and said that | was
never to speak Of the matter again.
"And your father? Did you fell
him?"
Yes: and ne seemed TO think with
me- that something had happened. and
that / should hear of Hosmer again.
AS he said. what interest could any
one have in bringing me to the
doors of the church, and then leaving
me? Now, if he had borrowed my
money. or if he had married me and
got my money settled on him. there
might be some reason but Hosmer
was very independent about money.
and never would look at Il shilling