Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03

STILL with a kind OF question in his eyes as
| If to ask me whether l were glad or sorry
! to see him. ] wonder | didn't drop / know
/ that everything was turning round. and the
| words of the clergyman were just Ike the
/ buzz of a bee in my ear. / didn't know
/ what TO do Should / stop the service aud
! make scene in the church? / glanced at
him again, and he seemed to know what
was thinking, for he raised his finger to his
| lips to tell me to be still Then | saw him
Scribble on a piece of paper, and L knew
| that he was writing me a note. AS passed
! his pew on the way out dropped my hou-
| quet over to him. and he slipped the note
into my hand when he returned me the
| flowers. 1t was only line asking me 10
! join him when he made the sign to me TO
| do so. OF course. | never doubted for a
| moment that my first duty was now to
him and | determined to do just whatever
| he might direct.
| When L got back i told my maid. who
had known him in California and had al
| ways been his friend. l ordered her 10 say
| nothing but to get few things packed and
| my ulster ready. l know / ought TO have
| spoken to Lord st. Simon. but it was
| dreadful hard before his mother and all
those great people. j just made up my
mind to run away and explain afterward.
| hadn't been at the table ten minutes before
| l saw Frank out of the window at the other
side of the road He beckoned to me and
| then began walking into the park. l slip
ped out, put my things and followed
! HIM Some woman came talking something
| o. other about Lord st. Simon to me
4
! he had little secret of his own before mar
riage also-but / managed to get away from
! her. and soon overlook Frank. We got into
a cab together, and away we drove to some
| lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square.
and that was my true wedding after all
| those years of waiting. Frank had been a
prisoner among the Apaches, had escaped.
| came on to Frisco. found that l had given
| him UP for dead and had gone to England.
| followed me there and had come upon me
| at last on the very morning of my second
4 wedding"
II saw 1t in paper" explained the
American. 1T gave the name and the
church. but not where the lady lived"
| Then we had a talk as to what we should
| do. and Frank was all for openness, but |
was so ashamed of It all that ! felt as If
| should like to vanish away and never see
| any OF them again-just sending line to
| pa, perhaps, to show him that I was alive.
| 1t was awful to me to think OF all those
| lords and ladies sitting round that break
| fast table and waiting for me to come back.
| SO Frank took my wedding clothes and
things and made bundle of them, so that
! I should not be traced, and dropped them
| away somewhere where no could find
| them. 1t is likely that we should have gone
| Oh to Paris tomorrow. only that this good
i gentleman, Mr.. Holmes, came round to us
| this evening, though how he found us Is
more than 1 can think, and he showed us
| very clearly and kindly that 1 wrong
| and that Frank right. and that we
| should be putting ourselves in the wrong
| II we were so secret. Then he offered to
| give a chance of talking to Lord ST. ST.
| mon alone. and so we came right away
| round to his rooms at once. Now, Robert,
| you have heard 1t all. and am very sorry
| IL have given you pain. and l hope that
| you do not think very meanly OF me-
| Lord St. Simon had by no means relaxed
| his rigid attitude. but had listened with
| frowning brow and compressed lip to this
| long narrative.
Excuse me-" he said but IT is not my
! custom to discuss my most intimate per-
sonal affairs In this public manner"
Then you won't forgive me? You won't
| shake hands before 1 go?'
."oh. certainly. If IT will give you any
pleasure" He put out his hand and coldly
| grasped that which she extended to him.
Il had hopes" suggested Holmes, that
| you would have Joined US in friedly sup
| per-"
Il think that there you ask little too
| much" responded his lordship. Il may be
| forced to acQuiesce in these recent develop
ments, but I can hardly be expected to
| your permission, l will now wish you all a
| very goodnight" He included US all in
| sweeping bow and stalked out of the room.
Then 1 trust that you at least will honor
me with your company" said Sherlock
Holmes. 1T is always a Joy to meet an
| American, Mr.. Moulton. for I am one of
those who believe that the folly of mon
| arch and the laundering of a minister in
| far gone years will not prevent our chill
| dren from being some day citizens of the
same worldwide country under a flag which
| snail De a QUdrterlnR o. the union jack with
| the stars and stripes
The case has been an interesting one"
| remarked Holmes. when our visitors had
| left us. because Ii serves to show very
| clearly how simple the explanation may be
| of affair which at first sight seems to
| be almost fnexpica BILE Nothing could be
more natural than the sequence of events
as narrated by this lady, and nothing
stranger than the result when viewed for
| instance by Mr.. Lestrade of Scotland
| Yard"
you were not yourself at fault at all,
| then?'
Prom the first two facts were very
| obvious to me, the one that the lady had
been quite willing to undergo the wedding
ceremony, the other that she had repented
of it within few minutes OF returning
| home Obviously something had occurred
| during the morning. then. to cause her to
| change her mind. What could that some
thing be? She could not have spoken to
! any one when she was out, for she had
been in the company Of the bridegroom.
| Had she seen some one. then? II she had.
| II must be some one from America.
! because she had spent so short time
in this country that she could hardly
| have allowed any one to acquire so
deep an influence over her that the
| change her plans completely. You see
we have already arrived. by process of
exclusion. at the idea that she might have
| seen an American. Then who could this
American be. and why should he possess
so much influence over her? It might be
| a lover; it might be husband. Her young
womanhood had, l knew. been spent In
rough scenes and under strange conditions.
| So far 1 had got before I ever heard Lord
| St Simon's narrative. When he told US OF
| a man in a pew. of the change in the brides
manner of so transparent a device for
| obtaining a note as the dropping of bou-
| ouet, of her resort to her confidential maid,
| and of ner very significant allusion TO claim
| iumping-which in miners parlance means
taking possession of that which another
person has a prior claim to-the whole Sit
uatio became absolutely clear. She had
gone off with a man. and the man was
either a lover or was previous husband
the chances being in favor of the latter.
"And how in the world did you find
them?"
"It might have been difficult but friend
Iestrade held Information in his hands
the value Of which he did did not himself
know The initials were Of course, OF the
highest Importance but more valuable stu
was II to know that within a week he had
settled his bill at one of the most select
London hotels.
How did you deduce the select?
by the select prices. Eight shiiiings for
a bed and eightpence for glass of sherry
nointed to one of the most expensive hotels
There are not many in London which charge