The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-03
I. he
 Noble Bachelor

| some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square. and that was my true Feddlng after all those years of waiting Frank had been prisoner among the Apaches. had escaped, came to Frisco. found that 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 wedding"
 T saw 1t in paper" explained the American. Tt gave the name and the church, but not where the lady lived" 1 Then we had a talk as to what we should do, and Frank was all for open ness, but was so ashamed of 1t all that felt as if should like to vanish away l and never see any of them again-1ust l sending a line to pa perhaps, to show 1 him that I was alive. It was awful to me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting round that breakfast 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 tiem away l somewhere where no one could find them. It Is likely that we should have gone on to Paris tomorrow, only that this good gentleman, MT. Holmes, came round to us this evening, though how he found us 1 Is more than I can think, and he showed
 
 wrong and that Frank was right. and that we should be putting ourselves in | the wrong if we were so secret Then he offered to give us chance of talking to Lord St. Simon alone. and so we came right away round to his rooms at once. | Now. Robert, you have heard 1t all, and am very sorry if l have given you pain, and l hope that you do not think very meanly of me"
 Lord St. Simon had by no means re- | faxed his rigid attitude, but had listened with drowning brow and a compressed lip to thls 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 I go?"
 "oh, certainly, if it would give you any pleasure He put out his hand and cold ly grasped that which she extended to him.
 "I had hoped" suggested Holmes that you would have joined us in a friendly l supperp
 T think that there you ask little too much responded his lordship T may De forced to aequesce in these recent developments, but l can hardly be ex- pected to make merry over them I think that, with your permission. l will now wish you all very goodnight" He in- eluded Us all in a sweeping bow and stalked out of the room.
 Then l trust that you at least will honor me with your company" said Sher- 1 lock Holmes "It Is always a 1oy to meet an American, Mr Moulton. for I am one of those who believe that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister In fargone years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same worldwide country under a flag which shall be a uuarterine of the ITnion Jack with the Stars and Stripes"
 The case has been an interesting one" remarked Holmes when our visitors had lett us, because 1t serves to show very clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight seems to be almost inexplieable. Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady and noth- ing stranger than the result when viewed, l Yard"
 You were not yourself at fault at all, then?'
 From the first two facts were very obvious to me, the that the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony, the other that she had repent ed of 1t within few minutes of return Ing home. Obviously something had oc- | cured during the morning, then, to 1 cause her 10 change her mind What could that something 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? IT she had, it must be some one from America, because she had spent so short a time in this country that she could hardly have allowed any one to acquire so deep influence over her that the mere sight of him would iduce her to change her plans so completely. You see we have already arrived, by a process of exclusion, at the idea that she might have seen an American. Then who would this American ba u6 vh cbould ba I so much influence over her? It might be lover; 1t might be a husband. Her young womanhood had. I knew, been I spent in rough scenes and under strange conditions So far 1 had got before 1 ever 1 heard Lord St Simons narrative. When | he told of man in a pew, of the | change in the brides manner. of so trans parent device for obtaining a note | the dropping of a bouquet of her resort | to her confidential maid, and of her very | significant aluson to claim jumping which in miners parlanee means taking possession of that which another person has a prior claim to-the whole situation became absolutely clear. She had gone off with man, and the man was either n lover was a previous husband-the chances being in favor of the latter And how in the world did you find them?"
 Tt might have been difficult, but friend Lestrade held information in his the value or Wnlcn ne ulu HOl HliL- self know. The initials were of course. | of the highest importance, but more val | uable still was 1t to know that within a week he had settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels"
 1 How did you deduce the select?"
 By the select prices Eight shillings for bed and eightpence for a glass of | sherry pointed to one of the most expen- ! sive hotels. There are not many in Lon don which charge at that rate In the | second one which I visited in Northum- I berland avenue, I learned by an inspec- tion of the book that Francis H. Moul- 1 ton, an American gentleman, had left | only the day before. and on looking over ], the entries against him I came upon the | very items which had seen in the dupli- | ate bill. Ills letters were to be for | warded to No 226 Gordon square; so | thither I travelled, and being fortunate enough to find the loving couple at home, l ventured to give them some paternal | advice, and to point out to them that it would be better in every way that they | should make their position little clear | CT both to the general public and to Lord | St. Simon in particular. l invited them | to meet him here, and. you see, I made him keep the appointment" But with no very good result" I re- | marked. His conduct was certainly not very gracious"
 | An, Watson" said Holiness smiling. i perhaps you would not be very gracious 1 either, If, after all the trouble of woo l Ing and wedding you found yourself de- | prved In an instant of wife and of for 1 tune. l think that we may judge Lord l St. Simon very mercifully. and thank o,r