The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-10

| IIlo poiilI anu only nope that the
| increased salary may recompense you
for the loss. Your duties as far az
the child is concerned. are very light.
Now do try to come and | shall meet
you with the dog-cart at Winchester
Let me know your train.
Yours faithfully,
JEPHRO RUCASTLE.'
THAT is the letter which L have just
received, Mr.. Holmes. and my mimi
is made up that l will accept it. l
thought, however, that before taking
the final step | should like to submit
the whole matter to your considera-
ton
wen, Miss Hunter, if your mind is
made up, that settles the question, .
said Holmes, smiling.
But you would not advise me to re-
fuse?''
Il confess that it is not the situa-
ton which | should like to see q sister
of mine apply for
What is the meaning of it all, Mr..
Holiness"
"Ah, l have no data. l cannot tell
Perhaps you have yourself formed
some opinion?'
well, there seems to me to be only
one possible solution. Mr.. Rucastlc
seemed to be very kind, good-natur-
| ed man. Is it not possible, that his
wife is a lunatic, that he desires to
keep the matter quiet for fear she
should be taken to an asylum, and
that he humors her fancies in every
| way in order to prevent an outbreak"
THAT is a possible SOlution-in fact,
as matters stand, it is the most pro-
| bable one. But in any case it does
not seem to be a nice household for a
young lady"
But the money, Mr.. Holmes, the
money!"
"Wel, yes, of course the pay is good
too good. That is what makes me
$120 a year, when they could have
their pick for $40? There must be
! some strong reason behind.
Il thought that if l told you the
circumstances you would understand
afterwards if l wanted your help. /
should feel so much stronger if / felt
| that you were at the back of me-
| 'Oh, you may carry that feeling
away with you. ] assure you that
your little problem promises to be the
most interesting which has come my
way for some months. There is some
! thing distinctly novel about some Of
the features. If you should find your
self in doubt or in danger"
Danger. What danger do you for
aee?'
Holmes shook his head gravcly. at
! would cease to be a danger if we could
! define it," said he. But at any time,
! day or night, telegram would bring
me down to your help
THAT is enough She rose briskly
| from her face 81 shall go down to
Hampshire quite easy in my mind now.
! | shall write to Mr.. Rucastle at once,
sacrifice my poor hair tonight. and
start for Winchester tomorrow" With
a few grateful words to Holmes she
babe us both goodnight and rustled
off upon her way.
"At least SAID I, as we heard her
quick, firm step descending the stairs,
"she seems to be young lady who Is
very we'll able to take care of her.
self"
"And she would need to be-" said
Holmes, gravely Il am much mistak-
en- if We do not hear from her before
many days arc past"
1t was not very dong before my
| friends prediction was fulfilled. A
| fortnight went by, during which | fire.
quently found my thoughts turning in
her direction, and wondering what
strange side-alley of human expert
cnce this lonely woman had strayeG
into. The unusual salary the curious
conditions, the light duties, all pointed
to something abnormal, though wheth-
cr a fad or a plot, or whether the
man were a philanthropist or a villain,
i
determine AS to Holmes, | observed
that he sat frequently for half An
hour on end, with knitted brows and
an distracted air, but he swept thr
matter away with a wave of his hand
when / mentioned it, Data! data
data" he cried impaticntiy. Il cant
make bricks without clay" And yet
he would always wind up by mutter-
| ing that no sister of his should ever
have accepted such situation.
The telegram which we eventually
received came late one might, just as
was thinking of turning in, and
Holmes was settling down to one of
those all-night chemical researches
which he frequently INDUCED in
when ] would leave him STOPPING over
a retort and a tcst-tubc at night, and
| find him in the same position when /
came down to breakfast in the morn
ing. He opened the yellow envelope,
and then, CHANGING a the massage,
threw it across to me.
Just look up the trains in Brad
shaw" said he, aud turned back to
his chemical studies.
The summons was brief and ur-
gent one.
please be at the Black Swan Ho-
tel at Winchester at midday to-mor-
row." it said. do come. / am at
my wits end. HUNTER"
"Will you come with me?' asked
Holmes, CHANGING up.
81 should wish to-
Just look it up, them
"Therc is a train at half-past nine
said l. glancing over my BRADSHAW.
ut is due at Winchester at 11:30."
THAT will do very nicely. Then
perhaps / had better postpone my
analysis of the acetones, as we may
need to be at our best in the morn
ing"
BY eleven o'clock the next day we
were upon our way to the old English
capital. Holmes had been buried i'll
the morning papers all the way down,
but after we had passed the Hamp-
shire border he threw them down, and
began to admire the scenery. 1t was
an ideal spring day. a light blue sky,
flccked with little feecy white clouds
drifting across from west to east. The
sun was shining very brightly, and yet