The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-17
A. J. WILLIFORD, General Agent,
Tucker Building, Raleigh, N. C..
Agents selling Annual Dividend Policies those
pecting to FALL IN LINE, will find it to their
interest to communicate with regarding contract

while to call Homes's attention to it.
Then there was the peculiar dying
reference to a rat. What could that
mean? 1t could not be delirium. A
man dying from a sudden blow does
not commonly become delirious. No,
it was more likely to be an attempt
to explain how he met his fate. But
what could it indicate? / cudgelled
my brains to find some possible eX-
the gray cloth, seen by young Nc
Carthy. If that were true. the muir
derer must have dropped some part
CT his dress, presumably his overcoat,
in his flight, and must have had the
hardihood to return and to carry it
away at the instant when the son was
kneeling with his back turned not a
dozen PAGES off. What a tissue of mys-
teries and improbabilities the whole
thing was! | did not wonder at Les
trades opinion, and yet had SO much
faith in Sherlock Holiness insight that
l could not lose hope as long as every
fresh fact seemed to strengthen his
conviction of young McCarthy's inno-
cence.
1t was late before Sherlock Holmes
returned. He came back alone. for
Lestrade was staying In lodgings in
the town.
THE glass still keeps very high" he
remarked as he sat down. 1t is of
importance that 1t should not rain be-
fore we are able to go over the ground.
On the other hand. a man should be
at his very best and keenest for such
nice work as that. and l did not wish
to do it when tagged by a long jour
ney. / have seen young Mccarthy"
And what did you learn from him.
Nothing"
Gould he throw no light?"
None at all. 1 was inclined to
think at one time that he knew who
had done it, and was screening him or
her, but l am convinced now that he
is as puzzled as every one else He
is not a very quick-witted youth,
though comely to look at. and,
should think, sound at heart"
II cannot admire his TASTE" l re-
marked, eff it is indeed a fact that
he was averse to Il marriage with SO
charming a yong lady as this Miss
Turner"
"Ah, thereby hangs a rather painful
tale. This fellow is madly insanely in
love with her, but some two years ago,
when he was only lad, and before
he really knew her. for she had been
away five years at boarding -School,
what does the idiot do but get into the
clutches of barmaid in Bristol. and
marry her at a registry ONCE! NO
one knows word of the matter. but
YOU can imagine how maddening 1t
must be to him to be upbralded for
not doing what he would give him
very eyes to do, but what he knows
to be absolutely impossible. 1t was
sheer frenzy of this sort which made
him throw his hands up into the air
when his father. at their last interview,
was goading him on to propose TO Miss
Turner. On the other hand, he had
no means of supporting himself, and
this father, who was by all accounts
very hard man. would have thrown
him over utterly had he known the
truth. 1t was with his barmaid wife
that he had spent the last three days
in Bristol, and his father did not know
where he was. Mark that point. IT
is of Importance. Good has come out
of evil, however for the barmaid. find
ing from the papers that he is i'm seri-
Gus trouble. and likely to be hanged,
has thrown him over utterly, and has
written to him to say that she has a
husband already in the Bermuda
Backward so that there is really no
tie between them. l think that that
bit of news has consoled young Nc