Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-22
ut a stanch hound on the


lie led him across to the doctor door. inc
dog shifted round for an instant ana then
with a shrill whine of excitement starteu
off down the street, Juggling at MS leash
in his efforts to go faster. In half an noun,
We were clear of the town and fastening
down country road
- What have you done. Holmes! l asked
"a threadbare and venerable device, but
useful upon occasion. L walked INTO the
doctors yard this morning and Shot my
syringe fun of auiseed over the hind wheel.
\ draghound will follow anseed from here
to John oGrOats's, and our friend, Arm
strong would have to drive through the
Cam before he would shake Pompev of
his trail. oh, the cunning rascal! Inns Is
how he gave me the slip the other night.
The dog had suddenly turned out of the
main road into a grasS-grown lane. tan
mile farther this opened into another Droad
road. and the trail turned hard to the rlghI
in the direction of the town which we hao
just quilted. The road took sweep TO me
south of the town, and continued IN the
opposite direction to that in when we
This detour had been entirely for our
benefit, theu?" said Holmes. NO wonder
that my inquiries among those villages Ieu
TO nothing The doctor has certainly played
the game for all it is worth, and one would
like to know the reason for such elaborate
deception. This should be the FhlaS 5 10, on
Trumpington to the right of us And py
Jove. here is the brougham coming round
the corner. Quick. Watson-qulck' or we
are dOne,'
dragging the reluctant Pompey after him.
We had hardly got under the shelter OF
the hedge when the carriage ratified past
| caught a glimpse of DR.. Armstrong Win
in his shoulders bowed. his head sunk on
his hands the very image OF distress
could tell. by my companions grarer face'
that he also had seen.
Il fear there is some dark ending TO our
quest" said he 1T cannot he long be
fore we know it Come, Pompey! All, 1t
is ;he cottage in the feldi
There could be doubt that We hau
reached the end of our journey. Pompey
ran about and whined eagerly OUTSIDE tne
gate. where the marks of the brousham
wheels were still to be seen. A tootpath
led across to the lonely cottage. Holmes
tied the dog to the hedge. and we fastened
onward. My friend knocked at the NIUE
rustic door, and knocked again without
response, And yet the cottage was not de-
serted for a low sound came 70 our ears
a kind of drone of misery and despair,
which was indescribably melancholy
Holmes paused irresoiute, and then ne
glanced back at the road which he had
lust trdversed y brougham was coming
down it. and there could be no mistaking
those gray horses. go,
by Jove the doctor is coming back!
cried Holmes. That settles it.. We are
bound TO see what it means before he
comes
He opened the door, and we stepped into
the hall. The droning sound swelled louder
upon our ears until it became one long
deep wall of distress. 1t came from up
stairs Holmes darted up. and l followed
him He pushed open half-cIosed door
and we both stood appalled, at the sight De-
fore .
A woman, young and beautiful, was ly-
ing dead upon the bed. Her calm, pale
face, with dim. wideopen blue eyes, looked
upward from amid a great tangie or goIdeh
hair At the foot of the bed, half sitting
half kneeling his face buried in the clothes,
was a Young man. whose frame was rackeo
bv his sobs So absorbed was he by his bit
that he
Holmes hand was on his shoulder.
Are you Mr.. Godfrey Staunton?
Yes yes, l am-but you are too late. she
is dead"
The man was so dazed that he could not
be made TO understand that we were any
thing but doctors who had been sent to ms
assistance. Holmes was endeavofins 10
utter a few words of consolation. and 10
explain the alarm which had been caused
10 his friends by his sudden disappearance,
when there was a step upon the stairs, and
there was the heavy. stern, questioning
face of DR.. Armstrong at the door.
so gentlemen" said he, you have at
tanned your end, and have certainly chosen
a particularly delicate moment for your III
1rUston. l would not brawl in the presence
Of death. but l can assure you that II
were a younger man your monstrous con-
duct would not pass with tmpunity-'
Excuse me, DR.. Armstrong, l think we
friend with dignity. If you could step
downstairs with US. we may each be able
to give some light TO the other upon TINS
miserable affair.
A minute later. the grim doctor and our
selves were in the sitting room below
Well sr?'' said he.
Il wish you to understand in the first
piece. that l am not employed by Lord
Ntount-Jamcs. and that my sympathles in
this matter are entirely against that noble
man. When a man is lost it is my duty TO
ascertain his fate but having done so the
matter ends so far as am concerned, and
so long as there is nothing criminal, am
much more anxious TO hush up private
scandals than 10 give them publicity If.
as | imagine, there is no breach of the law
in this matter YOU can absolutely depend
upon my discretion and my cooperation
in keeping the facts out of the papers,
DE- Armstrong took q quick step forward
and Wrung Holmes by the hand.
you are a good fellow said he. Il had
misjulged you l thank heaven that my
conjunction at leaving poor Stanton all
aIoue f. this plight caused me to turn my
carriage back, and so to make your ac-
uuaiutance. Knowing as much as you do
the situation is very easily explained. A
year ago Godfrey Staunton lodged in Lon
don for time, and became pasSlonately
attached to his landlady's daughter, whom
he married. Sire was as good as she was
beautiful, and as intelligent as she was
good No man need be ashamed of such
wife But Godfrey was the heir to this
grabbed old nobleman, and 1t was quite
certain that the news of his marriage would
have been the end OF his inheritance. l
his many excellent qualities. l did all l
could to help him TO keep things straight.
We did our very best to keep the thing from
every one, for, when once such Il Whisper
gets about, it is not long before every one
has heard Il. Thanks to this lonely cot
rage and his own discretion, Godfrey has up
10 now succeeded. Their secret was known
to no one save 10 me and to one excellent
servant who has at present gone for as
sistance TO Trumpington. But at last there
came 4 terrible blow in the shape of danger
Gus illness to his wife. II was consumption
of the most Virulent kind. The poor boy
was half crazed with grief, and yet he had
to go to London to play this match, for he
could not get out of II without explanations
which would expose his secret. l tried to
cheer him up by wire, and he sent me one
reply. imploring me to do all l could This
was the telegram which you appear in some
irexplicable way to have seen / ana not
tell him how urgent the danger was, for |
knew that he could do no good here but L
sent the truth to the girls father. and he
very inudiciously communicated 1t TO God
frey. The result was that he came straight
away in a state bordering on frenzy, and
has remained In the same state. kneellng at
the end of her bed until this morning death