Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-11-30

(Cnsw:rht. 1905. b Mcclure. Pbiy:ss = Co.
Holmes replaced the bill in his note
book. IF YOU prefer a public explana-
ton, it must come sooner or later"
said he. Il have already told you that
I can hush up that which others will be
bound to publish, and YOU would really
be wiser to take me into your COM
plete confidence"
Il know nothing about it."
Did you hear from Mr.. Staunton in
London?"
Certainly not"
Dear me. dear me the postofhce
again!" Holmes sighed YEARLY. "a
most urgent telegram was dispatched
to you from London by Godfrey
Staunton at 6:15 yesterday EVENING"
telegram which is undoubtedly associ-
ated with his disappearance-and yet
you have not had 1t. 1t is most cul-
pable. I shall certainly go down to
the Office here and register a COM
plant"
Dr. Leslie Armstrong sprang up from
behind his desk, and his dark face was
crimson with fury.
"Tn trouble you to walk out Of my
house, sir" said he. you can tell YOUR
employer, Lord Mount-James. that I
do not wish to have anything to do
either with him or with his agents.
No, sir-not another wordr' He rang
the bell ~furiously. "John, show these
gentlemen out" A pompous butler
ushered US severely to the door. and
we found ourselves in the street.
Holmes burst out laughing.
DIR. Leslie Armstrong is certainly g
man Of energy and character" said he.
Il have not seen a man who, If he
turns his talents that way. was more
calculated to fill the gap left by the
illustrious Moriarty. And now, my
poor Watson, here we are, stranded
and friendless in this inhospitable
town, which we cannot leave without
abandoning our case. This little inn
just opposite Armstrong; house is
~s1ngularly adapted to our needs. If
you would engage a front room and
purchase the n~ecessaries for the night,
l may have time to make a few in
quiries.'
These few inquiries proved, however,
to be a more lengthy proceeding than
Holmes had imagined. for he did not
return to the inn until nearly 9 O'Clock.
He was pale and detected, stained with
dust, and exhausted with hunger and
fatigue. \ cold supper was ready up
on the table, and when his needs were
satisfied and his pipe alight he was
ready to take that half comic and
wholly philosophic view which wa
natural to him when his affairs were
going aWry. The sound Of carriage
wheels caused him to rise and glance
out Of the window. \ brougham and
pair Of grayS stood before the doctors
door.
It's been out three hours said
Holmes. Started at G:3O. and here it
is back again. That gives L radius of
ten or twelve miles, and he does it
once Or sometimes twice a day.
mo unusual thing for a doctor in
practice
But Armstrong is not really d doc
" LII oNIANC. 11C lo " lCStulNl dilu
a cOnsultant, but he does not care for
general practice, which distracts him
from his literary work. Why. then,
does he make these long journeys,
which must be exceedingly irksome to
him, and who is it that he visits:'
"His coachman"-
"My dear Watson, can you doubt
fhot II y,o. t1 Lir, +1,,t 7 ts,,+ ,--1;,jI
l do not know whether it came from
his W innate depravity or from the
prOmptings Of his master, but he was
rude enough to set a dog at me. Nei-
Their dog nor man liked the look of my
stick, however, and the matter fell
through. All that l have learned l
got from a friendly native in the
yard Of our own inn. 1t was he who
told me of the doctors habits and of
his daily journey. At that instant, to
give point to his words, the carriage
came round to the door"
"Could you not follow it,"
Excellent, Watson! You are scin-
tillating this evening. The idea did
cross my mind. There is, as you may
nave observed, a bicycle shop next to
Our inn. Into this 1 rushed, engaged a
bicycle and was able to get started be-
fore the carriage was quite out Of
sight. l rapidly overlook it, and then,
keeping at a discreet distance of a hun
dred yards or SO, ! followed its lights
until we were clear of the town. We
had got well out on the country road
when a somewhat notifying incident
occurred. The carriage stopped, the
doctor alighted, walked swiftly back to
where / had halted and told me IN an
excellent sardOnic fashiOn that he fear
ed the road was narrow and that he
hoped his carriage did not impede the
passage of my bicycle. Nothing could
have been more admirable than his
way of putting it. ! at once o past
the carriage, and, keeping to lhc main
road, ! went on for u few miles and
then halted In II %conyepier, O.",'