The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-11-01


seven or eight years ago, and gave Mr..
Sherlock Holmes a puzzled quarter of
an hour. 1t was addressed to him and
ran thus:
Please await me. Terrible misfortune.
Right wing three-Quarter missing indis-
pensable tomorrow. OVERTON.
Strand postmark and dispatched
1885," said Holmes, reading it over
and over. MIR. Overton was evidently
considerably excited when he sent it
and somewhat incoherent i'll conse
quence. Well, well, he will be here.
dare say by the time | have looked
through the Times, and then we shall
know all about it. Even tho most imsig
nificant problem would be welcome in
these stagnant days"
Things had indeed been very slow
with us, and l had learned to dread
such periods of inaction, for l knew
by experience that my companions
brain was SO abnormally active that it
was dangerous to leave it without ma
terial upon which to work. For years
I had gradually weaned him from
once to check his remarkable career
Now knew that under ordinary con-
ditions he no longer craveu for this
artificial stimulus, but l was we'll
aware that the fiend was not dead,
but sleeping, and l have known that
The sleep was Il light one and the wax
ing near when i'll periods of idleness
T No al
Holmes ascetic face and the brooding
of his deep set and inscrutable eyes.
Therefore l blessed this Mr. Overtou,
whoever he might be- since he had
come with his enigmatic message to
break that dangerous calm which
brought more peril to my friend than
all the storms of his tempestuous life.
AS we had expected, the telegram
was soon followed by its sender, and
the card Of Mr.. Cyril Overton, Trinity
college, Cambridge, announced the ar
rival of an enormous young man, six
teen stone of solid bone and muscle,
who spanned the doorway with his
broad shoulders and looked from one
of us to the other with a comely face
which was haggard with anxiety.
"AIr. Sherlock Holiness"
My companion bowed.
1--WE been down to Scotland Yard,
MIR. Holmes. saw Inspector Stanley
Hopkins. He advised me to come to
you. He said the case, so far as he
could see, was more in your line than
In that of the regular police"
pray sit down and tell me what is
the matter"
Its awful, Mr. Holmes. Simply
awful! / wonder my hair isn't gray.
Godfrey Staunton-you'v heard OF
him, of course? He's simply the hinge
that the whole team turns on. I'd
rather spare two from the pack and
have Godfrey for my three-quarter
line. Whether it's passing or tackling
or dribbling there's no one to touch
him, and, then, he's got the head and
can hold US all together. What am
to do? That's what ask you, Mr..
Holmes There's Moorhouse, first re-
serve, but lie is trained as a half, and
he always edges right in on 10 the
serum instead Of keeping out on the
touch line He's fine place kick, it's
true, but then he has no judgment, and
he can't sprint for nuts. Why, Nor
ton or johnson, the Oxford tliers,
could romp round him. Stevenson is
fast enough, but he couldn't drop from
the twenty-five line. and a three
quarter who can't either punt or drop
isn't worth a place for pace alone.
No, Mr.. Holmes, we are done unless
you can help me to find Godfrey
Stanton"
My friend had listened with amused
surprise to this long speech, which
was poured forth with extraordinary
vig0r and earnestness, every point be-
ing driven home by the slapping of Il
brawny hand upon the speakers knee.
When our visitor was silent Holmes
stretched out his hand and took down
letter rs" of his commonplace book
For once he dug in vain into that mine
of varied information.
There is Arthur III. Staunton, the
rising young forger," said he, land
there was Henry Staunton, whom
helped to hang, but Godfrey Staunton
is new name to me-"
1t was our visitors turn to look sur
prised.
why, Mr.. Holmes, l thought you
knew things" said he. II suppose
then, If you have never heard Of God
frey Staunton, you don't know Cyril
Overton either?'
Holmes shook his head good humor
eddy.
"Great Scott"' cried the athlete
"Why, I was first reserve for Eng
iand against Wales. and I've skippere6
the varsity all this year. But that's
nothing! 1 didn't think there was 8
soul in England who didn't know God
frey Staunton, the crack three-quarter
Cambridge, Blackheath and five in
rernationals. Good Lord, Mr.. Holmes
where have you livedY'
Holmes laughed at the young giants
naive establishment.
"You live in a different world from
me- Mr. Overton-a sweeter and health
Ter one. My ramifications stretch ou
into many sections of society," but never