The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-05

1 associating him with gray arehways and
 mullioned windows and all the venerable Wreckage of a feudal keep. Once or twice
 we drifted into talk, and l can remember that more than once he expressed keen interest in my methods of observation and inference
 For four years I had seen nothing of
 him until one morning he walked. into my room in Montague street. He had | changed little, was dressed like young
 man of fashlon-he was always bit of
 a dandy-and preserved the same quiet, suave manner which had formerly distin-
 guished him.
 How has all gone with you. Mus grave? l asked after we had cordially shaken hands. l" You probably heard of my poor fath- er's death,' said he; he was carried off about two years ago. Since then l have of course had the Hurlstone estates to manage, and as 1 am member for my dis | trict as well. my life has been a busy one. But l understand, Holmes, that you are turning to practical ends those powers
 with which you used to amaze us?'' "'Yes, said l, I have taken to living | by my wits
 "'I am delighted to hear It. for your advice at present would be exceedingly valuable to me. We have had some very , strange doings at Hurlstone, and the po- l llt6 nave DetD HDlt lO lUTOW liO llEnl upuu | the matter. It is really the most extra ordinary and inexplicable business You can imagine with what eagerness I listened to him, Watson, for the very | chance for which had been panting dur ing all those months of inaction seemed to have come within my reach. In my inmost heart believed that I could sue ceed where others failed, and now I had the opportunity to test myself.
 " Pray lei me have the details I cried Reginald Musgrave sat down opposite | to me and lit the cigarette which pushed | towards him.
 "'You must know" said he, that | though I am a bachelor, have to keep l up considerable staff of servants al Hurlstone, for it is rambling old place and takes good deal of looking after. preserve, too, and in the pheasant months usually have house party, so that Ii would not do to be short-handed. Alto gether there are eight maids, the cook the butler, two footmen, and a boy. The | garden and the stables, of course, have a separate staff.
 'Of these servants the one who had 1 been longest in our service was Bruntor | the butler. He was a young schoolmaster out of place when he was first taken ur | by my father. but he was man of great energy and character and he soon became | quite invaluable in the household. He | was a Well-grOWn, handsome man, With l splendid forehead, and though he has beer with us twenty years he cannot be more | than forty now. With his personal ad vantages and his extraordinary gifts-foI l he can speak several languages and play nearly every musical instrumental is | wonderful that he should have been sat | ished so long in such a position. but suppose that he was comfortable, and
 lacked energy to, make any change. Tht
 butler of Hurlstone is always thing thai | is remembered by al who visit us. But this paragon has one fault. H' 1 is a. bit of Don Juan. and you can imag l inc that for a man like him it is not very difficult part to play in a quiet coun l try district. When he was married it wa. 1 all right, but since he has been widowe 1 we have had no end of trouble with him | A few months ago we were in hopes tha | he was about to settle down again, for h. l became engaged to Rachel Howells. ou /; second housemaid; but he has thrown he over since then and taken up with Jane I TregelIis. the daughter of the head game l keepeT> Rachael--who is a very good girl 1 but of an excitable Welsh temperament had a sharp touch of brain fever, an, | goes about the house now-or did unti
 1 yesterday-llxe a black-eyed shadow O | her former self. That was our first dram l at Hurlstone; but a second one came t l drive it from our minds. and It was pre-
 | faced by the disgrace and dismissal O | butler Brunston.
 This was how it came about. I hay
 | said that the man was intelligent, an this very intelligence has caused hi