The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-18


there may be work fer me to DO. SO
now. my good sir, beg you to sit down
aud tell me, slowly and quietly, exactly
what It Is that has occurred and how
you desire that l should hel, yfcu"
Young Overton's face assumed the
bothered look Of man who is more
accustomed TO using bis muscles than
bis wits, but by degrees, with many
repetitions and obscurities which /
may omit from his narrative, he laid
his strange story before us
Its this way, Mr.. Holmes. As /
have said, am the skipper OF the Rug
ger team Of Cambridge varsity, and
Godfrey staunton is my best man. To
morrow we play Oxford Yesterday we
all came up, and we settled at Bent
ley's private hotel At 10 o'clock went
round and saw that all the fellows had
gone to roost, for / believe IN strict
training and plenty Of sleep to keep a
team ct. I had a word or two with
Godfrey before he turned In. He seem
ed to me to be pale and bothered
asked him what was the matter lie
said he was all rlght-just touch OF
headache. l bade him good night and
left him. Half an hour later, the por-
ter tells me, a rough looking man with
a beard called with note for Godfrey.
He had not gone to bed, and the note
was taken to his room. Godfrey read
ii and fell back in a chair as IL he had
been pole a2ed. The porter vas so
scared that he was going to fetch me.
but Godfrey stopped him. had drink
OF water and pulled himself together
Then he went downstairs, said a few
words to the man who was waiting in
the hall, and the two Of them went Off
together The last that the porter saw
Of them they were almost running
down the street in the direction of the
Strand This morning G0dfrey's room
was empty. his bed had never been
slept in, and his things were all just as
l had seen them the night before He
had gone OIL at q moments notice with
this stranger and no word has come
from him since. I don't believe he will
ever come back He was a sportsman.
was Godfrey, down to his marrow, and
he wouldn't have stopped his training
and let IN his skipper II it were not for
some cause that was too strong for
him. No; feel as II he were gone for
good, and we should never see him
again"
Sherlock Holmes listened with the
deepest attention to this singular mar
rative.
what did you do?" be asked.
II wired to Cambridge to learn II
anything had been heard Of him there
have had an answer. No one has
seen him"
could he have got back to Cam
bridgef''
Yes; there is a late train--quarter
past IL"
but. so far as you can ascertain, he
did not take it?'
mo; he has not been seen"
"What did you do next7p
Il wired to Lord Mount-James."
''Why to Lord MONT James?7
Godfrey is an orphan, and Lord
MounS-James is his nearest relative
his uncse. believe
Indeed. This throws new light upon
the matter. Lord Mount-Jamss is one
OF the richest men in England"
80 I've heard Godfrey say"
"And your friend was closely re-
latedl"
Yes; he was his heir and the old
boy is nearly eighty-cram full OF gout
too They say he could chalk his bill
lard cue with his knuckles. He never
allowed Godfrey a shilling in his life,
FOR he is an absolute miser, but it VIII
all come to him right enough"
''Have you heard from Lord Mount
James?"
mo"
"What motive could your friend have
in going TO Lord Mount-Jamesf"
well. something was worrying him
the night before. ard II II was 10 do
with money il is possible that he would
make for his nerlsst relative, who had
SO much OF il. though from all have
heard he would not have much chance
Of getting IT, Godfrey was not fond OF
the old man. He would not 60 II he
could help It,"
"Well, we can soon determine that.
If your friend was going 10 his relative.
Lord Mount-James, you have then to
explain the visit OF this rough looking
fellow at so late an hour and the agi-
tation that was caused by his coming.
Cyril Oyerton pressed his hands to
his head Il can make nothing Of IL,
said he.
"Well, we'll, have clear day. and
l shall be happy 70 look into the mat
ter" said Holmes y snould strongly
recommend you to make your prepara-
tions for your match without reference
20 this young gentleman. II must. as
you say, have been an overpowering
necessity which tore him away IN such
fashion, and the same necessity IL
likely to hold him away. Let us step
round together to the hotel and see II
the porter can throw any fresh light
upon the matter"
Sherlock Holmes was past master
IN the art OF putting a humble witness
at his ease. and very soon. in the pri-
vacy OF Godfrey stauntOn's abandoned
room, he had extracted all that the por-
ter had to tell The visitor OF the uight
before was not gentleman. nelther
was be workingman. He was simply
what the porter described as ''medi-
um looking chap" man OF hfty.
beard grizzled. pals face. quietly dress
ed. He seemed himself to be agitated.
The porter had observed his hand
trembling when be had held ont the