The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-26
AN action in which you were pre-


pared to aid me-"
/ turned it over in my mind.
Yes / said, cit is morally iusti-
fable so long as our object is to take
no articles save those which are used
for an illegal purpose"
Exactly. Since it is morally iusti-
fable, / have only to consider the
question of personal risk. Surely a
| gentleman should not lay much stress
upon this. when a lady is in most des-
You will be in such a false posi-
ton"
well. that is part of the risk. There
| is no other possible way of regaining
| perate need of his help?"
these letters. The unfortunate lady
has not the money, and there are none
| of her people in whom she could con-
| fde. Tomorrow is the last day of
grace, and unless we can get the letters
| tonight, this villain will be as good as
| his word and will bring about her
| ruin. / must, therefore. abandon my
client to her faate or l must play this
! last card. Between ourselves. Watson,
| it's a sporting duel between this fell
| low MiIverton and nee. He had. as You
saw, the best of the first exchanges.
/ but my Self-respect and my reputation
are concerned to fight it to q finish"
''Well, 1 don't like it, but L suppose
it must be-" said l. when do we
start?"
You are not coming"
"Then you are not going" said /.
81 give you my word of honour-and /
never broke il in my life-that l will
take a cab straight to the police-station
and give you away, unless you let me
share this adventure with YOU"
You can't help me-"
'How q 0 you know that? You can't
tell what may happen. Anyway, my
resolution is taken. Other people be
side you have self-respect, and even
regulations"
Holmes had looked annoyed. but his
brow cleared, and he claDped me on
the shoulder.
well well. my dear fellow. be it
so. We have shared this same room
for some years. and it would be anus
ing if We ended by sharing the same
cell. You know. Watson, / don't mind
confessing to you that l have always
had an idea that l would have made q
highly efficient criminal. This is the
chance of my lifetime in that direction
See here!" He took a neat little leath-
er case out of q drawer. and opening
it he exhibited a number of shining
instruments. This is a first-class. up
to-date burgling kit with nickel
| plated Jenny, diaBlond-tipped glass
cutter adaptable keys, and every mod
ern improvement which the march of
| civilization demands. Here. too. is my
dark lantern. Everything is in order
Have you pair cf silent shoes?"
Il have rubber-soled tennis shoes"
Excellent! And a mask ?"
II can make a couple out of black
silk"
II can see that you have a strong.
natural turn for this sort of thing.
/ Very good, do you make the masks.
! We shall have some cold supper before
we start. 1t is now nine-thirty. At
! eleven we shall drive as far as Church
Row. 1t is a quarter of an hours
walk from there to Appledore Towers.
! We shall be at work before midnight.
! Milverton is a heavy sleeper. and re-
/ tires punctually at ten-thirty With
any luck we should be back here by
| two, with the Lady Eva's letters in my
pocket
Holmes and l put on our dress
| clothes. so that we might appear to be
| two -theatre-goerS homeward bound.
In Oxford Street we picked up a
hanson and drove to an address in
Hampstead Here we paid off our
! cab, and with our great coats button
! ed up, for it was bitterly cold and the
! wind seemed to blow through us, we
walked along the edge of the heath.
ITS a business that needs delicate
! treatment said Holmes. These docu-
ments are contained in a safe in the
| fellows study and the study is the
ante-room of his bed-chamber. On
the other hand. like all these stout.
| little men who do themselves well, he
| is a plethoric sleeper. Agatha
that's my tiancee-says it is a joke in
! the servants hall that it's impossible
to wake the master. He has a secre-
tary who is devoted to his interests,
and never budgeS from the study all
day. That's why we are going at night.
Then he has beast of a dog which
roams the garden. l met Agatha late
the last two evenings and she locks
! the brute up so as to give me a clear
run. This is the house this big one
IN it's own grounds. Through the
gate-now 70 the right among the
| laurels. We might put on our masks
here, / think. You see there is not Il
glimmer of light in any of the win
dows, and everything is working
| splendidly."
| With our black silk face-coverings,
which turned US into two of the mos
truculent figures in London. we stole
up to the silent. gloomy house. A
sort of tiled veranda extended along
one side of it, lined by several win
doWs and two doors.
That's his bedroom" Holmes whis-
pered. "This door opens straight into
the study. 1t would suit us best. but it
is bolted as well as locked. and we
should make too much noise getting
in. Come round here. There's Il
greenhouse which opens into the
drawing ROOM"
The place was locked. but Holmes
removed a circle of glass and turned
the key from the inside. An instant
afterwards he had closed the door be-
hind us, and we had become felons in
the eyes of the law. The thick, warm
air of the conservatory ard the rich,
choking fragrance of exotic plants took
us by the throat. He seized my hand
in the darkness and led me swiftly
past banks of shrubs which brushed
against our faces. Holmes had re-
markable powers. carefully cultivated,
of seeing in the dark. Still holding
my hand in one of his. he opened
door, and l was vaguely conscious
that we had entered a large room in
which cigar had been smoked not
long before He felt his way among
the furniture. onened another door.
and closed it behind us. Putting out
my hand l felt several coats hanging
from the wall and I understood that
was in q passage. We passed along
it. and Holmes very gently opened a
door upon the right hand side. Some