The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-27


| L saw her in conversation with her
maid"
And who is her maid ?"
Alice is her name. She is an Anne
lrican, and came from California with
her
"a confidential servant?"
"a little too much so. 1t seemed to
me that her mistress allowed her &c
take great liberties Still. of course
in America they look upon these
things in a different way
How long did she speak to this
lAlice?"
oh, few minutes. 1 had some
thing else to think Of
You did not overhear what they
said ?"
Lady st. Simon said something
labout jumping claim. She was ac-
lcustomed to use slang of that kind.
have no idea what she meant.
American slang is very expressive
sometimes. And what did your wife
do when she finished speaking to her
maid 2"
'she walked into the breakfast
Iroom.''
ON your arm?"
mo, alone She was very independ-
ent in little matters like that. Then
after we had sat down for ten minutes
or so, she rose hurriedly, muttered
some words of apology, and left the
room. She never came back.
But this maid. Alice, as | under
stand, deposes tat she went to her
room, covered her brides dress with
a long ulster, put on bonnet. and
went out
quite so. And she was afterwards
seen walking in Hyde Park in com
pany with Flora Millar, a woman who
| is now in custody, and who had al
lready made disturbance at Mr..
| Doran's house that morning"
| "Ah, yes / should like a few par
ticulars as to this young lady, and
Iyour relations to her.
! Lord ST. Simon shrugged his Shout
ders and raised his eyebrows. I'VE
have been on a friendly footing for
| some years. may say on very
| friendly footing. She used to be at the
| Allegro | have not treated her I'M
generously, and she has no just cause
of complaint against me. but you know
| what women are, Mr.. Holmes. Flora
was a dear little thin but exceedingly
hot-headed, and devotedly attached to
me. She wrote me dreadful letters
when she heard that ! was about to
| be married; and, to tell the truth, the
| reason why | had the marriage cele'
brated so quietly was that / feared
| lest there might be a scandal in the
church. She came to MI. Doran's
door just after we returned, and she
Iendeavored to push her way in, utter
| ing abusive expressions towards my
wife, and even threatening her, but l
| had foreseen the possibility of some
thing of the sort, and | had two police
| fellows there in private clothes, who
soon pushed her out again. She was
quiet when she saw that there was no
good in making row."
Did your wife hear all this?
"No. thank goodness. she did not"
And she was seen walking with TINS
very woman afterwards?
Yes. That is what Mr.. Lestrade, of
| Scotland Yard looks upon as serious.
1t is thought that Flora decoyed my
wife out, and laid some terrible trap
for her"
well, it is a possible suposition."
You think so, too?
II did not say probable one. But
you do not yourself look upon this as
likely?'
Il do not think Flora would hurt a
| fly"
still jealousy is a strange trans
| former characters. Pray what is
your own theory as to what took
place."
well. really, / came to seek a
theory, not to PROFOUND one. L have
1
me, however, l may say that it has oc-
CURED to me as possible that the ex-
element of the affair, the coscious-
ness that she had made SO immense
social stride, had the effect of causing
some little nervous disturbance in my
wife"
I'm short. that she had become sud
denly deranged?
"Well, really, when | consider that
I'm hack
sa-- upon me, but upon SO much that
many have aspired to without success
Il can hardly explain it in any other
fashion,"
"Weu, certainly that is also a con-
ceivable hypothesis" said Holmes,
smiling. And now, Lord st. Simon, L
think that I may say that l have
nearly all my data. May ask wheth-
err you were seated at the breakfast
table so you could see out of the win
dow"
1--WE could see the other side of the
road and the Park
Quite so. Then / do not think |
need to detain you longer. | shall COM
municate with you"
SHOULD you be fortunate enough to
solve this problem" said our client,
rising.
Il have solved it
"Eh? What wasthat?"
II say that I have solved it."
Where. then. is my wife,
THAT is a detail which | shall
speedily supply"
Lord St. Simon shook his head. L am
afraid that will take wiser heads than
yours or mine he remarked and
bowling in a stately old-fashioned
manner, he DEPARTED.
Tt is very good of Lord st. Simon to
honor my head by putting it on level
with is own, said Sherlock Holmes,
laughing. 81 think that / shall have
whiskey-and-soda and a cigar after
all the cross questioning. | had form
ed my conclusions as to the case be-
fore our client came into the room. y
MY dear Holiness"
81 have notes of several similar
cases, though none, as l remarked be-
fore, were quite as prompt. My whole
examination served to turn my con-
lecture into a certainty. CircumStan-
tal evidence is occasionally very con-
vincing, as when you find trout in
the milk, to quote Thoreaus exam
| pie"
But l have heard all that you have
heard"
Without, however, the knowledge