The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-28

and tell me. slowly and quietly. exactly
VIVA; it is that has occurred and how
Ii. p. sire that l should help YOU
Young 0y,,.on's face assumed the
bothered look of man who is more
accustomed to using his muscles uan
his wits. but by degrees. with many
repetitions and obscurties which [
may omit from his narrative, he laid
his strange story before us.
It's this way. Mr. Holmes. As l
have said. / am the skipper of the Rug
ger team of Cambridge varsity. and
Godfrey Stanton is my best man. To
morrow we play oxford. Yesterday we
all came up ana we settled at Bent
leyS private hotel. At 10 o'clock went
round ANA saw that all the fellows had
gone 10 rooSt. for | believe in strict
training and plenty of sleep 10 keep
team fJ. ! had word or two with
Godfrey before he turned in. He seem
ed ~ me TO be pale and bothered. l
asked him what was the matter He
said hc was all right just touch of
headache | babe 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
it ana fell back in a chair as if he had
been pole axed. The porter was 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 We're almost running
down the street in the direction of the
Strand This morning Godfrey'S room
was empty. his bed had never been
slept in. and his things were all Just as
! had seen them the night before He
had gone off ut a moments notice with
this stranger, and no word has come
from him since. | 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 i'm his skipper if it We're not for
some cause that was too strong for
him. No; feel as if 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?" he asked.
81 wired TO Cambridge to learn if
anything had been heard of him there.
have had an answer No one has
seen him"
Gould he have got back to Cam
bridge
yes; there is a late train-quarter
past H."
But, so far as you can ascertain, he
did not take it,"
''No; he has not been seen"
"What did you 90 next?"
81 wired to Lord Mount-James."
''Why TO Lord Mount-JameS?"
Godfrey is an orphan and Lord
Mount-JameS is his nearest relative
his uncle believe"
Indeed This throws new light upon
the matter. Lord Mount-James is one
of the richest men in England"
80 I've heard Godfrey say"
and your friend was closely re-
latedf'
YES; he was his heir, and the old
boy is nearly eighty-cram full of govt
too. They say he could chalk his bill
lard cue with his knuckles He never
allowed Godfrey shilling in his life,
for he is an absolute miser, but it will
all come to him right enough"
Have you heard from Lord Mount.
James,
No"
what motive could your friend have
in going to Lord Mount-James?"
well, something was worrying him
the night before, and if it was to do
with money it is possible that he would
make for his nearest relative, who had
so much Of it, 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 go if lie
could help it"
We'll, we can soon determine that.
If your friend was going to his relative.
Lord Mount-James. you have then to
explain the visit of this rough looking
fellow at so late an hour and the agl-
tation that was caused by his coming"
Cyril Overton pressed his hands TO
his head. Il can make nothing of il"
said he.
We'll, well, l have a clear day, and
shall be happy to look into the mat
ter said Holmes. Il should strongly
recommend you to make your prepare
tons for your match without reference
TO this young gentleman. 1t must, as
you say, have been an overpowerng
necessity which tore him away in such
fashion, and the same necessity is
likely to hold him away. Let us step
round together to the hotel and see if
the porter can throw any fresh light
upon the matter
Sherlock Holmes was a 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 night
before was not a gentleman, neither
was he a workingman. He was simply
what the porter described as "medi-
UNI looking chap" a man of fifty.