Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-03
By A. CONAN DOYLE,

In that world Of fresh air and fair play
there may 10 work for me to do. So
now. my good sir. beg you to cit down
and tell me. slowly and quietly. exactly
what 1t is that has occurred and how
you desire that ! should help you"
Young Ovcrton's face assumed the
bothered look of man who Is more
accustomed to using his muscles than
his wits. but Ivy degrees. with many
rcpatltions and obscurtes which I
may omit from his narrative, he laid
his strange story before us.
IT'S this way. Mr.. Holmes. As I
have said, I am the skipper of the Rug
ger team Of Cambridge varsity, and
Godfrey stanton is my best mnn. To-
morrow we play oxford. Yesterday we
all came mp. and we settled at Bent.
lcy'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 fit. had word or two with
Godfrey before he turned in. lie seem
cd TO me TO he pale and bothered. l
said he was all right-just Il touch Of
headache. I hadc him good night and
left him. Half an hour later, the por-
ter tells me. n rough looking man with
q beard called with note for Godfrey.
He had not gone TO bed. and the note
was taken 70 his room. Godfrey read
| it and fell back in u chair as II he had
scared that he was going TO fetch me.
but Godfrey stopped him, had a drink
Of water and pulled himself together.
| Then he went downstairs. said q few
| words to the man who was waiting in
the hail, 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 Godfrey's room
was empty. his bed had never been
| slept in. and bis things were all Just as
| I had seen them the night before. He
| had gone Off Mt moments notice with
| this stranger. and no word has come
| from him since. I don't believe he will
ever come back. He was sportsman
was Godfrey. down to his marrow, and
he wouldn't have stopped his training
and let in his skipper If 1t were not fol
some cause that was too strong fol-
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?' ne asked.
~ wired to Cambridge to learn Il
anything had been heard Of him there
I have had an answer No one ha!
seen him."
could he have got back to Cam
bridge"
ayes; there Is a late train-quartc
past H."
but. so far as you can ascertain, 1t
did not take it,"
"No: he has not been SEEN"
"Whnt did you do next:'
~ wired to Lord MountJames."
"Why to Lord MOunt-James?"
Godfrey is an orphan, and Lore
Mount-James is his nearest relative
his uncle, l believe"
Indeed This throws new light upol
the matter. Lord Mount-.Tames is OH
of the richest men in England"
$50 I've heard Godfrey say"
"And your friend was closely re
lated:"
Yes: he was his heir, and the oil
boy is nearly eighty-cram full Of gOu
too. They say he could chalk his hi
lard cue with his knucklcs. He ncvc
allowed Godfrey shilling in his life
for he is an absolute miser. but 1t wi
all come to him right enough"
"lIavc you heard from Lord Mount
James"
mo"
"What motive could your friend hav
in going to Lord Mount-James?"
"Well, something was worrying hi
the night before. and IL 1t was to
!. with money it Is possible that he woul
make for his nearest relative, who ha
80 much Of ii. though from all hav
heard he would not have much chanc
Of getting 1t. Godfrey was not fond {
the old man. He would not 60 IL
could help it,
, "Well, we can soon determine tina
, II your friend was going to his relative
Lord Mount James. you have then
explain the visit Of this rough lookin
fellow at so late an hour and the ag
tation that was caused by his coming,
O Cyril OvertOn pressed his hands
, his head. IL can make nothing Of it.
said he.
o "Well. well. ] have q clear day, an
l shall be happy to look into the ma
@ ter" said Holmes. Il should strong
4 recommend you TO make your prepar;
! tons for your match without referen,
n to this young gentleman. 1t must. {
you say, have been an Overpowerill
, necessity which tore him away In sue
Il fashion. and the same necessity
Il likely to hold him away. Let us ST.
, round together to the hotel and see
|. the porter can throw any fresh ligl
II upon the matter"
Sherlock Holmes was Il past mast,
r In the art Of putting n humble witne
at his ease, and very soon. in the pl
e. vacy of Godfrey Staunton's abandons
E room, he had extracted all that the po
d ter had to tell. The visitor of the mig
q before was not q gentleman. Meth
a was he workingman. He was simp