davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02
CHAPTER XIV.
The PitfaII.

It was later evening. Gordon sat in
the library. the diary in which he had
written those lines TO Ada open before
him
Since the scene with Annabel whose
dark aftermath had been the Illness
Of his old friend a deeper sense of pain
had oppressed him. His marriage had
sprung from an inarticulate divining
OF the infinite need of his nature for
such a spiritual influence as he had
ina gined she possessed. 1t had ended
in failure. a mood Of hopeiessness was
upon him now as he wrote:
Man is battle-ground between
angel and devil Tenderness and
roughness = sentiment, sensibility =
soaring and groveling. dirt and deity
all mixed in one compound OF inspired
clay. Marriage is the hostage he gives
TO his better nature. What IL this
hostage conspire with his evil side TO
betray the citadel?
Nature made me passionate Of tenn
per but with an innate tendency to the
love of good in my handspring of mind
i am an atom jarring between these
divine lifter-the supreme harmonizer.
And shall that evade me forever?
Where shall I find it? In the
cheap intrigue that absorbs half
the life Of those around me? Shall
turn TO the fairest OF those blandish-
ments, and, like the drunkard, forget
my penury in the hiccough and happi-
ness Of intoxication?'
The thought OF the delicate coquetry
Of Jane Clermont and of the ripe
beauty Of Lady Caroline Lamb flashed
across the page. an insistent vision He
saw the latters eyes, eager and invit-
ing, as he had so often seen them at
Melbourne House, when he had turned
from them TO a paler beauty. He
thought Of a past season when the
whirlwind Of her infatuation had
wound their two names in gossip that
had never tired. Love with her would
have counted all sacrifice cheap, all
obstacles gosSamer. Could such a pas
sion yield him what he craved? Was
he bound to live pent within the pali-
sade a priests ceremony had reared
about him? OF what virtue were honor
and faith TO a bond where love was
not?
But this picture faded as he wrote
across it the answer to its question:
NO, 1 Will not 1 will keep the
bond. Yet l and the mother of my
child are far apart as the two poles. /.
I am toy OF Unborn unbeliefs, linked
TO Unconditional goodness, merciless yir-
tue and ice-girdied Diety. 1 am asked
TO bow down to arcana which to me
are bagateIles. AS well believe in Rob-
erts the prophet, or Breslau the con-
jurer II he had lived in the reign of
Tiberius. The everlasting why which
stares me in the face is an unforgiv-
able thing. Yet TO yield-to go the
broad, easy way Of conventional belief
and SNUG morality-to shackle the
doubts ] feel To anchor myself to
the frozen molehills and write. like
other men, glozed comfortable lines on
which friend and foe can batten alike,
and with which reviewer and reviewee,
rhinoceros and elephant, mammoth
and megalonyx can lie quietly to-
gether!''
He threw down his pen aud leaned
his forehead in his hands.
Would to God 1 had nothing better
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

The Duke fell back in his chair.
And whom do you accuse?"
Sherlock Holmes answer was an as
founding one He stepped swiftly for
ward and touched the Duke upon the
shoulder.
your Grace. I'll trouble you for that
check
Never shall 1 forget the Dukes ap-
pearance as he sprang UP and clawed
with his hands, like one who is sinking
into an abyss. Then, with an extraor-
binary effort of aristocratic self-com-
mand, he sat down and sank his face
in his hands. 1t was some minutes be-
fore he spoke.
How much do you know" he asked
at last. without raising his head.
II saw you together last night"
Does any one else besides your
friend know"
Il have spoken TO no one"
The Duke took pen in his quivering
fingers and opened his check book
i shall be as good as my word. Mr..
Holmes. l am about to write your
check, however unwelcome the infor-
nation which you have gained may be
TO me. When the offer was first made
! little thought the turn which events
might take. But you and your friend
are men Of discretion, Mr.. Holiness"
Il hardly understand your Grace"
II must put it plainly Mr.. Holmes.
II only you two know of this incident
there IS no reason why it should go any
farther. i think e12.oO0 is the sum
that / owe you, is it not?"
But Holmes smiled and shook his
head.
L fear, your Grace. that matters can
hardly be arranged so easily. There
is the death of this schoolmaster to be
accounted for"
But James knew nothing of that.
You cannot hold him responsible for
that. 1t was the work of this brutal
ruffian whom he had the misfortune to
employ
Il must take the view, your Grace,
that when a man embarks upon a
crime he is morally guilty of any other
crime which may spring from it"
Morally, Mr.. Holmes. No doubt you
are right. But surely not in the eyes
OF the law. A man cannot be condemn
ed for a murder at which he was not
present, and which he loathes and alb
hors as much as you do. The instant
that Re heard il he made a complete
confession TO me. so filled was he with
horror and remorse- He lost not an
hour in breaking entirely with the MUIR
derer. oh, Mr.. Holmes. you must save
him-you must save him, ] tell you
that you must save him." The Duke
had dropped the last attempt at self
command. and was pacing the room
with q convulsed face and with his
clenched hands raving in the air. At
last he mastered himself and sat down
once more at his desk Il appreciate
your conduct in coming here before you
spoke TO any one else" said he. AT
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02
CHAPTER XVI.
The DespoiIing.

As his hackney-coach sped through
the night Gordon's anger at the in
humanity that had kept from him the
sick mans message faded gradually
into duIler resentment that held most
OF grief
The words of his wife recurred to his
mind: "A deddering old mani" She
had seen only the uncertain walk, the
trembling hand, the dying down Of the
brilliance and fire into cfumbling ashes
Not the past, the career in Parliament,
the mastery craft of the playwright.
the years of loyalty to his friends.
Social morality had been a lifelong
Jest to Sheridan veritable school
for Scandal from which he drew his
choicest bon-motS, yet his whole char
acter had been sweetened with the milk
of human kindness. Annabel walked
a moral princess Of Darallelograms. vi
ciously virtuous, mercilessly infiexible-
And the greatest of these is char
ity''-whose was it? Annabefs or
Sheridan's2
On the steps of ST. Dunstan's-in-the-
West stood DR.. Cassidy with his friend,
the under-curate, and he caught a
glimpse of the coach that whirled by.
.'Yonder," said Cassidy, rides Lon
don's poet-apostate. known by his limp
and his prof1igacy. The devotees are
firing. How long can the idol stand? ?''
The other turned TO gaze. Woe unto
you, when all men shall speak well Of
you," he quoted, for so did their IA
theirs to the false prophets," He also
was a sanctfmOniouS young man.
The house that sheltered the old wit
was dark as Gordon ascended the
steps. and the hollow echoes from the
knocker, reverberating through the
hall, chilled him with dread He
died an hour ago, your lordship," the
servant said.
An hour, And but for the delay, he
would have been in timei As Gordon
entered, a prey to this reflection, a
thick-set man dressed shabbily, as
cended the steps He had once been
the dead mans groom, he explained,
and begged awkwardly TO be allowed
to look upon his face The servant
hesitated. but at the grief in the
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

upon Gordon
''So,'' she said in stifed voice. You
sent my letter to my husbandi You
did not count on a scene with Bella
took this cruel way TO end it all. Well
you have succeeded. Now 1 know
Madame de Stael was right when she
called you demon You are without a
heart How I have loved you-and
now hate you. ! hate you,"
He made no reply. Her letter? As
she spoke he had had vision OF Mrs
Clermont's neiseless movements and
thin secret mouth, and suspicion clog
ged his tongue.
Lady Caroline looked at him an in
slant with a shudder as she passed
out. Il shall always hate you," she
said with yengeful emphasis. They
heard the outer door close heavily be-
hind her and the dulled sound Of
wheels.
AS Gordon turned again to meet his
wife's fiinty gaze, the footman ap-
peared.
Sir Ralph wished me to say he
would answer at once, your ladyship.
he said to Lady Noel
There was no change in Mr.. Sheri-
dams condition. Rushton?" asked
Gordon.
Change. my lord?" the boy stam-
mered. Why, Il" He looked from
him TO the others, his jaw dropped
Lady Noel shifted her cane. Il re-
ceived Rushton's report. / thought it
a pity anything should interfere with
your lordship's evening engagement" !"
"Mr. Sheridan was thought to be dy-
ing. my lord" said the boy, ''and had
asked for you.''
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

overwhelmed with grief and agitation
that my suspicious, which had never
been entirely absent, rose instantly to
a certainty, and / taxed him with the
deed He made a complete voluntary
confession. Then he implored me TO
keep his secret for three days longer.
SO as to give his wretched accomplice
a chance of saving his guilty life I
yielded-as I have always yielded-tO
his prayers, and instantly James hur-
ried off TO the Fighting Cock to warn
Hayes and give him the means OF
flight i could not go there by day
light without provoking comment, but
as soon as night fell I hurried off TO
see my dear Arthur. I found him safe
and well, but Mortified beyond express
sion by the dreadful deed he had wit
messed. In Difference to my promise,
and much against my will. consented
to leave him there for three days, un-
der the charge OF Mrs. Hayes, since il
was evident that it was Impossible TO
inform the police where he was without
telling them also who was the murder
er, and ] could not see how that mur-
derer could be punished without ruin
to my unfortunate James. You asked
for frankness. Mr. Holmes. and Ishave
taken you at your word, for I have
DOW told you everything without an at
tempt at circumlocution or conceal
r InSnl- HDC you your turn DC dS II1lh
with Te?"
4 wilI.'' said Holmes TN the first
place. your Grace. I am bound to tell
you that you have placed yourself in
a most serious position in the eyes of
the law. You have condoned a felony.
and you have aided the escape of a
murderer. for I cannot doubt that any
money which was taken by James Will
der TO aid his aceomplice in his fight
-
The Duke bowed his assent.
This is, indeed. most serious mat
ter. Even more culpable in my opin-
your younger so1. You leave him in
this den for three days
Under solemn promises"
What are promises TO such people
as these? You have no guarantee that
he will not be spirited away again. IT,
humor your guilty elder son you have
exposed your innocent younger son TO
imminent and unnecessary danger. II
was a most unjustifiable action"
The proud lord Of Holdernesse was
not accustomed to be so rated in his
own ducal hall. The blood flushed into
his high forehead, but his conscience
held him dumb
Il will help you, but on one condition
only. 1t is that you ring for the foot
man, and let me give such orders as
like"
Without a word. the Duke pressed the
electric bell A servant entered
You will be glad to hear" said
Holmes, that your young master is
found 1t is the Dukes desire that the
carriage shall go at once to the Fight
ing Cock Inn to bring LORD Satire
home.
Now" said Holmes. when the re-
Joicing lackey had disappeared. hay
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02
Continued from Page -

We'll, Mr. Holmes2" said he
But my friends eyes were fixed upon
the secretary. who stood by his mas
ter's chair.
Il think, your Grace, that I could
speak mere freely IN Mr. Wilder's abb
sence"
The man turned a shade paler and
cast a malignant glance at Holmes.
IF your Grace wishes"
Yes, yes. you had better go. Now.
Mr- Holmes. what have you to say?"
Ny friend waited until the door had
closed behind the retreating secretary.
The fact is. your Grace" said he.
that my colleague, Dr. Watson, and
myself had an assurance from DR..
Huxtable that a reward had been Of
fered in this case. I should like to
have this confirmed from your own
lips"
Certainly. MI Holmes"
1T amounted. II I am correctly in
formed to 5000 to any one who Will
tell you where your son is?"
'Exsc:5y''
And ano1her Thousand tc the man
who win name the person or per-
sons VINO keep him in CUSTODY"
Under the latter heading is included,
no doubt. rot only those who may have
taken him away. but also those who
cOnspire 10 keep him in his present po-
sition2"
yes. yes" cried the Duke. impa-
tiently. IF you do your work well.
Mr.. Sherlock Holmes. you viii have no
reason 10 complain Of niggardly treat
ment"
Ny friend rubbed his thin hands to-
eether with ala appearance OF avidity
which was q surprise TO me. who knew
his frugal tastes.
7 fancy that I see your Grace's
check book upon the table said he.
i should be glad If you would make
me out 2 check for ee0OO. II would be
as well, perhaps. for you 10 cross il.
The Capital and Counties Bank. Ox
ford street branch. are my agents.
His Grace sat very stern and upright
in his chair, and looked stonily at my
friend
rs this a joke. Mr.. Holmes? It is
hardly a subject for pleasantly
Not at all. your Grace. l was never
more earnest in my life"
What do you mean, them"
y neal that I have earned the re-
ward I know where your son is, and
1 know some, at least, OF those who
are holding him"
The Dukes beard had turned more
aecressively red than ever against his
Shastiy white face.
Where IS hep" he gssped
He is. or was last night. at the
Fiehtfng Cock Inn. about two miles
Fl n your park gate"
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

chief. that / dispatched him for safety
TO DR.. Huxtable's school
James came into contact with this
fellow Hayes. because the man was a
tenant of mine, and James acted as
agent. The fellow was rascal from
the beginning but, in some extraordi-
nary way, James became intimate with
him. He had always a taste for low
company. When James determined TO
kidnap Lord Satire. it was of this
mans service that he availed himself.
You remember that / wrote to Arthur
upon that last day. Well. James open
ed the letter and inserted a note ask
ing Arthur to meet him IN a little
wood called the Ragged Shaw, which
is near to the school. He used the
Duchess name, and in that way got
the boy to come. That evening James
bicycled over-I am telling you what he
has himself confessed to me-and he
told Arthur, whom he met IN the woods,
that his mother longed to see him.
that she was awaiting him on the
moor, and that Ii he would come back
into the wood at midnight he would
find q man with a horse, who would
take him to her. Poor Arthur fell
into the trap. He came to the ap-
pointment. and found this fellow Hayes
with led pony. Arthur mounted and
they set off together. 1t appears
though this James only heard yester-'
Hayes struck the pursuer with his
stick, and that the man died OF his
injuries. Hayes brought Arthur 10
his public-house. the Fighting Cock
where he was confined in an upper
room. under the care of Mrs. Hayes,
who is a kindly woman. but entirely
under the control of her brutal hus-
band.
well, Mr.. Holmes, that was the
state of affairs when I first saw you
two days ago. l had no more idea of
the truth than you. You will ask me
what was James motive in doing such
a deed. / answer that there was a
great deal which was unreasoning and
faDaHcal in the hatred which he bore
my heir. In his view he should HIM
self have been heir of all my estates,
and he deeply resented those social
laws which made II impossible. At the
same time, he had a definite motive
also. He was eager that I should
break the entail, for he was of opinion
that it lay in my power to do so. He
intended to make bargain with me
TO restore Arthur IL / would break the
entail, and so make Ii possible for the
estate to be left to him by will He
knew we'll that should never willingly
invoke the aid of the police against
him. / say that he would have pro-
posed such a bargain to me. but he
did not actually do so. for events moved
too quickly for him. and he had not
time to put his plans into practice.
What brought all his wicked scheme
to wreck was your discovery of this
man Heidegger's dead body. James
was seized with horror at the news.
1t came to US yesterday. as we sat to-
gether in this study. Dr. Huxtabie
had sent a telegram. James was so
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

least, We may take counsel how far
we can minimize this hideous scandal"
Exactly" said Holmes. 81 think,
your Grace. that this can only be done
by absolute frankness between us. /
am disposed to help your Grace TO the
best OF my ability. but, in order TO do
so, must understand to the last de-
tail how the matter stands 1 realize
that your words applied to Mr.. James
Wilder, and that he is not the muir
derer''
\ No. the murderer has escaped"
Sherlock Holmes smiled demurely.
Your Grace can hardly have heard
OF any small reputation which / pos
sess. or you would not imagine that it
is so easy 10 escape me. Mr. Reuben
Hayes was arrested at Chesterfield on
my information, at IL o'clock last night.
! had telegram from the head of the
local police before l left the school this
morning
The Duke leaned back in his chair
and stared with amazement at my
friend.
You seem to have powers that are
hardly human" said he. so Reuben
Hayes is taken? I am right glad to
hear ii. If it will not react upon the
fate OF James"
Your secretary?"
No, sir, my son."
1t was Holmes turn to look aston
ished.
Il confess that this is entirely new to
me, your Grace. I must beg you to be
more explicit"
i Will CONCEAL nothing from you.
agree with You that complete frank
ness. however painful it may be to ME,
is the best policy In this desperate sit
uaiion to which james folly and jeal-
ousy have reduced US. When / was
very young man, Mr.. Holmes, I loved
with such love as comes only once
in a lifetime. 1 offered the lady mar
rlage, hut she refused il on the grounds
that such a match might mar my ca
reer- Had she lived, would certainly
never have married any one else. She
died and left this one child, whom for
her sake / have cherished and cared
for. / could not acknowledge the pa
ternity to the world, but 1 gave him
the best of educations, and since he
came TO manhood / have kept him near
my person. He surprised my secret,
and has presumed ever since upon the
claim which he has upon me. and upon
his power of provoking a scandal
which would be abhorrent to me. His
presence had something to do with
the unhappy issue of my marriage.
Above all. he hated my young legiti-
mate nelr from the nrSt with persist
ent hatred. You may we'll ask me why,
under these circumstances, still kept
James under my roof. I answer that
it was because ! could see his moth
er's face in his, and that for her dear
sake there was no end to my long
suffering. All her pretty ways too
there was not one of them which he
could not suggest and bring back to my
memory / could not send him away.
But / feared SO much lest he should do
Arthur-that is. Lord Saltire-a mis-
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02
Continued Next sunday.)

ing secured the future, we can afford
10 be more lenient with the past I
am not in an official position. and there
Is no reason. so long as the ends OF
justice are served, why / should dis
close all that / know. As to-Hayes. I
say nothing. The gallows awaits him.
and 1 would do nothing to save him
from it What he will divuIge 1 can
not tell. but / have no doubt that your
Grace could make him understand that
il is to his interest to be silent From
the police point OF view he viii have
kidnapped the boy for the purpose Of
ransom. If they do not themselves find
il out, I see no reason why / should
prompt them TO take a broader point
of view. 1 would warn your Grace.
however, that the continued presence
OF MIR. James Wilder in your household
can only lead to misfortune"
II understand that. Mr.. Holmes, and
1T is already settled that he shall leave
me forever. and go to seek his fortune
in Australia
In that case. your Grace, since you
have yourself stated that any unhap-
piness in your married life was caused
by his presence. / would suggest that
you make such amends as you can 10
the Duchess. and that you try to re-
sumo those relations which have been
so unhappily interrupted
That also have arranged. Mr..
Holmes / wrote to the Duchess this
morning"
In that case" said Holmes. rising,
Il think that my friend and ! can con
gratulate ourselves upon several most
happy results from our little visit 10
the north There is one other small
point upon which 1 desire some Hight
This fellow Hayes had shod his horses
=hn f1h arfaf<o6 -
tracks OF cows. Was II from Mr.. Will
der that he learned so extraordinary a
Device"
The Duke stood in thought for a mo-
ment with a look Of intense surprise
on his face. Then he opened a door
and showed Us into large room fur
nished as a museum He led the way
to the inscription:
These Shoes It ran. were dug up
in the meat Of Holdernesse Hall They
are for the use OF horses, but they are
shaped below with a cloven foot OF
iron. so as TO throw pursuers or the
track They are supposed to have be-
longed to some OF the marauding Ba-
rons OF Holdernesse in the middle
ages"
Holmes opaned the case. and moist
ening his niger passed It along the
shoe. A thin film OF recent mud was
left upon his skin
Thank you." said he. as he replaced
the glass 1T Is the second most In
teresting object that I have seen In
the north?"
And the frst?"
Holmes folded up his check ana
placed 1t carefully in his notebook Y
am n poor man." said he, as he patted
il affectionately. and thrust it into the
depths Of his inner pocket.
(The End-)
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

me lift him and fetch doctor at
once,''
With Fletcher's aid the old man was
placed upon a scta. and Gordon loosed
the stiff neckerchief, put cushion
under the recumbent head and chafed
the sick mans hands
The physician looked grave when he
came.
"A paralytic stroke" be said He
must be taken home"
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-07-22
- aHs bel aasH-ss
INJURIOUS JOURNALISM

william T., curtis. lhc wcll known
correspondent Of the Chicago Record.
Herald, In u recent communication to
that paper points out that me- city Of
Denver has been greatly injured IN liE
reputation by unwlso newspapers ilc
shows that the impression created IN
the East that Denver IN headquarters
for sensations political consplraclcs,
corruption, dramatic mnrrlagcs, ana
divorces, IL entirely wrong, but that II
II due 10 yellow journals printed IN tho
city itself
ThoSo journals, ne says. magnify
everything n somebody falls into AN
ordinary ditch he II represented as
plunelng hcadlong into u bol,omloss
chasm, n sonc servant glrl receives a
legacy Of fcw thousand dollars from
an uncle mp In the mountains she IA
described Ms the helress Of millions,
Everything that happens, NO matter
how trivial or commonplace, In mag.
nlhod into u sensation II has come
TO this that tho people no longer rely
ON their papers, ono young woman,
according TO Mr. curtis, sald recentlyi
"onc popers Just about nv bad M the
other, You can't rely on any of them.
they are half fun Of Hes and half fun
Of exaggcratlons, and everybody knows
H. 10 nobody's fooled"
Thn, Denver and Colorado 10 n large
extent eufrer IN their business interests,
on account Of this Misrepresentation
Of facts, Ia absolutely certain II would
therefore, seem n wise policy ON Tho
part of business men 10 compel tho
newspapers IN their respective commu.
nilcs--and this concerns our own bust.
ness men, too,-.to discard Sensational.
Ism, by patronislng only tho papcrs
mat show an honest desire to present
facts and record events Tho publIca.
tons that live ON iciion ana never ofrcr
anything but distorted facts injurc
the business interests, In the long run.
The crowds that feed upon such mlscr.
able mental pabulum are not tho Pat.
rons Of solid business places Consory.
ailvo business men should he alert to
their own interests which are not an.
forcnt from the interests Of the com.
munltlos IN which they i've.