The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-26

her and knew her. it would help you
to understand
She was very straight about it, was
Elsie / can't say that she did not give
me every chance of getting out of it if
l wished to do so. L have had some
very disa greeable associations in my
life said she, L wish to forget al
about them 1 would rather never al
Jude to the past, for it is very painful
TO me. If you take me- Hilton. you Will
take a woman who has nothing that
she need be personally ashamed of: but
you viii have to be content with my
word for it, and to allow me to be silent
as TO all that passed up to the time
when l became yours If these condi-
tons are too hard. then go back to Nor
folk, and leave me to the lonely life in
which you found me- 1t was only the
day before our wedding that she said
those very words to me I told her that
l was content to take her on her own
terms, and have been as good as my
word.
We'll. we have been married now for
year. and very happy we have been
But about a month ago. at the end of
June / saw for the first time signs of
trouble. One day my wife received a
letter from America. I saw the Amer
lean stamp. she turned deadly white
read the letter, and threw it into the
fire. She made no aIlusion to il after
wards. and l made none. for a promise
an easy hour from that moment. There
is always a look of fear upon her face
a look as if she were waiting and ex-
pecting. She would do better to trust
me. She would find that l was her best
friend. But until she speaks, can say
nothing. Mind you, she is a truthful
woman, Mr.. Holmes, and whatever
trouble there may have been in her
past life it has been no fault of hers
l am only a simple Norfolk squire but
ranks his family honor more highly
than do. She knows it WELL and she
knew il well before she married me-
She would never bring any stain upon
it-of that | am sure.
We'll, now I come to the queer part
of my story About a week ago-it
was Tuesday of last week. found on
one Of the windOw-siIls a number of
absurd little dancing figures like these
upon the paper. They were scrawled
with chalk. l thought that il was the
stable-bOy who had drawn them, but
the lad swOre he knew nothing about It.
Anyhow. they had come there during
. the night. l had them washed out. and
] only mentioned the matter TO my wife
afterward. To my surprise. she took
1t very seriously, and begged me if any
more came to let her see them None
did come for a week. and then yester-.
day morning I found this paper lying
on the sun-dial in the garden. 1 showed
II to Elsie. and down she dropped i'm a
dead faint. Since then she has looked
like a woman in a dream. half dazed
and with terror always lurking in her
eyes 1t was then that 1 wrote and sent
the paper to you. Mr.. Holmes. 1t was
not a thing that I could take to the po-
lice, for they would have laughed at
me, but you Will tell me what to do I
am not 4 rich man, but if there is any
danger threatening my little woman. 7
would spend my last copper to shield
her"
He was a fine creature. this man OF
the old English SOil-Simple straight
and gentle with his great.-earnesta blue
eyes and broad, comedy face. His love
for his wife. and his trust in her shone
in his features. Holmes had listened to
his story With the utmost attention.
and now he sat for some time in silent
thought.
Don't you think. Mr.. Cubitt." said
he, he, at last. that your best plan
would be to make "A direct appeal 10
your wife. and to ask her to share her
secret with yOu?"
Hilton Cubitt shook his massive head.
"A promise is a promise. Mr.. Holmes.
If Elsie wished TO tell me she would
If not. it Is not for me to force her con-
idence- But l am justified in taking
my own line-and | will"
"Theu I viii help YOU with all my
heart. In the first place. have you
heard of any strangers being seen in
your neighbOrhOOd?
No
I presume that it is a very quiet
place. Any fresh face would cause
comment?"
In the immediate neigh bOrhOOd. yes.
But we have several small waterin-
places not very far away. And the
farmers take in dodgers"
These hieroglyPhics have evidently
a meaning If it is a purely arbitrary
one, il may be impossible for US t.
solve it. If, on the other hand. il is
systematic, l have no doubt that We
shall get to the bottom of it. But this
particular sample is so short that I can
do nothing, and the facts which YOU
have brought me are 50 indefinite that
we have no basis for an investigation.
would suggest that you return to Nor
folk. that you keep a keen lookout and
that you take an exact copy of any
fresh dancing me which may appear.
II is thousand pities that we have not
reproduction of those which We're
done in chalk upon the window-siH.
Make a discreet inquiry also as TO any
strangers in the neighborhood. When
you have collected some fresh evidence.
come to me again. That is the best ad-
I urir-