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

, off his very curly br1mmed nat, was
! grizzled round the edges and thin
upon the top AS to his dress, it was
careful to the verge of foppishness
with high collar, black frock-coat
white wasistcoat yellow gloves, pat
| ent-leather shoes, and light-ColOred
CATERS He advanced slowly into the
! room, turning his head from left to
right, and swinging in his right hand
the cord which held his golden eye
glasses.
"Good-d day, Lord st. Simon" said
Holmes, rising and bowling. pray take
the baSket-chair. This is my friend
and colleague. DR.. Watson. Draw UP
a little to the fire, and we will talk this
matter over"
"A most painful matter to me- as
you can most readily imagine, Mr..
Holmes. I have been cut to the quick.
understand that you have already
managed several delicate cases of this
sort sir, though l presume that they
were hardly from the same class of
society"
mo, l am descending"
II beg pardon.
My last client of that sort was a
king
"oh, really! I had no idea. And
which king?"
THE King of Scandinavia.
What, Had he lost his wife ?"
You can understand" said Holmes,
|suavely, that I extend to the affairs
of my clients the same secrecy which
l promise to you in yours"
"Of course! Very right! very right!
I'm sure 1 beg pardon. AS to my own
case, l am ready to give you any in
formation which may assist you in
forming an opinion"
Thank you. / have already learn
ed all that is in the public prints,
nothing more. ] presume that | may
ample. as to the disappearance of the
BRIDE
Lord st. Simon glanced over it..
Yes, it is correct, as far as it goes.
"But it needs a great deal of sup
plementing before any one could offer
an opinion. / think that | may arrive
at my facts most directly by question
ing you"
Pray do so"
when did you first meet Miss Hatty
Doran?"
"In San Francisco, a year ago"
you were travelling in the States )"
yes"
Did you become engaged them"
mo"
But you were on a friendly foot
ing?"
was amused ny ncT SOClcty, anu
she could see that / was amused"
Her father is very rich?'
HE is said to be the richest man on
the Pacific slope
and how did he make his money!
''In mining. He had nothing few
years ago. Then he struck gold in
vested it, and came up by leaps and
bounds"
NOW. what is your own impression
1,rFe tfrfc
character.
The nobleman swung his glasses a
little faster and stared down into the
fire. You see. Mr.. Holiness" said he,
my wife was twenty before her faith
er became rich man. During that
time she ran free in a mining camp,
and wandered through the woods or
mountains, so that her education has
come from Nature rather than from
the school-master. She is what we
call in England a tomboy, with
strong nature. wild and free, unfet-
tered by any sort of traditions. She
is MISUNDERSTANDING, | was about
to say. She is swift in making up her
mind, and fearless in carrying out her
resolutions. On the other hand | would
not have given her the name which
have the honor to bear"-he gave
little stately cough-"had / not
woman | believe that she is Capa bic
of heroic self-sacrifice, and that any
thing dishonorable would be repug-
nant to her"
Have you got her photograph -
II brought this with me- He open
ed a lockct, and showing us the full
face of a lovely woman. 1t was not
photograph, but an ivory miniature.
and the artist had brought out the
- h1
the large dark eyes, and the exquisite
mouth Holmes gazed long and earn
estly at it. Then he closed the locket
and handed it back to Lord st. Simon.
"The young lady came to London.
then, you renewed your acquaint-
ance?"
Yes her father brought her over
for this last season / met her several
times. became engaged to her, and
have now married her
"She brought, understand con-
ciderable dowry?"
"A fair dowry. Not more than is
usual in my family.
And this. of course. remains to you,
since the marriage is fat accompii p
81 really have made no inquiries on
the subject"
VERY naturally not. Did you see
Miss Doran on the day before the we'd
Yes"
WAS she in good spirits?''
"Never better She kept taxing OF
what we should do in our future
lives
Indeed, that is very interesting.
And on the morning of the wedding
''She was as bright as possible-at
least until after the ceremony
And did you observe any change in
her them"
well to tell the truth, | saw then
the first signs that I had ever seen that
her temper was just a little sharp. The
incident. however, was too trivial TO
relate. and can have no possible bear
ing upon the case.
Pray let us have it, for all that.
oh. it is childish. She dropped her
bouquet as we went towards the yes
try. She was passing the front pew
at the time. and it fell over into the
pew. There was a moments decay,
but the gentleman in the pew handed
it up to her again, and it did not ap-
near TO be the worse for the fall. Yet,
when I spoke to her of the mater. she
answered me abruptly; and in the car
riage on the way home, she seemed
absurdly agitated over this trlfling
cause
"Inaooal Won cav there was a gen