Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-10

dSh. uOulluS Ucllc1, Ndlu LIZ &AhiSi
ican. 81 guess the very best case I
can make for myself is the absolute
naked truth"
"It is my duty to warn you that it
will be used against YOU" cried the
Inspector, with the magnificent fair
play of the British criminal law.
Slaney shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll chance that" said he. First of
all, l want you gentlemen to under
stand that l have known this lady
since she was a child. There were sew
en- of us in a gang in Chicago, and Ell
sizes father was the boss of the Joint.
BE was a clever man, was old Patrick.
It was he who invented that writing,
which Would pass as a child's scrawl
unless you just happened to have the
key to it. Well, Elsie learned some Of
our ways, but she couldn't stand the
business, and she had a bit of honest
money Of her own, so she gave us all
the slip and got away to London. She
had been engaged to me, and she would
have married me, l believe, If l had
taken over another profession, but she
would have nothing to do with any
thing IN the cross 1t was only after
her marriage to this Englishman that l
was able to find out where she was. l
wrote to her, but got no answer. After
that I came over, and, as letters were
no use, 1 put my messages where she
could read them.
"Well, l have been here a month
now. 1 lived on that farm, where l had
a room down below, and could get in
and out every night and no n the
wiser. l tried all l could to coax Elsie
away. l knew that she read the mes
sages, for once she wrote an answer
under one of them. Then my temper
got the better of me, and l began to
inplortng me to go away. and saying
fhat'it would break her heart if any
scandal should come upon her husband.
She said that she would come down
when her husband was asleep at 8 in
the morning and speak with me
through the end window, if 1 would go
away afterward and leave her in peace.
She came down and brought money
with her, trying to bribe me to 90.
This made me mad. and l caught her
arm and tried to pull her through the
window. At that moment in rushed
the husband with his revolver in his
hand. Elsie had sunk down upon the
floor, and we were face to face. I was
heeled also, and I held up my gun to
scare him off and let me get away. He
fired and missed me. I pulled off al
most at the same instant and down he
dropped. I made away across the gar
den, and as l went l heard the window
shut behind me. That's Gods truth,
gentlemen, every word of it: and 1
heard no more about it until that lad
came riding up with a note which made
me walk in here like a Jay and give
myself into your hands,"
A cab had driven up while the Amer
lean had been talking. Two uniformed
policemen sat inside. Inspector Mar
TIN rose and touched his prisoner on the
shoulder.
ut is time for US to 60"
"Can 1 see her frst?"
mo, she is not conscious. Sherlock
Holmes, l only hope that if ever again
/ have an important case 1 shall have
the good fortune to have you by my
side"
We stood at the window and watched
the cab drive away. AS l turned back
my eye caught the pellet of paper
which the prisoner had tossed Upon the
table. 1t was the tote with which
Holmes had decoyed him.
"See if you can read it. Watson said
he, with a smile.
1t contained no word, but this little
line Of dancing men: