Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-07
Holmes hand was on his shoulder.
..Aro wa, Mr. Codfrav Stounton 2'

Holmes hand was on his shoulder.
"Are you Mr.. Godfrey Stnunton?"
Eyes, yes, l am-but you are too late.
She is dead"
The man was so dazed that he could
not be made to understand that we
were anything but doctors who had
been sent to his assistance. Holmes
was endeavoring to utter few words
of consolation and to explain the alarm
which had been caused to his friends
by his sudden disappearance when
there was step upon the stairs. and
there was the heavy. stern, question:
ing face Of DR. Armstrong ut the door,
$50, gentlemen" said he, ''you have
attained your end and have certainly
chosen a particularly delicate moment
for your intrusion. ! would not brawl
In the presence of death, but ] can as
sure you that if were Il younger man
your monstrous conduct would not
pass with impunity."
"ENcuse me, DR.. Armstrong ! think
we are little at cross purposes, said
my friend. with dignity .If you
could step downstairs with us we may
each be able to give some light to the
other upon this miserable affair
A minute later the grim doctor ard
ourselves were in the sitting room be-
low.
"Well. sir?" said he.
II wish you to understand, In the
first place, that / am not employed by
Lord Mount-James and that my sym
pathies ir this matter are entirely
against that nobleman. When a man
is lost it is my duty to ascertain his
fate, but having doue SO the matter
ends so far as | am concerned, and so
long as there Is nothing criminal am
much more anxious to hush up private
scandals than to give them publicity.
II, as l imagine, there is no breach OF
the law in this matter. you can abso-
lutely depend upon my discretion and
my cooperation in keeping the facts
out Of the papers"
DIR. Armstrong took Il quick step for
ward and wrung Holmes by the hand.
"You are a good fellow" said he. II
had misjudged you l thank heaven
that my conjunction at leaving poor
Stanton all alone In this plight caused
me to turn my carriage back and so to
make your acquaintance. knowing as
much as you do, the situation is very
easily explained. a year ago Godfrey
stanton lodged in London for a time
and became passionately attached to
his landlady's daughter, whom he mar
ried. She was as good as she was
beautiful and as intelligent as she was
good No man need be ashamed of
such wife. But Godfrey was the heir
to this grabbed old nobleman, and 1t
was quite certain that the news Of his
his Inheritance. knew the lad well,
and loved him for his many excellent
qualities. We did our very best to
keep the thing from every one, for
when once such whisper gets about 1t
is not long before every one has heard
1t. Thanks to this lonely cottage and
his own discretion, Godfrey has up to
now succeeded. Their secret was
known to no one save to me and to
one excellent servant, who has at pres
ent gone for assistance to Trumping-
ton But at last there came terrible
blow in the shape Of dangerous illness
to his wife. 1twas consumption Of the
most virulent kind The poor boy was
half crazed with grief. and yet he had
to go to London to play this match, for
he could not get out Of 1T without ex-
plantations which would expose his Sc
cret. tried to cheer him UP by wire,
and he sent me one in reply imploring
me to do all could. This was the tele-
gram which you appear in some mex
plicable way to have seen. did not
tell him how urgent the danger was,
for l knew that he could do no good
here, but l sent the truth to the girls
father, and he very injudiciously com
municated 1t to Godfrey. The result
was that he came straight away In q
state bortlcri-~ CT frenzy and has re