The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1905-11-17
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Holmes hem over this gretesque
friezc for some minutes and then sud
denly sprang to his feet. with an ex-
clamatiou Of surprise and dismay His
face was hageard with anxiety.
Ne have let this AFFAIR 20 far
enough said he is there a train 10
North Wal~ham tonight:'
! turned up The time table. The last
bad just gone.
Then we shall breakfast early and
take the very first in the morning"
said Holmes. our presence is most
urgently needed All. here is our ex-
pected cablegranL one moment. Mrs.
Hudson: there may lie an answer. No,
that is quite as | expected. This mes
sage makes il even more essential that
we should hot lose an hour in letting
Hilton Cubitt know how matters stand,
for II is a singular and a dangerous
web in which our simple Norfolk squire
is entangled."
So indeed Ii proved, and as | come TO
the dark conclusion of a story which
had seemed 10 me To be only childish
and bizarre | experience once again the
dismay and horror with which | WIS
filed. Would that | had some brighter
ending 10 communicate to my readers
but these are the chronicles of fact
and | must follow 10 their dark crisis
I the strange chain Of events which for
some days made Riding Thorpe Manor
a household word through the length
and breadth Of England
i We had hardly alighted at North
/ Walsham and mentioned the name of
our destination when the station mas
/ ter hurried toward us II suppose that
/ you are the detectives from London?'
/ said he.
\ look of annoyance passed over
| Holmes face.
What makes you think such a
| thingf'
Because Inspector Martin from
/ Norwich has just passed through But
maybe YOU are the surgeons. She's not
/ dead. or wasn't by last accounts. You
may be in time to save her yet though
+ ii he for the gallows"
Holmes brow was dark with anxiety
We are going 10 Riding Thorpe Man
or" said he, but we have heard moth
ing of what has passed there
It's terrible business said the
station master. They are shot. both
Mr.. Hilton cubift and his wife. She
shot him and then herself. so the serv-
ants say. Hes dead aud her life Is de
SPARED of. Dear. dear. one of the old
est families In the county Of Norfolk
and one of the most honorelt'
Without word Holmes hurried to "A
carriage. and during the long seven
mile drive he never opened his mouth.
Seldom have | seen him so utterly de
spondent lie had been uneasy during
all onr journey from town. and | had
observed that he had turned over the
morning papers with anxious attention,
but now this sudden realization of his
worst fears left him in blank melan-
choly. He leaned back in his seat, lost
In gloomy speculation. Yet there was
much around to interest us, for we
were passing through rs singular n
countryside as any in England, where
few scattered cottages represented
the population Of today, while on ey-
cry hand enormous square lowered
churches bristled up from the fiat,
green landscape and told of the glory
and prosperity Of old East Anglia At
last the violet rim of the German
ocean appeared over the green edge Of
the Norfolk coast, and the driver point
ed with his whip to two old brick and
fit1Nhnf frnI ln0 which t.,.ntA,taI a
grove Of trees That's Riding Thorpe
Manor" said he.
AS we drove up to the porticoed front
door | observed in front of it, beside the
tennis lawn. the black tool house and
the pedestaled sundial with which we
had such strange associations. A dap
To Be Continued Next Week.