The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-24
ADVENTURE XII
The Musgrave Ritual

.A ~ d. NA N\A&>>A
tion in the direction of the profession
which has become my life IS work. You
see me now when my name has become
known far and wide, and when am
generally recognized both by the pub
lie and by the official force as being a
final court Of appeal in doubtful cases.
Even when you knew me first, at the
time of the affair which you have COM
memorated in "A Study in Scarlet,
had already established considerable,
tho not very lucrative, connection.
You can hardly realize, then, how diff
fcult I found it at first, and how long
l had to wait before I succeeded in
making any Roadway. .-. f..
"When' first came up to London 1
had rooms in Montague street, just
around the corner from the British Mu-
scum, and there I waited, filing in my
too abundant leisure time by studying
all those branches Of science which
might make me more efficient. Now
and, again cases came in my way, prin-
cipally thru the Introduction of old
fellow students, for during my last
years at the university there was a
good deal of talk there about myself
and my methods. The third Of these
cases was that Of the Musgrave Ritual,
and it is to the interest which was
aroused by that singular chain of
events, and the large issues which
proved to be at stake, that trace my
first stride toward the position which
I now hold.
"Reginald Musgrave had been IN the
same college as myself, and I had some
slight acquaintance with him. He was
not generally popular among the under
to devise some common thread upon
graduates, tho it always seemed to me
that what was set down as pride was
really an attempt to cover extreme nat
ural dltfidence. In appearance he was
man of an exceedingly aristocratic
| type, thin, high-nosed and large-eyed,
with languid and yet courtly manners.
| He was indeed scion of one Of the
very oldest families in the kingdom,
tho his branch was cadet one which
had separated from the northern Mus
graves some time in the sixteenth cen
| tury, and had established itself in west
ern Sussex, where the manor house of
Hurlstone is perhaps the oldest inhab-
tied building in the county. Some
thing of his birthplace seemed to cling
to the man, and I never looked at his
pale, keen face or the poise of his head
without associating him with gray
archways and mullioned windows and
all the venerable wreckage of feudal
keep. Once or twice we drifted into
talk, and I can remember that more
than once he expressed keep interest
in my methods of observation and in
ference.
For four years I had seen nothing
of him until one morning he walked
into my room in Montague street. He
had changed little, was dressed like a
young man of fashion-he was always
a bit Of a dandy-and preserved the
same quiet, suave manner which hat
formerly distinguished him.
"'How has all gone with you, Mus
gravel I asked, after we had cordially
shaken hands.
You probably heard Of my poo7
fathers death,' said he; che was car
ried off about two years ago. Since
then I have Of course had the Hurl
stone estates to manage, and as I an
member for my district as well, my
life has been a busy one. But I I'm
, derstand, Holmes, that you are turning
to practical ends those powers will
which you used to amaze us?'
"'Yes, said I, I have taken to liv
ing by my wits
4 am delighted to hear it, TO
, your advice at present would be ex
} ceedingly valuable to me. We hav,
had some very strange doings at Hurl
5 stone, and the police have been abb
to throw no light upon the matter. 7
q. is really the most extraordinary ant
inexplicable business 5
"You can imagine with what eager
ness [ listened to him, Watson, for tn
very chance for which I had been pant
ing during all those months of inactio1
: seemed to have come within nv reach
: In my inmost heart I believed that
could succeed where others failed, an,
l now 1 had the opportunity to test my
:. self. .
H'Pray let me have the details
: cried i
"Reginald Musgrave sat down oppo
. site to me and lit the cigaret which
had pushed toward him.
; :" You must know said he, ttha
!, tho [ am a bachelor, I have t
:, keep up considerable staff of servant
at Hurlstone, for it is a rambling oil
place, and takes a good deal of lookin
e after. | preserve, too, and in tn
f pheasant months usually have house
n party, SO that it would not do to b
). short handed. Altogether there ar
d eight maids, the cook, the butler, tw
footmen and a boy. The garden an
I the stables, of course, have separat
staff.
Of these servants the one VIII
had heen Ion Uest in orr soru;oo MO