The San Francisco call., 1905-03-19
5Y41Y

TEL me, SalQ HCLnfGS-auQ i cOulQ
see by his eyes that he was much ex-
cited-'Tvas this a mere addition TO the
first. Cr did il appear to be entirely
separator"
1T was on q different panel of the
door,
Excellent This is far the most i'm
portant Of all for our purpose. 1t fills
me with hopes. Now. Mr.. Hilton Gu
bitt, please continue your most inter
esting statement"
I have nothing more to say, Mr..
Holmes. except that l was angry with
my wife that night for having held me
back when ] might have caught the
slCulking rascal. She said that she
feared that ] might come TO harm. For
an instant 1t had crossed my mind
that perhaps what she really feared
was that he might come TO harm, for
I could not doubt that she knew who
this man WAS and what he meant by
these strange signals. But there is a
tone in my wife's voice, Mr.. Holmes,
and q look in her eyes which forbid
doubt, and / am sure that il was in
deed my own safety that was in her
mind There's the whole case, and
now ] want your advice as to what I
ought TO do. My own inclination is to
put half a dozen Of my farm lads in
the shrubbery. and when this fellow
comes again to give him such a hiding
that he viii leave US in peace for the
future"
Il fear it is too deep a case for such
simple remedies said Holmes. How
long can you stay in London?"
I must go back to-day. / would not
leave my wife alone at night for any
thing. She is very nervous and begged
me TO come back"
Il dare say you are right. But if
you could have stopped, 1 might pos
sibly have been able to return with
you in a day or two. Meanwhile you
viii leave me these papers, and I think
that il is wy likely that I shall be
able to pay you visit shortly and to
throw some light upon your case
Sherlock Holmes preserved his. calm
professional manner until our visitor
had left US, although il was easy for
me, who knew him SO we'll, to see that
he was profoundly excited. The mo-
ment that Hilton Cubitt's broad back
had disappeared through the door my
comrade rushed to the table, laid out all
the slips Of paper containing dancing
men in front of him and threw himself
into an intricate and elaborate calcu-
latfon. For two hours / watched him
as he covered sheet after sheet of
paper with figures and letters. so COM
pletely absorbed in his task that he
had evidently forgotten my presence.
and whistled and sang at his work;
sometimes he was puzzled and would
sit for long spells with a furrowed
brow and a vacant eye. Finally he
sprang from his chair with a cry of
satisfaction, and walked up and down
the room rubbing his hands together.
Then he wrote long telegram upon
cable form. IF my answer to this
is as ] hope. you will have a very
pretty case TO add to your collection,
Watson" said he. L expect that we
shall be able TO go down to Norfolk
tomorrow and TO take our friend some
very definite news as TO the secret of
his annoyance"
] confess that ] was filled with Gu
riosity, but ] was aware that Holmes
liked TO make his disclosures at his
own time and in his own way, so
waited until ii should suit him to take
me into his confidence.
But there was q delay in that an
swerinG telegram, and two days of i'm
patience followed. during which
Holmes pricked up his ears at every
ring Of the bell. On the evening of the
second there came letter from Hilton
Cubitt. All was quiet with him, save
that long inscription had appeared
that morning upon the pedestal of the
sundial. He ihclosed a copy of it,
which Is here reproduced: