Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-09-23


Is am nls'lr,e fabrication"
Mistress and ma.l were both staring
az Holmes with pale faces and fright
eued ewes
'Nou are an impudcnt fellow cried
Theresa- "po you uean 20 say that
my mistress hiss told Leg"
Holmes rose fgom bis chair.
Have you nothing 20 tell meg"
Il have told YOU everything"
Think once moro. Lady Bracken-
Etan. WouH it not be better TO be
frankT'
For an instant there was hesitation
n her beautiful face. Then some new.
strong thought caused a. TO set Ike q
mask.
Il have told you all know"
Holmes took his hat and shrugged
Is shoulders. i ana sorry" he said.
nd without another word we left the
room and the house. There was q
pond in the park. and 90 this nay friend
ID tie way. It was frozen over. but a
lngle hole was left Tor the couven-
NICE OF a solitary swan. Holmes gazed
it and then passed Oh 20 the lodge
ate. Then he scribLleJ "a short note
for Stanley Hopkins and left 10 with
the lodge keeper.
at may DE a hit OF % may be q miss,
but we are bound 20 do something for
Friend Hopkins just % Justify this sec
ond visit" said he. Il VIII not quite
take him into my confidence yet I
think our next scene OF operations
must be the shipping omca Qf-the Ade-
la1de- southampton line, which stands
at the end Of Pail Mall. if remember
right There IS q second line OF steam
ers which connect South Australia
with England but we VIII draw the
larger cover first"
Holmes card sent in 20 the manager
insured instant attention. and he was
not long In acquiring al the informa-
ton he needed In June OF 'e5 only one
OF their line had reached a home port.
IL was the Rock OF Gibraltar, their lar
-Sst and best boat a reference 20 the
hssenger list showed that Miss Fra
ser OF Adelaide. with her maid. had
made the voyage In her. The boat was
now on her way 20 Australia somewhere
In the south OF the Sucz canal Her on
GERS were the same as iu 20. with one
exception. The first officer. Mr.. Jack
SrOcker. had been made a captain and
Fas 20 take charge Of their new ship.
be Bass Rock, sailing in two days
.me from Southampton. He lived az
!ydenham. but be was likely 20 be In
that morning for Instructions. II we
cared 20 wait FOR him.
No; Mr.. Holmes had no desire 60 see
him. but would be glad 90 know more
about his record and character.
His record was magnificent There
was not an officer IN the feet 20 touch
him. AS 20 his character. he was rella-
bic on duty. but a wild. desperate fel-
low on the deck OF his shlp-hot head
ed. excitable. but loyal. honest and
kind hearted. That was the plth OF the
information with which Holmes left
the Office OF the Adelaide southampton
company. Thence be drove 10 Scotland
Yard. but instead OF entering. he sat
n his cab with his brows drawn down.
ost la profound thought. Finally he
drove round 10 the Charing Cross tele-
graph Office, sent or message and
then, at last we made for Baker street
once more.
mo; / couldn't do IL. Watson" said
he as we re-entered our room. "Once
that warrant was made out nothing on
earth would save him. once OF twice
In my career I feel that have done
more real harm by my discovery OF the
criminal than ever he had done by his
crime. have learned caution now. and
had rather play tricks with the law OF
England than with my own conscience.
.et as know a little more before we
ct"
Before evening we had a visit from
inspector Stanley Hopkins. Things
were not going very well with him.
Il believe that you are = wizard. Mr.
Holmes. I really do sometimes think
that you have powers that are not hui
man. Now. how on earth could you
know that the stolen silver was at the
bottom Of that pondT'
81 didn't know IT,"
'But you told me 10 examine IT,"
''You got II, then?"
Yes. / got g."
Il am very glad II ] have helped
you"
"But you haven't helped me. You
nave liNQt TIE alA0n lar more AltllC
What sort OF burglars are they who
steal silver and then throw IL into the
nearest pondT'
at was certainly rather eccentric be
hayior. ! was merely going on the
idea that n the silver had been taken
by persons who did not want it-whc
merely took st for a blind. as il were
then they would naturally be anxious
20 get rid or st."
'But why should such an idea cross
your mind?"
"Well, ] thought IL was possible
When they came out through the
French window, there was the pond
with one tempting little hole IN tn,
fee right in front OF thelAnoses. CoulC
there be a better hiding placer
'Ah. hiding place. That is better!
cried Stanley Hopkins. "Yes. yes;
see Il all nowl II was early, Their,
were folk upon the roads, they wer,
afraid Of lafuO soon with the silver