The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
New Sherlock Holmes Series
age. and I shall probe the mater 70 NE
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| No, no, Jack, for Gods sake! she
| gasped, in uncomfortable emotion. Then
as l approached the door, she seized my
sleeve and pulled me back with convulsive
strength.
| 81 emplore you not to do this. jack
| she cried. ! swear that / will tell you
| everything some day, but nothing but mis-
| cry can come of it IL you enter that cot
tage.' Then, as 1 tried to shake her on
| she chung to me in a frenzy OF entreaty
| thrust me Jackp she cried. Trust me
| only this once. You will never have cause
| to regret it. You know that | would not
| have a secret from you II II were not 1or
| your own sake. Our whole lives are az
stake In this. If you come home with me-
all will be we'll If you force your way
| into that cottage, all is over between u.s."
| "There was such earnestness, such des-
/ pair In her manner that her words arrest
i ed me, and stood irresolute before the
/ door.
az will trust you on one condition and
/ on one condition only said | at last "
Is that this mystery comes to an end
from now You are at liberty to preserve
your secret. but YOU must promise me
that there shall be no more nightly visits
no more dongs which are kept from my
knowledge. I am willing to forget those
which are passed IL you will promise that
there shall be no more In the future.
81 was sure that you would trust me-
"a,
shall be Just al you wish Come away
OH come away up to the house
Still pulling at my sleeve she led me
away from the cottage. As we went
glanced back, and there was that yellow
livid face watching us out OF the upper
window. What link could there be pc
tween that creature and my wifeT Or
how could the coarse. rough woman /
had seen the day before be connected
with her? 1t was a strange puzzle, and
vet I knew that my mind could never
know ease again until l had solved It,
For two days after this I stayed at
home. and my wife appeared to abide 10y
ally by her engagement, for. as far as L
know, she never stirred out of the house.
On the third day, however. l had ample
evidence that her solemn promise was
not enough to hold her back from this
secret influence which drew her away
from her husband and her duty.
II had gone into town on that day, but
I returned by the 2:40 instead of the 1896,
which is my usual train. AS I entered
the house the maid ran into the hall
with a startled face.
"'Where Is your mistress?' I asked
az think that she has gone out for a
walk she answered
MY mind was instantly filled with sus-
pieion. 1 rushed upstairs to make sure
that she was not in the house. AS / did
so I happened to glance out of one of
the upper windows, and saw the maid
with whom had just been speaking run-
ming across the field in the direc:'o1 Of
the cottage. Then, of course l saw ex-
actly what it all meant. My wife had
gone over there, and asked the servant
to call her if / should return. Tinging
with anguish, I rushed down and hur-
ried across, determined to end the mat
ter once and forever. l saw my wife and
In bn I'M
but ] did not stop to speak with them.
In the cottage lay the secret which was
casting a shadow over my life | vowed
that, come what might, 1t should be a
secret no longer. I did not even knock
when I reached 1t, but turned the handle
and rushed into the passage.
ut was all still and quiet upon the
ground floor In the kitchen kettle was
singing on the fire, and a large black cat
lay coiled up in the basket; but there was
no sign of the woman whom / had seen
before 7 ran into the other room, but 1t
was equally deserted. Then I rushed UP
the stairs, only to find two other rooms
empty and deserted at the top. There was
no one at all in the whole house. The
furniture and pictures were the most
common and vulgar description save in
the one chamber at the window Of which
I had seen the strange face. That was
comfortable and elegant, and all my sus.
when saw that on the mantlepiece stood
a copy of a full-length photograph of my
wife, which had been taken at my request
only three months ago.
az stayed long enough to make certain
that the house was absolutely empty.
Then / left it, feeling weight at my
heart such as I had never had before. My !
wife came out into the hall as / entered
my house, but | was too hurt and angry |
to speak with her, and pushing past her. |
/ made my way into my study. She fol- |
lowed me- however. before | could close |
the door.
AZ am sorry that I broke my promise.
circumstances / am sure that you would |
forgive me-
Tell me everything. them said I.
81 cannot, Jack | cannot she cried.
"'Untii you tell me who 1t Is that has
been living In that cottage, and who 1t Is |
to whom you have given that photograph, |
there can never be any confidence be-
tween u.s. said l, and breaking away from |
her l left the house That was yester-
day, Mr.. Holmes. and l have not seen
her since, nor do l know anything more |
about this strange business. 1t is the |
first shadow that has come between us, |
and it has so shaken me that I do not |
know what | should do for the best. Sud-
denly this morning 1t occurred to me that
you were the man to advise me. so have
hurried to you now, and | place myself
unreservedy In your hands. If there
is any point which have not made clear,
pray question me about 1t. But above
all, tell me quickly what I am to do. for
this misery is more than | can bear"
Holmes and had listened with the ut
most interest to this extraordinary state
ment, which had been delivered In the
jerky, broken fashion of man who is
under the influence of extreme emotion.
My companion sat silent now for some
time. with his chin upon his hand lost in
thought.
"Tell me- said he at last, could you
swear that this was a mans face which
you saw at the Window
Each time that saw II was some
distance away from it, SO that 1t is i'm
possible for me to say
you appear. however to have been dis
agreeably impressed by IT."
1T seemed to be of an unnatural color,
and to have strange rigidity about
the features. When l approached It van
ished with a jerk
How long is 1t since your wife asked
you for hundred pounds?'
Nearly two months"
Have you ever seen a photograph of
her first husband?"
mo; there was a great 1re at Atlanta
very shortly after his death, and all her
papers were destroyed"
And yet she had certificate of DEATH |
You say that you saw it."
Yes; she got duplicate after the fire."
her in American"
"Did she ever talk of revisiting the