The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-28

DIMES left us standing at the
door and walked slowly all
round the house, across the
'front.' down the. tradesmen 8
path and so round by the
garden behind into the sta
bic lane So long was he that Mr..
Holder and I went into the dining room
and waited by the fire until he should
return We were sitting there in 81
lence when the door opened and a
young lady came in She was rather
ABOVE the middle height slim, with
dark hair and eyes. which seemed the
darker against the absolute pallOr OF
her skin. I do not think that L have
ever seen such q deadly paleness in a
Womanis face. Her lips. too. were
blOodless, but her eyes were flushed
with crying AS she swept silently into
the room she impressed me with a
greater sense of relief than the banker
had done in the morning, and it was
the more striking in her as she was
evidently a woman of strong character,
with immense capacity for self-re-
stralnt. Disregarding my presence, she
went straight to her uncle, and passed
her hand over his head with sweet
Womanly caress.
You have given orders that Arthur
should be liberated, have you not,
dad2" she asked.
NO, no, my girl: the matter must
be probed to the bottom
But I am so sure that he is inno-
cent! You know what wOmens in
sttncts are. I know that he has done
no harm and that you viii be sorry for
having acted SO harshly."
why is he silent then if he is in
nocent2''
who knows2 Perhaps because he
was so angry that you should suspect
How could Z help suspecting him
when / actually saw him with the cOro-
net I'm his hand2"
oh, but he had only picked it up
to look at it Oh. Go, do take my word
for it that he is innocent. Let the
matter drop and say no more. 1t is so
dreadful TO think of our dear Arthur
I'm prison"
II shall never let it drop until the
gems are found-never Nary Your
affection for Arthur blinds you as to
the awful consequences to me. Far
from hushing the thing up, I have
brought a gentleman down from Lon
don TO inquire more deeply into it.
This gentleman2" she asked, facing
round to me.
NO, his friend. He wished us to leave
him alone He IS round in the stable
lane now
THE stable fanel" she raised her
dark eyebrows. What can he hope to
find there2 All, this, ] suppose, is he.
] trust sir, that you VIII succeed in
proving what I feel sure is the truth
That my cousin Arthur is innocent of
this crime"
II fully share your opinion. and I
trust. with YOU, that we may prove il, >"
returned Holmes. going back to the
mat to knock the snow from his shoes.
81 believe I have the honor of address,
ing Miss Mary Holder. Might I ask
YOU a question or tw0?"
Pray do. sir il it may help to clear
this horrible affair up
You heard nothing yourself last
night2"
ssNofbiuar f1nfiI INV 77uo1e 14era 17a
gan to speak loudly. I heard that, and
] came down"
You shut up the windows and doors
the night before Did you fasten all
the windows2"
Were they all fastened this morn
ing2"
You have maid who has a sweet
heart? I think that you remarked to
your uncle last night that she had been
out to see him?
yes. and she was the girl who
waited in the drawing room. and who
may have heard uncIe's remarks about
Il see. You infer that she may have
gone out to tell her sweetheart, and
that the two may have planned the rob
berry
but what is the good of all these
vague theories" cried the banker, i'm
patiently. when have told you that [
saw Arthur with the coronet in his
hands2"
Wait a little. Mr.. Holder. We must
come back to that. About this girl,
Miss Holder You saw her return by
the kitchen door, I presume ~
yes; when I went to see if the door
was fastened for the night met her
slipping in. I saw the man, too, in the
gloom"
do you know him 20
"Oh. yes. he is the green grocer who
brings our vegetables round. His name
is Francis Prosper"