The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-04-20
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.



client. Dropping ard faint, q handker-
chief around her mouth. opposite her
stood a brutal, heavy faceG. red mus
tached young man, his gathered legs
parted wide, one arm akinbo, the other
waving a riding crop. his whole atti-
tude suggestive of triumphant bravado.
Between them an elderly. grey bearded
man, wearing a short surplice V { a
light tweed suit. had evidently just
completed the wedding service, for he
pocketed his prayer book as We APP
peared. and slapped the sinister BRIDE
groom upon the back in jovial con-
graduation.
They're married." l gasped.
Come M" cried u guide; come
ont" He rushed across the glade,
Holmes and l at his heels. AS we APP
preached, the lady staggered against
the trunk of the tree for support. Will
with mock politencss. and the bully,
Woodley, advanced with n shout Of
brutal and eXhultant laughter.
You can lake your beard off, Bob"
said he. Il know you, right enough.
Well, you and your pals have just come
in time for me to be able to intro
duce you to Mrs. Woodley."
Our guides answer wa a singular
one. He snatched off The dark beard
which had disguised him and threw it
on the ground, disclosing a long, sail
low, clean shaver face below it. Then
he raised his revolver and covered the
young ruftian. who was advancing upon
him with his dangerous riding crop
swinging in his hand.
Yes" said our ally, II am Bob Car
ruthers, and I'll see his woman right
ed. IL l l. have to swing for it. l told YOU
what I'd do ii you molested her, and,
by the Lord! I'll be as good as my
word"
You're too late. She's my wife"
NO, she's your widow"
His revolver cracked, and 1 saw the
blood squirt from the front of Wood
ley's waistcoat. He spun around with
a scream II fell upon his back, his
hideous red face turning suddenly to
a dreadful notified pallor. The old
man. still clad in his surplice, burst
into such a string of foul oaths as 1
have never heard. and pulled out Il re-
volver of his own but, before he could
raise it, he was looking down the oar
rel of Holmes weapon.
Enough of this" said my friend,
coldly. Drop that pistol! Watson,
pick 1t up! Hold it to his head!
Thank YOU. You, Carruthers. give me
that revolver. Well have no more vio-
lence. Come, hand it overt"
Who are you, then?'
My am is Sherlock Holmes"
Good Lord!"
You have heard of me, 1 see. 1 will
represent the official police until their
arrival. Here. you!" he shouted to a
frightened groom, who had appeared at
the edge of the glade. Come here.
Take this note, as hard as you can ride,
to Farnham.' He scrubbed a few
Give it to the superintendent at the
police station. Until he comes, l must
detain o all under my personal cus-
tody.'
The strong. masterful personality Of
Holmes dominated the tragic scene,
and all We're equally puppets in his
hands. Williamson and Carruthers
found themselves carrying the wound-
ed Woodley into the house, and I gave
ny arm to the frightened girl. The in
jured mar was laid on his bed, and at
Holmes request 1 examined him. 1
carried my report to where he sat in
the old tapestry hung dining room With
his two prisoners before him.
H viii live" said L.
What" cried Ca%rruthers, spring:ng
out of his chair. I'll sc upstairs and
finish him first. Do o tell me that
that girl. that angel. is to be tied to
Roaring Jack Woodley 70. life"
You need not concern yourself about
that" said Holmes. There are two
very good reasons Why she should, UNI
der no circumstances, be his Wife. In
the first place, we are very safe in
questioning MI. Willialnson's right to
Solemnize a marriage"
II have been ordained cried the old
rascal.
And also unfrocked."
"Once a clergyman. always a clergy
man."
Il think rot. How about the %license??'
w had q licence for the marriage.
I have it here in my pocket"
Then you got it by a trick. But, in
any case, a forced marriage is no mar
riage, but it is a very serious felony,
as you will discover before you have
finished. You'll have time to think the
point out during the next ten years or
so. unless I am mistaken. AS to you,
Carrutllers. o would have done bet
ter to keep your pistol III you pocket.
u begin to think SO. MIR. Holmes, but
when l thought of all the precaution l
had taken to shield this girl--for 1
loved her. Mr.. Holmes. and it the only
time that ever l knew what love was
1T fairly drove me mad to think tina
h was in the power of the greatest
brute and bully in South Africa-a
man whose name is a holy terror from,
Kimberley TO Johannesburg. Why, Mr..
Holmes, you'll hardly believe it, bur
ever since that girl has been in my en-
ployment i never once let her go past
this house, where l knew the ~rascals
We're lurking, without following her on
my bicycle, just to see that she came
to no harm. I kept MY distance from
her, and I Wore II beard. so that she
should not recognize me, for she is a
good and high spirited girl. and she
wouldn't have stayed in my employ
ment long had she thought that l WAS
following her about the country roads,
Why didn't you tell her of her dan
ger?"
Because, then. again. she would
have left me. and I couldn't bear to
st,