The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-14
&il.-THE ADVENTURE OF THE

%oOEf
Eyes, sir, it Is true that he threw thu
.decanter at me. l heard him call my
mistress a name, and l told him thai
he would not dare to speak so if llel
brother a been there. Then it was
tina he threw it at me. lie might have
thrown a dozen if he had but left my
bonny bird alone. He WAS forever ii
treating her. and she too proud to con
plain. She viii not even tell me ali
that he has done to her. She never
told me of those marks on her arm that
you saw this morning, but l know very
we'll that they come from a stab with
a hatpin. The sly devil-God forgive
me that l should speak of him so, now
that he is dead, But a devil he was. ii
ever one walked the earth. He was all
honey when we first met him-only
eighteen months ago and We both feel
as if it were eighteen years. She had
only just arrived in London. Yes. it
was her first v~oyage-she had never
been from home before. He won her
with his title and his money and his
false London ways. If she made n mis-
take she was paid for it. if ever a wom-
an did. What month did we meet him?
We'll, I tell you it was just after we
arrived. We arrived in June. and it was
July. They We're married in January
of last year. Yes, she is down in the
morning room again. and / have no
doubt she will see you. but you must
not ask too much of her, for she has
gone through all that flesh and blood
will stand"
Lady Brackenstall was reclining on
the same couch, but rocked brighter
than before. The maid had en-
tered with us, n began cnce more to
fomert rhe bruise upon her mistress
brow.
have not come to cross exami. . me
again?"
NO" Holmes answered, in his
gentlest voice, II will not cause you
n unnecessary trouble, Lady Brack-
.enstall, n my whole desire is to make
things easy for you, for I am On
vInced that you are IL much tried wom-
an. IF you will treat me as a friend
and must ne, YOU may find that l will
justify your trust"
What do you want me to dog"
T tell me the TRUTH
MI. Holmes!"
mo, no. Lady Brackenstall- it is no
use. You may have heard of any lit
tie reputation which / possess. I will
stake it all or the fact that your story
ds an absolute fabrication"
Mistress and maid were both staring
at Holmes with pale faces and fright
ene eyes.
ssYou are an impudent fellow" cried
Theresa. DO you mean to say that
my mistress has old a lie?"
Holmes rose from his chair.
Have you nothing to tell?'
II have told you everything"
Think once more Lady Br~ackenstall.
Would it not be better to be frank?"
For an instant there was hesitation
I'm her beautiful face. Then some new
strong thought caused it to set like a
.maTk-
II have told you all I know"
Holmes took his hat n shrugged
his shoulders. II am sorry" he said.
n without another word we left the
room and the house. There vas a pond
In the park. and to this my friend led
the way. 1t was frozen over, but q
single hole was left for the convenience
of a solitary swan. Holmes gazed at
lit, and, then passed on to the lodge
igat. Then he scrubbed a hort note
for Stanley Hopkins, and left it with
the lodgekeeper.
at may be a hit. or it may be a miss.
hut we are bound to do something for
friend Hopkins, just to justify this sec
nnd visit" said he. IT will not quite take
him into my confidence yet. 1 think
the shipping office of the Adelaide
Southampton line. which stand at the
END of Pail Mall, il 4 remember right.
There is a second line of steamers
which me South Australia with
England, but we will draw the larger
cover first"
Holmes card sent in to the
ensured instant attention, and he was
not long in acquiring all the informa-
ton needed. In June of '95, only one
of their line had reached q home port.
1T was the Rock Of Gibraltar. their
largest and best boat. A reference to
the passenger list showed that Miss
made the voyage in her. The boat was
now on her way to Australia somewhere
I'm the south of the Suez canal. Her
officers were the same as in '95, with
one exception. The first officer, Mr..
Jack Croker, had been made a cap
tain, and was to take charge of their
new ship, The Bass Rock. sailing in two
days time from Southampton. He
live at S~ydenham, but he was likely to
be IN that morning for Instructions, if
we cared to wait for i'm
No: MIR. Holmes had no desire to see
: him, but would be glad to know more
about his record and character.
His record was magnificent. There
was not an officer in the fleet to touc..
him.. AS to his character, he was re-
liable on duty, but a wild, desperate
fellow off the deck of his ship-hot
headed. eXcitable. but loyal, honest and
kind hearted. That was the pith of the
information with which Holmes left
the Office of the Observation-Disclosures
company. Thence he drove to Scotland
Yard, but. instead of entering he sat
in his cab with his brows drawn down
lost in profound thought. Finally he
drove round to the Charing Cross tele.
graph office, sent off a message, anG
then. at last, we made for Baker street
once more.
mo, I couldn't do it. Watson sale
he, as we re-entered our room. "Once
that warrant was mad out, nothing or
earth could ave him. Once or vice
In my career 1 feel that / have done
more real harm by my discovery o.
the criminal than ever he a lone by
his crime. l have learned caution now
and l had rather play tricks with the
law of England than with my own con
science. Let US know a little more
before we act"
Before evening, we had a visit from
Inspector Stanley Hopkins. Thing.
were not going we'll with him.
II believe you are Il wizard. Mr.
Holmes. l really do sometimes thinl
that you have powers that are not hu
man. Now, how on earth could yo,
know that the stolen silver was at tn,
bottom of that poEd?"
L I'll s1.-f ----.E