Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-05
BY A. N oYL

IlLttt III, 10 bC hlitA tAlON54A ~ 4fts'@" - -
my hands
Tho lady sprang to her feet, with the
color al dashed IN an instant from hcr
beautiful face. Her eyes Slazcd-shc tot
tcrcG-I thought that she would faint,
Then with a grand effort she rallied from
the shock, and a supreme astcnishmcnt
aud Indignation chased every other express
sion from her features.
"Tou-yoU Insult me-, Mr.. Holmes,
Come, ONE madam. X is useless. Give
up the letter"
She Gartcd to the bell,
THE butler shall show you out
do not ring, Lady linda. II you 90,
then all my earnest efforts to avoid a
scandal win be frustrated. Give up tho
letter and all VIII be set right. If YOU will
work with me I can arrange everything.
II YOU work against me l must expose
YOU"
She stood srandly defiant, n queenly fis-
Urc. her eyes fixed upon his as If she would
read his very soul. Her hand was on the
bell. but she had forborne TO ring K.
You are trying to frightcn me. 1t is
not a very manly thing, Mr.. Holmes, to
come here and browbeat a woman, You
say that YOU know something. What is
it that you know"
Pray sit down. madam. You will hurt
yourself there If you fan. I will not speak
until you sit down. Thank YOU
II give you tive minutes, Mr.. Holmes.
"One is enough, Lady Hilla. | know OF
your visit to Eduardo Lucas, Of your Civ
ing him this document, of your ingenious
return TO the room last night, and of the
manner in which You took the letter from
the hiding place under the carpet
She stared at him with an ashen face
and gulped twice before she could speak.
you are mad, Mr.. Holmes-you are
mad" she cried, at last.
He drew a small piece Of cardboard from
his pocket. 1t was the face Of a woman
cut out Of q portrait.
II have carried this because I thought
it might be useful" said he. The police
man recognized it,"
She gave a gasp and her head dropped
back I'm the chair.
Come, Lady Hilda. You havc the let
ter. The matter may still be adjusted. /
have no desire to bring trouble to you. My
duty ends when l have returned the lost
letter to your husband. Take my advice
and be frank with me. 1t is your only
chance
Her courage was admirable. Even now
she would not own defeat.
II tell you again. Mr.. Holmes. that you
are under some ansurd Illusion"
Holmes rose from his chair.
81 am sorry for you. Lady Hilda have
Gone my best for you. l can see that it
is all IN vain"
He rang the bell. Tho butler entered.
us Mr.. T~relawney Hope at homer"
"He will be home, sir. at a quarter to
one
Holmes glanced at his watch.
still ! quarter OF an hour" said ne.
Very good. ] shall wait"
The butler had hardly closed the door
behind him when Lady Hilda was down
on her knees at Holmes feet, her hands
outstretched. her beautiful face upturned
and wet with her tears.
'Oh, spare me, Mr.. Holmes. Spare met
she pleaded, in a frenzy Of duplication.
For heavens sake, don't tell him! l love
him so. I would not bring one shadow
on his life. and this I Know would break
his noble heart
Holmes raised the lady, II am thank
fui, madam, that YOU have come TO your
senses even at this last moment! There
is not an instant to lose. Where is the
letter.
She darted across 70 2 writing desk.
unlocked 1t, and drew out a long blue
envelope.
Here Il Is Mr.. Holmes. Would to
heaven 1 had never seen it,"
How can we return it"' Holmes mutt
tered. quick. quick, we must think OF
some way! Where is the despatch-box:'
Still in his bedroom
w q u SAlOht Ol llGN. QUICK. Hldu1Il.
bring it here
A moment later she had appeared with
a red fiat box in her hand
How did you open it before? You have
a duplicate key? Yes, OF course you have.
Open IT."
From o1t OF her bosom Lady Hilda
had drawn a small key. The box flew
open. 1t was stuffed with papers. Holmes
thrust the blue envelope deep down into
the hparf oT fhpyp hot uyno,, +ba 1oaYya- ,F
some other document. The box was shut,
locked, and returned to the bedroom.
NOW we are ready for him. said
Holmes. I'VE have still ten minutes. l
am going far TO screen you, Lady HiIda.
In return you will spend the time in tell
ing me frankly the real meaning of this
extraordinary affair.""
Mr.. Holmes, I will tell you everything"
cried the lady. "Oh, Mr.. Holmes, l would
cut Off my right hand before | gave him
a moment of sorrow. There is no woman
in all London who loves her husband as
l do, and yet If he knew how l have acted
how l ave been compelled to act-he
would never forgive me. For his own
honor stands so high hat he could not
forget or pardon a lapse in another. Help
me, Mr.. Holmes, My happiness, his happi-
ness, Our very lives are at stake!"
Quick, madam. the time grows short"
1T was a letter of mine, Mr.. Holmes,
an indiscreet letter written before my
MARRIAGE foolish letter, a letter of an
impulsive, loving girl. / meant no harm,
and yet he would have thought II crimi-
nal. Had he read that letter his conf
denco would have been forever destroyed.
1t IL years since L wrote it. l had thought
that the whole matter was forgotten.
Then at last / heard from this man,
Lucas. that it had passed into his hands,
and that he would lay it before my hus-
band. I implored his mercy. He said that
he would return my letter IL / would bring
him a certain document which he describ-
ed in my husbands despatch-box. He had
some spy in the office who had told him
of it's existence. He assured me that no
harm could come to my husband. Put
yourself in my position, Mr.. Holmes.
What was ] TO do?"
Take your husband into your conf
dence."
II could not. Mr.. Holmes, I could not.
On the one side seemed certain ruin, on
the sother. terrible as II seemed TO take
my husbands paper. still In a matter Of
politics / could not understand the con-
sequences, while in a matter of love and
trust they were only too clear to me.
/ did 1t, Mr.. Holiness. 1 took an impression
of his key. This man, Lucas. furnished
a duplicate. / opened his despa tch-box.
took the paper, and conveyed IT to Godoi-
phin street"
What happened there, madam"
II tapped at the door as agreed. Lucas
opened IL. l followed him into his room.