The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-04-12
Cepyrish,. toos.
by NsClsss. Phiilips a Co.

find who are the tenants OF cnarling-
ton hall. Then. again. how about the
connection between Carruthcrs and
woodley. since they appear Ia be men
OF such n different type How came
they both to be- so keen upon looking
IN Ralph Smiths relations one more
point. What sort OF menage IL IL which
pays double the market price for a
govcrness. but does not keep n horse.
although six miles from the station?
Odd, watson-very odd"
You will go down.
NO. my dear fellow. you will so
down. This may be some trining In
triEue, and I cannot break my other
important research for the sake OF H.
ON Monday you will arrive early at
Farnh1m. YOU will conceal yourself
near chariington heath: you VIII OBJ
serve these facts for yourself. and act
as your own Judgment advises. Then.
having inquired aR to- the occupants OF
the hall. you Will come back to me and
report. Now. Watson. not another
word of tn. matter until we have n
Few solid stepping stones on which We
may hope 90 get across 10 our solu-
ton"
We had Rscer,ained from the lady
that she went down upon the Monday
by the train which leaves Waterloo at
3: 80. 30 | started early and caught the
.9:lJ. At Farnham station 1 had no
difficulty in being directed To Charling-
ton heath. IL was impossible To mis-
take the scene OF the young lady's adj
venture. for the road runs between the
open heath on one side and an old yew
hedge upon the other. surrounding
park which In studded with magnificent
trees. Their. was main gateway of
lichcn studded stone. each side pillar
surmounted By Wondering heraldic
h.tf
riage drive I observed several points
where there were gaps In the hedge.
and paths leading through them. The
house was invisible from the road, but
the surroundings all spoke 90 gloom
and decay.
The heath was covered with golden
patches OF Towering gorse. cleaning
nagnl ficently In the light OF the bright
spring sunshine. Behind one or these
command both the gateway OF the hall
and a long stretch OF the road upon
either side. IL had been deserted when
I left IL. but now i saw "A Cyclist rid
Ing down u from the opposite direction
Ia that from which l had come. He
was clad ia dark suit. and i saw that
ne had black beard. On reaching the
end OF the darlington grounds he
spranG from his machine and led IL
through a gap In the hedge. disappear
ing from my view.
A quarter OF an hour passed, and
then second Cyclist appeared. This
time IL was the young lady coming
from the station. | saw her look about
her ~ she came Co the Charlington
hedge. An instant later the man
emerged from his hiding place, sprang
upon his cycle. and followed her. In
all the broad landscape those were the
only moving figures. the graceful girl
sitting very straight upon her machine.
and the man behind her bending low
over his handle bar with n curiously
furtive suggestion In every movement
She look cd back at him and slowed her
pace. He slowed also. She stopped.
lie mt once stopped. too. keeping two
hundred yards behind her. Her next
movement was az unexpected as IL was
spirited. She suddenly whisked her
wheel around and dashed straight Mt
him. He was az quick az she. however.
and darted of In desperate Night.
Presently she came back up the road
again. her head haughtily In the air.
not deIgning to take any further no
tice OF her silent attendant. He had
turned also and still kept his distance
until the curve OF the road hid them
from my sight
remained IN my hiding place. and
| II h. well that I did Sn. foe presently the
man reappclrcd. cycling slowly back.
He turned IN at the hall gates and dis
mounted from his machine. For some
minutes could see him standing
among the trees. His hands were
raised. aud he seemed To be- settling
his necktie. Then ne mounted his cy-
| Gle and rode away from me down the
drive towards the hail. I ran across
| the heath and peered through the trees.
/ Far away l could catch gllmpses OF the
- ell NVka N.VNa q tNaa
! Tudor chimncys. but the drive ran
through a dense shrubbcTy. and l saw
no more OF my man.
| However IL seemed to me that had
done fairly good mornings work. and
walked back In high spirits to Farm
ham. The local house agent could tell
me nothing about Chnrlington hall. and
referred me tn "A we'll known iirn In
Pail Mall. There I halted on my way
home. ana met with courtesy from the
representative. No. I could not have
Charlington hall for the summer.
was Just too late. II had been let
about "A month ago. Mr.. Williamson
was the name OF the tenant. He was
"A respectable. elderly gentleman. The
polite agent was afraid he could say
no more. Rs the affairs 90 his clients
were not matters which he could dis
Cuss.
Mr. sherlock Holmes listened with
attention To the long report which
was able Ia present To him that even
ing but " ala not elicit that word o'
curt praise which had hoped for. and
should have valued. ON the contrary
hits nuSterr face Was even NOR. sever,
than usual as he commented upon IN,
things that I Lad done and the things
that I had not.
Your hiding place. my dear Watson
was very faulty. You should have beer
behind the hedge. then you would hav,
, had close view of this interesting
person. ~ IL ", you were some hun
dredS 90 yards away. and can tell I'M
csen less than Miss Smith. She thinks
she does not know the man. | ann con
WINGED that she does. Why. otherwise
should he b. 80 desperately anxiou
that she should not get So near him "a
, To- see his features You describe hin
a. bending over the handle bar. Con
cealm-nt again. you see. You reail
have done remarkably badly. He re-
turns to the house. and you want {
;, flud out who he ~. You come To
!, London house agent"
What should l have done?"I cried
= with some heat.
y Gore TO the nearest public hous'
- That IL the center of country GOSSIP
q They would have told you every nam'
x from the master Co the scullery mai,
s mind. II he II an elderly man he IL nc
this active cycllst. who sprints ava
r from that young lady's athletic pui