The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-24

"Quite"
"Well, now, you do not mean to seri-
ously suggest that this German rode
off upon bicycle in the dead Of the
night, bearing the boy in his arms?"
Certainly not"
"Then what is the theory IN scur
mind!"
1.-The bicycle may have been blind.
1t may have been hidden somewhere
and the pair gone off on foot"
"Quite so, but it seems rather an alb
surd blind, does it not? Were there
other bicycles in this shedy'
Several
would he not have hidden a couple
had he desired to give the idea that
they had gone off upon them?"
81 suppose he would"
"Of course he would. The blind
theory won't do. But the incident is an
admirable starting point for an i'll
vestigation. After all, bicycle is not
an easy thing to conceal or to destroy
One other question. Did any one call
to see the boy on the day before be
disappeared:
No"
Did he get any letters?'
Yes, one letter.
Prom whom:'
~ om bis father"
do you open tie boys letters:'
No
How do you know it was from the
father::'
velope, ana it was addressed in the
dukes peculiar stiff hand Besides, the
duke remembers having written
When had he Il letter before that:'
Not for several days
"IIad he ever one from I'-aace:'
"No, never
You see Che point OF my Questions.
of course. Either the boy was carried
off By force or lie went OF his own free
will tn the latter case you would eX-
pect that some prompting from outside
would be needed to make so young u
lad do such Il thing. If lie has had
no visitors, that prompting must have
come in letters; hence ] try to find
out who were his correspondence
II fear l cannot help you much. His
only correspondent, so far as know,
was his own father"
"Who wrote to him on the very day
of his disappearance. Were the rela
tions between father and son very
friendly?"
His grace is never very friendly
with any one. He is completely i'm
mersed in large public questions and is
rather inaccessible to all ordinary emo
tons. But he was always kind to the
boy in his own way"
But the sympathies of the latter
were With the mother?"
YES" /;
did be say so?"
NO"
THE duke, then?"
"Good heavens, nor
"Then how could you known
II have had some confidential talks
with Mr.. James Wilder, his graces
secretary 1t was he who gave me the
information about Lord Saltire's feel
ings."
II see. BY the way, that last letter
Of the duke's-was it found in the boys
room after he was gomez
NO; he had taken it with him. l
think, Mr.. Holmes, it is time that we
were leaving for Euston.'
II will order four wheeler. In a
quarter of an hour we shall be at your
service. If you are telegraphing home,
DR.. Huxtable, 1t would be we'll to al
low the people in your neighborhood to
imagine that the inquiry is still going
red herring led your pack. In the mean
time will do little quiet work at
your own doors, and perhaps the scent
| is not so cold but that two old hounds
like Watson and myself may get sniff
Of It,"
That evening found us in the cold,
bracing atmosphere of the Peak coun-
try, In which DIR. HuNtable's famous
school is situated. 1t was already dark
when we reached it. A card was lying
on the hall table, and the butler whis-
pered something to his master, who
turned to us with agitation in every
heavy feature.
1.-THE duke is here" said he. 1.-THE
duke and NJ. Wilder are In the study
Come gentlemen, and will introduce
| YOU"
| l was, of course, familiar with the
pictures of the famous statesman. but
the man himself was very different
from his representation. He was a
tall and stately person. scrupulously
dressed, with a drawn, thin face and a
nose which was grotesquely curved
and long. His complexion was of a
dead pallor, which was more startling
by contrast with long, dwindline
beard of vivid red which flowed down
over his white waistcoat, with his
watch chain cleaning through its
fringe. Such was the stately presence
who looked stonily at us from the CEN
ter of Or. Huxtable's hearth rug. Be
side him stood very young man,
whom l understood to be Wilder. the
private secretary. He was small, nerv-