The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-03-20

announced that he had ms Intention
&c leaving Working
f't@Te are oue or .vo s-4aH pafrt=
Whi@n ] should desire r. clear In ~
fore / 20. said n. Your bs.nre
Af Phelps. Rill i'm some Aays rather
asst n1c. Watson. hen xau reach
london you would obIlge ~. bx a~fx-
ne AZ once Is Baker street u5th our
friend here. and remaining with hfr
until ] see You again II i fortunate
that You are old schooI-fe5I.as a. sou
must have much To talk over NJ
faelps can have the spare bedroom
tonight. and / will b- attn ssQ il time
Tor breakfast. for there Is a train
winch viii take me into Waterloo ~.
eight"
5ut ho~ about our inyestfgatioaja
london asked Phelps. ruefui.y.
We can DO that tomorrow. j
tn5ok tnat Just at present / car be
81 immediate usc here.
You might tell them at Briarbnt
That ! hope 10 be back tomorrow
night, cried Phelps. as Ne began 30
move from the platform.
i hardly expect to 20 back to-
Rriarbrae,' answered Holmes. and
waved his hand TO u ch.cIiIy ~ We
shot out from the station.
Phelps and / talked il over ON our
Jol ncy but neither IF Us could de-
wise a satisfactory reason for this new
development.
Il suppose nc wants 10 nnd out
some clue as to the burglary last night.
II a burglar il was. For myself. /
don't believe it MAS an ordinar.
thief
What is your own idea. them"
Upon my word. You may put ii
down To my weak nerves or not. bu:
believe there il some deep political
intrigue going on around me. ana that
for some reason that passes my un-
d~cfStanding my life is aimed at hr
the conspiratorS. II sounds high
flown ana absurd, but consider tho
facts, Why should a thief try to break
in 1t 4 bedroom window. where there
why should he come With a long Knife
in his hand2"
You are sure it was not a house
breakers jimmy"
oh. not it was a knife. ] saw the
flash Of the blade quite distinctly
But why on earth should YOU hc
with suCh animOsity?'
All. that is the question:"
Wei, if Holmes takes tho same
view, that would ccoun TO- his ac-
ton. would it not? Presenting thai
theory is correct. if he can lay
his hands pon the man who threat
you last night he Will have gone
a long way toward finding who took
the naval treaty. 1t is absurd to sap
that YOU have two enemies, one
of whom robs You. while the other
threatens your life"
But Holmes said that he was not
going to B~riarbrae.'
4 have known him for some time"
said I. but I never knew him to do
yet without a very good
reason and with that our c~onversa-
ton driftcd on to other topics.
But it was q weary day for me.
Phelps was still weak after his long
illness. and his misfortunes made him
and In vain | en-
deavored to interest him in Afghanis-
in India, in social questions. in
anything which might take his mind
out of the groove. He would always
come back to his lost treaty, wonder
guessing. specializing as to what
Holmes was doing. hat steps ord
Hoiuhurst Was taking, what news we
have in the morning. As the
evening wore on his excitement be-
quite painful.
You have implicit faith in
he asked.
able things.
But he never brought light int
anything quite so dark as thiS?'
"Oh. yes: | have known him solve
questions Which presented fewer clues
than yours"
But not where such large interests
are at Stake?'
Il don't know tina To my certain
knowledge he has acted on behalf Of
three Of the reigning Buses Of Europe
N very vital Matters
But you know him we'll, Watson.
He is such an inscrutable fellow that
I never quite know what to make Of
him. Do you him he is hopcfuR?
Do you mini he expects to make Il
success of it?'
II has said nothing"
That is a bad sign"
On the contrary. I have noticed
hat when he is off the trail n" gen
rally says so. 1t is when he is on a
scent and is not quite absolutely
sure vet that it is the right one
hat he is most taciturn. Now. my
fellow. VIC can't help matters by
making ourselves nervous about them,
50 let me implore You to get TO bed
md SO be fresh for whatever may
US tomorrow
] was able 1T last to persuade my
companion to take my advice. though
knew from his excited mann"r that
here was not much hope Of sleep for
indeed. his mood was infectious.
or | lay tossing half the night my
self. brOoding over this strange prob
en-, and i~nVenting q hundred theories. /
ach of which was more impossible
han the last. Why bad HOimcS re-
at Working" Why had he ask
ID Miss Harrison to remain in the
room all day Why had no been
80 fearful not t. inform the people at
jriarbrac that he Intended to remain
lcar thcm2 ! cudgclled my brains
fen asleep in The cndcdyor to
some explanation which would
Yer all these facts.
It was !. O'Clock when aVvokc. u
set of at nncc for Phelps room, to
him hag"ard and spent after i ,
;icepieSS night. His first question was !
whether Holmes mad arrived yet.
Hell be here Whcn he promised,
|. and not an instant sooner Ct
dtcr.'
And my words were true. for shortly
,ftcr s a hanson ddSled up to the
and our friend got out of it
standing in the window We saw that
lis left hand was sWathcr in 4
tge and that his face VAS very grim
nd pale. He entered the house. but
+ ,yoc c,p,n littla time before he came 4