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

reIary, with the lnt1mat1on CnaL young
Lord Satire, ten years old, his only
son and heir, was about to be COM
mitted to my charge. Little did think
that this would be the prelude to the
most crushing misfortune Of my life.
"On May l the boy arrived, that be-
ing the beginning of the summer term
He was charming youth, and he soon
fell into our ways. l may tell you'll
trust that am not indiscreet, but half
condolences are absurd in such case
that ne was not entirely happy at
home. 1t Is an open secret that the
dukes married life had not been Il
peaceful one, and the matter had end
ed in separation by mutual consent.
the duchess taking up her residence IL
the south Of France. This had occurrcl;
very shortly before, and the boys sym
pathies are known to have been strong
ly with mis- mother. He moped after
her departure from Holdernesse Hall.
and it was for this reason that the
duke desired to send him to my eStab-
lishment. In Il fortnight the boy was
quite ut home With us and was appar-
emily absolutely happy.
Gle was last seen on the night OF
May 13-that is. the night of last NJ ON
day. His room was Oh the second floor
and was approached through another
larger room, in which two boys were
sleeping. These hoys saw and heard
nothing, 50 that it is certain that young
C,lt
window Was open. and there is q stout
Ivy plant leading to the ground. We
could trace no footn!arks below. but it
is sure that this is the only possible
exit.
His absence was discovered at {
O'clock on Tuesday morning. His bed
had been slept t.. Tie had dressed liin-
self fully before going off in his usual
school suit of black Eton jacket and
dark gray tr8lscrs. There We're no
signs that any one had entered the
room, and it is quite certain that any
thing in the nature of cries or a strug-
gle would have been heard, since Caua-
ter, the elder boy in the inner room, is
very light sleeper.
"When Lord Satires disappearance
was discovered. at once called q roll
of the whole cstablishment-boys mas
tiers and servants. 1t was then that we
ascertained that Lord Satire had not
been alone in his flight Heidcgger, the
German master, was missing. His
room was on the second floor Mt the
farther end of the building. facing the
same way as Lord Saltire's. His bed
had also been slept in, but he had APP
parently gone away partly dressed,
since his shirt and socks were lying
on the floor. He had undoubtedly let
himself down by the ivy, for we could
see the marks of his feet where he had
landed on the lawn His bicycle was
kept In small shed beside this lawn,
and 1t was also gone.
HE had been with me for two
years and came with the best refer
ences, but he was silent, morose
man, not very popular either with
masters or boys. No trace could be
found Of the fugitives, and now. on
Thursday morning, we are as igno-
rant as we were on Tuesday. Inquiry
was, of course, made at once at Holder
nesse Hall. 1t is only few miles
away, and we imagined that in some
sudden attack of Inconsistencies the boy
had gone back to his father, but nothing
had been heard of him. The duke is
greatly agitated, and as to me-you
have seen yourselves the state of
nervous prostration to which the sus-
pense and the responsibility have re-
duced me. Mr.. Holmes, if ever you
put forward your full powers I In
plore you to do SO now, for never in
your life could you have case which
is more worthy of them"
Sherlock Holmes had listened with
the utmost intentness to the statement
Of the unhappy schoolmaster. His
drawn brows and the deep furrow be.
tween them showed that he needed nc
exhortation to concentrate all his at
tention upon problem which, apart
from the tremendous interests involved
must appeal SO directly to his love OF
the complex and the unusual. He now
drew out his notebook and jotted
down one or two memoranda.
you have been very remiss in not
coming to me sooner" said he severe,
/ ly. You start me on my Investigation
with very serious handicap. 1t is
inconceivable, for example, that this
ivy and this lawn would have yielded
nothing to an expert observer"
II am not to blame, Mr.. Holmes. His
grace was extremely DESTROYS to avoid
all public scandal. He was afraid of
his family unhappiness being dragged
before the world. He has deep hor-
ror of anything of the kind"
But there has been some official In
vestigation?"
"Yes sir, and 1t has proved most dis
appointing. An apparent clew was al
once obtained, since boy and young
man were reported to have been seen
leaving a neighboring station by an
early train. Only last night we had
news that the couple had been hunted
down in Liverpool. and they prove tc
have no connection whatever with the
matter In hand. Then it was that IL
INV 6ocpoir and Observation-Disclosures n ftar n