Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-05-31
eseyr;sAt. 1905.
~ Mcclure. PAiniss q CO.

he MAN pWtiSSl nlIilStI lOSetuet, ds!u
faced us with an effort at sel!-composuve.
you are detectives, suppose said he
You imagine l am connected with the
death of Captain Peter Carey. assure
You that am innocent.
Wen see about that said Hopkins.
First of all, what is you name
1T is John Hopley Neisan
quick glance.
What are you doing here"
Can 1 speak contidentially
mo, certainly not"
"Why should / tell you?'
'lf YOU hive no answer, it may go bad
~ with YOU at the trial.
The young man WINGED
Well, will tell YOU" he said. WHY
should I not? And yet hate to think
OF this old scandal gaining new lease
of life. Did you ever hear of Dawson and
Neligan?''
1 could see, from Hopkins face that he
never had, but Holmes was kecnly in
terested
You mean the west-country bankers
said he. They failed for million,
ruined half the county families of Corn
wall. and Neligan disappeared.
EXACTLY. Neligan was my father.
| AT last VIC were getting something posi-
tive. and yet 1t seemed long gap be-
tween an abscondng banker and Captain
Peter Carey pinned against the wall with
one of his own harpoons. We all listened
intently to the young mans words.
lit was my father who was really con-
cernetl. Dawson had retired. ! was only
ten years of age at the time but | was
old enough to feel the shame and horror
of it all. 1t has always been said that
my father stole all the securities and
\ fled 1t is not true. 1t was his belief
that If he were given time in which to
| ~, Iic. I'm md .I.,ats\+
creditor paid in full. He started i'm his
| little yacht for Norway just before the
warrant was issued for his arrest. can
remember that last night when he babe
| farewell to my mother He left us a list
| of the securities he was taking. and he
swore that he would come back with his
| honor cleared, and that none who had
trusted him would suffer. Nell. no word
was ever heard from him again. Both tho
| yacht and he vanished utterly. We be-
| lieNcd. my mother and i. that he and IT.,
with the securities that he had taken with
him, We're at the bottom of the sea. We
had faithful friend. however. who is a
business man. and twas he whodiscovercd
some time ago that some of the securities
which my father had with him had reap
pearcd on the London market. You can
| imagine our amazemcnt. spent months
| in trying to trace them, and at last, after
many doubtings and difficulties. l dis
covered that the original seller had been
Captain Peter Carey, the owner OF this
| hut.
Naturally, made some inquiries about
| the man | found that he had been in
| command of a Whaler which due to
return from the Arctic seas at the very
time when my father was crossing to
| Norway. The autumn of that year was a
| stormy one. and there was long success
sion of southerly gales. My fathers yacht
may we'll have been blown to the north.
and there met by Captain Potter Carey's
| ship. If that We're so, what had become
of my father? In any case. If l could
/ prove from Peter Careys evidence how
\ these securities came on the market 1T
would be proof that my father had not
sold them. and that he had no view to
personal profit when he took them.
II came down to Sussex with the in
tention of seeing the captain, but 1t was
at this moment that his terrible death
occurred / read at the inquest dcscrip-
4 ton of his cabin. In which it stated that
4 the old ogbooks OF his vessel We're pre-
/ served in 1t, 1t struck me that " I could
see what occurred in the month of August.
1883. on board the Sea Unicorn. ! might
settle the mystery of my fathers fate.
tried last night to get at these logboolls,
but was unable to open the door. Tonight
| L tried again and succeeded, but find that
the pages which deal with that month
have been torn from the book. 1t was at
that moment ] found myself a prisoner
IN your hands,
"1s that ALL" asked Hopkins.
Eyes, that is all" His eyes shifted as
he said it,
You have nothing else to tell l,s?"
lie hesitated.
NO there is nothing.
you have not been here before last
niglits"
No"
"fhen how do you account for that 81
cried Hopkins. as he held up the damning
note book. with the initials OF our pr,s-
oner on The first leaf and the blood-stain
on the cover.
The wreichcd man collapsed lie sanl;
his face in his hands, and tremblcd all
\ over.
Where did you got it, ?" he sroaned ~
did not know. l thought ! had lost il a,
the hotel"
That Is enough" said Hopkins. sternly
Whatever else you have To say. you mus,
say in court. You VIII walk down with IN.
10 the police station We'll. Mr.. Holmes
am very much obliged to you and to
your friend for coming down to help me-
/ AS 1T turns ont your presence was unnec-
essary. and would have brought the case
to this successful issue without you but,
none the less. am grateful. Rooms have
/ be".i reserved for You at the Brambletye
hotel. so we can all walk down to the VII
lage together
Well, Watson. what do you think OF
it,? asked Holmes as We Travelled back
] next morning.
4 II can see that you are not satisfied
oh. yes. my dear Watson, | am per
fectly satisfied AT the same time. stan
ley Hopkins methods do not commend
themselves to me. am disappointed in
I Stanley Hopkins. ! had hoped for bette.
| things from him. One should always look
for possible alternative. and provide
against 1t. IL Is the first rule of criminal
investigations"
What. then. is the alternatives"
The line of Investigation which have
myself been pursuing. j MAJ give us
nothing. j cannot tell. But at least
shall follow 1t to the end
Several letters Were waiting for Holmes
at Baker street. He snatched one of then
up. opened 1t. and burst out into a tri.
umphant chuckle of laughter.
Excellent, Watson. The alternative de.
vclops. Have you Telegraph forms? jus,
write couple of messages for mo: Sum
ner. Shipping Agent. Ra'cliff Highway
Send three mon on. TO arrive ten uomor-
row morning.--Basil' That's my name IL,
those parts. The other is: ''Inspectoi
Stanley Hopkins. 49, Lord street. Brixton
Come breakfast tomorrow at $3.50. I'm.
portant. Wire If unable 20 come.--Sner-
-
81 {