The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-24

mat there is to know. found Briony
Lodge 1t is a bijou villa. with a
garden at the back. but built out in
front right up to the road. two stories.
thubb lock to the door. Large sit
tlhS room on the right side, we'll fur
nlsheo, with long windows almost TO
the floor, and those prepoSterous
English window fasteners which q
child could open Behind there was
nothing remarkable. save that the
from the top of the coach-house. /
walked round it and examined it
closely from every point of view. but
without noting anything else of in
terest.
then iounged down the street.
ana Iound as | expected that there
was 4 news in q lane which runs
down by n wall of the garden. I
lent the ostlers a hand in rubbing
down their horses, and | received in
exchange tWOpence, a glass of half
and-half, two fills Of shay tobacco.
and as much information as | could
desire about Miss Adler. to say moth
Ing OF half a dozen other people in
the n~eiShbOrhoOd in whom was not
in the least Interested. but whose
biographies | was compelled to listen
to
And what of irene Adler" |
Oh, she has turned all the mems
heads down in that part. She is
the daintiest thing under a bonnet
on this planet. SO say the Serpen-
tIne-meWs. to a man. She lives
quietly. sings at concerts. drives out
at five every day, and returns at
seven sharp for dinner. Seldom goes
out at other times, except when she
sings. Has only one male Visitor,
but a good deal of him. He is dark,
handsome, and dashing, never calls
ln-- tho " = NJ n Iox> I'D oft1- ~
He is a Mr.. Godfrey Norton Of the
Inner Temple. See the advantages
Of a cabnaan as q cOniidant. They
had driven him home d dozen times
from Serpentine-meWs, n knew all
about him. When [ a listened to
walk up and down near Briony
Lodge once more. and to think over
my plan of campaign.
This Godfrey Norton was evident
~ an important factor in the matter.
He was a lawyer. That sounded
ominous. What was the relation
between them, and what the object
of his repeated visits? Was she his
client, his friend, or his mistress? If
the former, she had probably trans
ferred the photograph to his keeping.
If the latter, it vas less likely. On
the issue Of this question depended
whether | should continue my work
at Brjony Lodge, or turn my atten-
ton to the gentleman's chambers in
the Temple. 1t was a delicate point,
and it widened the field of my in
quiry. l fear that ! bore you with
these details, but | have to let you
See my little difficulties. if you are
to understand the situation.'
4 am following you closely" ]
answered.
4 was still balancing the matter
in my mind, when a ransom cab
\ H. - Oj 1~ o~I n on
tleman sprang out. He was a re-
markably handsome man, dark,
aquiline, and mustached-evidently
the man of whom | a heard. He
appeared to be in a great hurry,
shouted to the cabman to wait, and
the door with the air Of a man who
was thoroughly at home.
He was in the house o half
an hour. and 1 could catch g1impses
Of him in the windows of the sitting
room, pacing up and down. talking
her I could see nothing. Presently
he emerged, looking even more fur
ried than before. AS he stepped up
TO h cab, he pulled a gold watch
from his pocket and looked at it earn
estfy. Drive like the devil he
shouted, first to Gross & Hankey's in
Regent street, and then to the church
of ST. Monica in the Edgware Road.
Half a guinea if you do it in twenty
minutes.'
Away the went, and I was just
wondering whether I ShOuld not do
we'll to follw them, when up h Ian
came a neat little landau, the coach
man with his coat only half -buttoned
and his tie under his ear. while all
the tags of his harness We're sticking
out Of the buckles. 1t hadn't pulled
up before she shot out of the hall
door and into it. [ only caught a
glimpse Of her at the moment, but
she was a lovely oma with a face
that q man might die for.
1.-The hurch of ST. Monica, John.
she cried, and half a sovereign if
you reach it in twenty
This was quite too good to lose,
Watson. l was just balancing Wheth-
er I should run for it, or whether ]
should perch behind her landau,
when a cab came through the street
The driver looked twice at such a
shabby fare: but [ jmped in before