The Washington herald., 1912-02-04

fNiik 80 VIC bNl OuI llldHs
Il have no desire to make mysteries,
but II Is impossible at the moment Of
action to enter into long and complies
explanations. have the threads Of
this affairs all in my head. Even il
this lady should never recover COLI
sciousness, we can still reconstruct the
events of last night, and insure that
justice be done First of all, | wish
to know whether there Is any inn in
this neighborhood known as 'Elrige's'Y
The servants were ross-questioned,
but none of them had heard of such
a place. The stable-boy threw light
upon the matter by remembering that
farmer OF that name lived some miles
off, in the direction Of East Ruston.
rs il lonely farml"
VERY lonely sir"
Perhaps they have not heard yet OF
all that happened here during the
nightT"
Maybe not, sir"
Holmes thought for little, and then
a curious smile played over his face
Saddle horse, my lad" said he.
II shall wish you to take a note to
Elriges Farm"
He took from his pocket the various
slips of the dancing men. With these
in front of him, he worked for some
time. at the study table. Finally he
handed note to the boy, with direc-
tons to put it into the hands OF the
person to whom il was addressed, ana
especially to answer no questions OF
any sort which might be put to him.
saw the outside OF the note, addressed
IN Struggling. irregular characters, very
Ia n.
was consigned to Mr.. Abe Slaney, FL
RIGGS Farm, East Ruston, Norfolk
u think, Inspector" Holmes re-
marked, that you would do well to
telegraph for an escort, as, IL my cal
culations prove to be correct, you may
have a particularly dangerous prisoner
to convey to the county gaol. The boy
who takes this note could no doubt for
ward your telegram. II there is an
afternoon train TO town, Watson,
think we should do well to take il, as
have a chemical analysis of some in
terest TO finish, and this investigation
draws rapidly to a close"
When the youth had been dispatched
with the note, Sherlock Holmes gave
his instructions to the servants. II any
visitor were to call asking for Mrs. Hill
ton Cubitt, no information should be
given as to her condition, but he was
to be shown at once into the drawing
room. He impressed these points upon
them with the utmost earnestness.
Finally he led the way into the drawing
room, with the remark that the busi-
ness was now out of our hands, and
that we must while away the time as
best We might until we could see what
was in store for us. The doctor had
departed to his patients, and only the
Inspector and myself remained.
think that can help you to pass
an hour in an interesting and profitable
chair up to the table, and spreading
out in front of him the various papers
upon which were recorded the antics of
the dancing men, ''As to you, friend
Watson, | owe you every atonement for
having allowed your natural curiosity to
remain so long unSatished. To you,
inspector, the whole incident may ap-
peal as remarkable professional study
must tell you, first OF all, the in
teresting circumstances connected with
the previous consultations which Mr.
Hilton Cubitt has had with me in Baker
street." He then shortly recapitulated
the facts which have already been re-
corded. Il have here in front of me
these singular productions, at which
one might smile, had they not proved
themselves to be the forerunners of
SO terrible a tragedy. | am fairly fa-
familiar with all forms of secret writ
ings, and am myself the author of
tritting monograph upon the subject in
which | analyze one hundred and sixty
separate ciphers, but confess that this
is entirely new to me. The object OF
those who invented the system has ap-
parently been to conceal that these
characters convey a message, and to
give the idea that they are the mere
random sketches Of children.
Having once recognized. however,
that the symbols stood for letters, and
having applied the rules which guide
us in all forms of secret writings, the
solution was easy enough. The FIRST
message submitted to me was so
short that it was impossible for me
to do more than to saw. with y.