The Washington herald., 1912-02-04
The Adventure of
the Dancing Men

are you aware that Mrs. Hilton CuDitt
has herself lain under grave suspicion
Of the mruder OF her husband, and that
il was only my presence here, and the
knowledge which / happened to pos
sess, which has saved her from the
accusationI The least that you owe
her is to make it clear TO the whole
world that she was in no way, directly
or indirectly, responsible for his tragic
end"
IL ask nothing better" said the
American. y guess the very best case
| can make for myself is the absolute
naked truth"
1t Is my duty TO warn you that it
will be used against you,a cried the in
spector, with the magnificent fair-play
OF the British criminal law.
Slaney shrugged his shoulders.
''I'll chance that" said he. "First OF
all want you gentlemen TO UNDER
stand that | have known this lady since
she was a child. There were seven of
us in a gang in Chicago, and Elsie's
father was the boss of the Joint. He
was a clever man, was old Patrick II
was he who invented that writing,
which would pass as a child's scrawl
unless you just happened TO have the
key to it. Well, Elsie learned some
of our ways, but she couldn't stand
the business, and she had a bit of
honest money Of her own, so she gave
MS all the slip and got away to Lon
don. She had been engaged to me,
and she would have married me, / be-
lieve, II j had taken over another pro-
fession, but she would have nothing to
do with anything on the cross. II was
only after her marriage TO this English
man that ! was able TO find out where
she was. | wrote TO her, but got no
answer After that | came over, and,
as letters were no use, put my mes
sages where she could read them
We'll, have been here a month now.
! lived in that farm, where | had
room down below, and could get in and
out every night, and no one the wiser.
| tried all j could.to coax Elsie away.
| knew that she read the messages, for
once she wrote an answer under one
of them. Then my temper got the bet
ter of me, and ! began to threaten
her. She sent me a letter then, inn
ploring me to go away, and saying that
it would break her heart il any scan
dal should come upon her husband.
She said that she would come down
when her husband was asleep at three
in the morning, and speak with me
through the end window, il ] would
go away afteTward and leave her in
peace. She came down and brought
money with her, trying to bribe me
TO go. This made me mad, and
caught her arm and tried to pull her
through the window. At that moment
in rushed the husband with his revol-
yer in his hand Elsie had sunk down
upon the floor, and we were face to
face was heeled also, and held up
my gun to scare him off and let ME
get awav. lie fired and missed me.
pulled of almost at the same instant,
and down he dropped made away
across the garden, and as ] went |
heard the window shut behind me.
That's Gods truth, gentlemen, every
word OF il and ! heard no more about
it until that lad came riding up with
a note which made me walk in here,
hands.
A cab had driven up while the Amer
icln had been talking. Two uniformed
policemen sat inside Inspector Martin
rose and touched his prisoner on the
shoulder.
ut is time for us to 60"
Can ! see her frst?'
mo, she is not conscious. Mr. Sher--
lock Holmes, ! only hope that, if ever
again have an important case, shall
have the good fortune 10 have you by
my side"
We stood at the window and watched
the cab drive away. As | turned back,
my eye caught the pellet of paper
which the prisoner had tossed upon the
table. il was the note with which
Holmes had decoyed him.
See If you can read il, Watson
said he, with a smile.
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