The Washington herald., 1912-02-18

Il WILL" said Holmes. '1n the first
place, your grace, l am bound to tell
you that you have placed yourself. in
a most serious position in the eyes OF
the law. You have condoned a felony,
and you have aided the escape OF
murderer, for ] cannot doubt that any
money which was taken by James
Wilder to aid his accomplice in his
hiEht came from your grace's purse"
The duke bowed his assent.
This is, indeed, most serious mat
ter. Even more culpable in my opin-
ion, your grace, is your attitude to-
ward your younger son. You leave
hun IN tins den for three days"
Under solemn promises-"
What are promises to such people
as thesel You have no guarantee that
he will not be spirited away again To
humor your guilty elder son, you have
exposed your innocent younger son to
imminent and unnecessary danger. II
was most unjusti6ablc action"
The proud lord of Holdernesse was
not accustomed to be so rated in his
own dueal ball The blood flushed into
his high forehead, but his conscience
held him dumb.
u will help you, but on one condi-
ton only Il IS that you ring for the
tootman, and let me give such orders
Without word, the duke pressed the
electric bell. A servant entered
You will be glad to hvar,p said
Holmes, that your young master is
found. 1t is the dukes desire that the
carriage shall 60 at once to the Fight
ing Cock Inn to bring Lord Satire
home.
Now" aid Holmes. when the re-
joicing laekey had disappeared, 'hay-
ing secured the future, we can afford
TO be more lenient with the past.
am not in an official position, and there
IS no reason, so long as the ends Of
justice are served, why ! should dis
close all that ! know AS TO Hayes,
say nothing The galIows awaits him,
and l would do nothing to save him
from t. What he will divulge / can
not tell, but / have no doubt that your
grace could make him understand that
il is to his interest to be silent. From
the police point OF view he viii have
kidnapped the boy for the purpose OF
ransom. II they do not themselves
find it out, see no reason why should
prompt them to take a broader point of
view. would warn your grace, how
ever, that the continued presence OF
Mr.. James Wilder in your household
can only lead to misfortune"
understand that, Mr.. Holmes, and
it is already settled that he shall leave
in Australia"
in that case, your grace, since you
have yourself stated that any unhappi-
ness in your married life was caused
by his presence, | would suggest that
You make such amends as you can to
the duchess, and that you try to resume
those relations which have been so un-
happily interrupted"
That also / have arranged, Mr.
Holmes. wrote to the duchess this
morning"
In that case" said Holmes, rising,
Il think that my friend and | can con-
gratulate ourselves upon several most
happy results from our little visit to
the North. There is one other small
point upon which ! desire some light.
This fellow Hayes had shod his horses
with shoes which oounterfeited the
tracks of cows Was it from Mr..
Wilder that he learned so extraordi-
nary devicel"
The duke stood in thought for a mo-
ment, with look OF intense surprise
on his face. Then he opened door
and showed us into a large room fur
nished as museum. He led the way
to glass case in corner, and point
ed to the inscription.
These Shoes" it ran, were dug Up
in the moat of Holdernesse Hail, They
are for the use of horses, but they are
shaped below with eloven foot Of iron,
SO as to throw pursurers of the track.
They are supposed to have belonged TO
some of the marauding barons of
Holdernesse in the Middle Ages"
Holmcs opened the case, and moist
eninG his finger he passed il along the
shoe. a thin film Of recent mud was
left upon his skin.
Thank YOU" said he, as he replaced
the glass. 1T is the second most in
teresting object that have seen in the
North"
"And the frst?"
Holmes folded up his cheque and