The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-24
HE SINGULAR EXPERIENCE OF MR. j. SCOTT ECCLES
By A. onanDo

| terprise. in hand that night. in the
course of which he met his death.
say criminal. because only a man with
criminal enterprise desires to estab-
lish an alibi Who, then. is most likely
to have taken his life? Surely the
| person against whom the criminal en-
| terprise was directed. SO far 1t seems
| to me that we are on safe ground.
we can now see "a reason for the
disappearance of Garcia's household
They were all confedcrates in the same
| unknown crime. IL II came of when
| Garcia returned, any possible suspicion
would be warded off by the English
mans evidence and all would be well.
But the attempt was a dangerous one
and IL Garcia did not return by GER
tain hour 1t was probable that his own
| life had been sacrificed.
1T had been arranged, therefore, that
! in such case his two subordnatcs
were to make for some prearranged
spot where they could escape investiga-
tiOn and be in the position aftcrward to
renew their attempt. That would fully
explain the facts, would it not?"
The whole incNplicablc tanglc seemed
to straightcn out before me. | wondered
as | always did how it had not been
| obvious to me before
but why should one servant return ?"
I'VE can imagine that in the confu-
sion Of flight something precious,
something which he could not bear to
| part with, had been left behind That
would explain his persistence would it
| not?"
We'll, what Is the next step"
The next step is the note received
| by Garcia at the dinner. 1t indicates a
| confederate at the other end. Now.
whore was the other end? have al
ready shown you that it could only lie
in some large house and that the num-
Der of large houses Is limited
"My first days in this village were de-
voted To series of walks. in which. in
the intervals of my botanical researches,
| made reconnaissance of all the large
| houses and AN examination of the family
| history of the occupants. one house.
and only one, rivoted my attention. 1t
Is the famous old Jacobean grange Of
| High Gable. one mile on the further side
of OXshott and less than half a mile
| from the scene of the tragedy.
THE other mansions belonged to
prosaic and respectable people. who live
| far aloof from romance. But Mr.. Hem
dcrson Of High Gable was. by all ac-
counts. a curious man. to whom curious
adventures might befall. | concentrated
my attention. therefore. upon him and
his household.
| "A singular set of people. Watson
the man himself the most singular Of
| them all. | managed To see him on a
] plausible prcteNt, but seemed to read
| In his dark, deep set brooding eyes that
| he was perfectly aware of my true bust
| ness He is a man of fifty. strong. ac-
| tive, iron gray hair. great punched black
| eyebrows. the step of deer, and the
| air Of an EMPEROR fierce, masterful
man. with a red hot spirit behind his
parchment face.
He is either n foreigner or has lived
long in the tropics, for he is yellow and
saplcss, but tough as whipcord His
| friend and secretary. Mr.. Lucas. is I'M
| doubtedly a foreigner. chocolate brown.
willy, suave and catlike. with poison
GUS gentlcness Of speech. You see,
| Watson. we have come already upon
| two sets Of forcigners-one at Wistcria
Lodge and one at High Gable-so our
| gaps are beginning To close.
These two men, close and confiden-
| tial friends, are the centre of the house,
hold. but there is one other person who
for our immediate purpose may he even
|
chldrcn-girls of II and 49, Their
governess is a Miss Burnct. an
| English woman of 10 or thercabouts.
There is also one confidential man SER
| want.
This little group forms the real fam
lily, for they travel about together. and
Henderson is "A great traveller, always
ON the move. 1t is only within the last
| few weeks that he has returned, after
"A years absence. to High Gable. I may
add that he is enormously rich and
whatever his whims may be, he can
very easily satisfy them For the rest
his house is full Of buffers. footmen
maidscrvants and the usual overfed
underworked staff of large English
country house.
80 much | learned partly from viii
lage gossip and parity from my own OBJ
scrvation. There are no better instru-
ments than discharged servants with a
grievance. and was lucky enough to
find one l call it luck, but it would
not have come my way had not been
looking out for il. Az Baynes remarks
We all have our systems.
1T was my system which enabled me
to find John Warner, late gardener OF
High Gable, sacked in "A moment of tenn
per 10y his imperious employer. He, in
turn, had friends among the indoor SER
wants, who unite in their fear and dis
like OF their master. So | had my key
to the secrets of the establishment
Curious people, Watson | dom
pretend to understand it all yet, bu,
very curious people anyway. It's 9