The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-10
Part Five

Part Five
These few inquiries proved to be
more lengthy proceeding than
Holmes had agined, for he did not
return to the inn until nearly nine
O'Clock. He was pale and detected,
stained with dust, and exhausted with
hunger and fatigue. A cold supper
was ready upon the table and when
his needs were satisfied and his pipe
alight he was ready to take that half
comic and half philosophic view
which was natural to him when his
affairs were going awry. The sound of
carriage wheels caused him to rise
and glance out of the window. A
brougham and pair of grays, under
the glare of gas-lamp, stood before
the doctors door.
It's been out three hours" said
Holmes started at half-past six and
here it is back again. That gives a
radius of ten or twelve miles, and he
does it once, or sometimes twice a
day"
No unsual thing for doctor in
practice"
But Armstrong is not really doc
tor in practice. He is a lecturer and
consultant, but he does not care for
general practice, which distracts him
from his literary work. Why, then,
does he make these long journeys,
which must be exceedingly irksome to
him, and who is it that he visits?'
His coachman-"
MY dear Watson, can you doubt
that it was TO him that first applied?
do not know whether it came from
his own innate depravity or from the
promptinss of his master, but he was
rude enough to set dog at me.
Neither dog nor man liked the look of
my stick, however, and the matter
fell through. Relations were strained
latter that, and further inquiries out
lDbf the question All that l have
learn | got from a friendly native in
the yard of our own inn. 1t was he
who told me of the doctors habits
and of his daily journey. At that in
slant to give point to his words, the
carriage came round to the door.
Gould you not follow it?''
Excellent, Watson. You are scin-
tillatinS this evening. The idea did
cross my mind There is, as you may
have observed, a bicycle shop next to
our inn Into this | rushed. engaged
bicycle. and was able to get started
before the carriage was out of sight.
l rapidly overlook it, and then, keep
ing at a discreet distance OF hun
dred yards or so | followed its lights
until we were clear out of town. We
had got we'll out on the country road
when a somewhat Notifying incident
occurred. The carriage stopped, the
doctor. alighted, and walked swiftly
back to where I had also halted, and
told me in an excellent sardonic fash
ion that he feared the road was mar
nj hot hn honod his rarria
did not impede the passage of my BIZ
cycle Nothing could have been more
admirable than his way of putting it.
at once rode past the carriage, and,
keeping to the main road, ! went on
for few miles, and then halted in
convenient place to see If the car
riage passed. There was no sign OF
it, however and so it became evident
that it had turned down one of the
several side roads which | had OBJ
served. | rode back, but again saw
nothing of the carriage, and now, as
you perceive. it has returned alter me.
OF course | had a the outset no par
tiCular reason to connect these jour
neys with the disappearance OF God
frey Staunton. and was only inclined
TO investigate them on the general
erounds that everything which con-
CtIuS Ut. tAIluStIOuS 10 dl plCeCAL VI
interest to US, but, now that | find he
keeps so keen a lookout upon anyone
who may follow him on these eXcur-
sions, the affair appears more import
ant, and l shall not be satisfied until
| have made the matter clear
We can follow him tomorrow.
Can we? 1t is not SO easy as you
seem to think You are not familiar
with Cambridgeshire scenery are
you? II does not lend itself 10 con-
cealment. All This country that l
passed over tonight is as fiat and
clean As the palm OF Your hand, and
the man we are following is no fool,
as he very clearly showed tonight. |
have wired to Overton TO let Us know
any fresh London developments at
his address, and in the meantime We
can only concentrate our attention
upon DR.. Armstrong, whose name the
obliging young lady at the office al
lowed me to read upon the counterfeit
of StauntOnS urgent message. He
knows where the young man is--to
that I'll swear, and il he knows, then