The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-28
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange +
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
PART SIX

There was a sound upon the stairs,
and our door was opened to admit as
fine a specimen of manhood as ever
passed through it. He was very tail
young man, golden-moustached. blue
eyed. with a skin which had been
burned by tropical suns. and a springy
step, which showed that the huge
frame was as active as it was strong.
He closed the door behind him, and
then he stood with clenched hands and
heaving breast, choking down some
overmastering emotion.
sit down, Captain Croker. You
got my telegram"
Our visitor sank into an armchair,
and looked from one to the other OF
us with questioning eyes.
II got your telegram, and | came at
the hour you said I heard that you
had been down to the office. There
was no getting away from you. Let's
hear the worst. What are you going
to do with me Arrest me? Speak out,
man, You can't sit there and play with
me like a cat with a mouse"
Give him a cigar" said Holmes.
bite on that, Captain Croker, and
don't let your nerves run away with
you. l should not sit here smoking
with you if I thought that you were
common criminal, you may be sure
Of that Be frank with me and We
may do some good. Play tricks with
me, and I'll crush you"
What do you wish me to do"
ITO give me a true account of all
that happened at the Abbey Grange
last night-a true account, mind you,
with nothing added and nothing taken
off, know so much already that if
you go one inch off the straight, I'll
blow this police whistle from my win
dow and the affair goes out of my
hands forever"
The sailor thought for little. Then
he struck his leg with his great sun
burned hand.
"Tll chance it." he cried II be-
lieve you are a man of your word, and
white man. and TIL tell you the whole
story But one thing l will say first.
So far as I am concerner. l regret
nothing and I fear nothing, and l
would do it all again. and be proud Of
the job. Damn the beast, if he had as
many lives as a cat, he would owe
them all to me! But it's the lady,
Mary-Mary Fraser-for never will I
call her by that accursed name When
/ think of getting her into trouble, l
who would give my life just to bring
one smile to her face. it's that that
turns my soul into water. And yet
and yet-what less could I do I'll tell
you my story, gentlemen, and then I'll
ask you, as man to man, what less
could | do.
II must go back a bit. You seem to
know everything, so expect that you
know that l met her when she was a
passenger and I was first officer of
the Rock OF Gibraltar. From the first
day met her, she was the only woman
to me- Every day of that voyage I
! loved her more, and many a time
since have l kneeled down in the
| darkness Of the night watch and
kissed the deck of that ship because
| I knew her dear feet had trod it. She
was never engaged to me. She treated
me as fairly as ever a woman treated
a man. | have no complaint to make.
1t was all love on my side. and all
| good comradeship and friendship on
[ hers. When we parted she was a free
woman, but | could never again be a
free man.
Next time I came back from sea.
| heard Of her marriage. Well. why
shouldn't she marry whom she liked
/ IlIlS ana mOney-WnO cOulQ carry
them better than she? She was born
for all that IS beautiful and dainty.
didn't grieve over her marriage | was
not such a selfish hound as that.
! just rejoiced that good luck had come
! her way, and that she had not thrown
! herself away on a pennless sailor
; That's how loved Mary Fraser.
| Well, l never thought to see her
! in hi 10 St nrny,ootnI
and the new boat was not yet launched
! so had to wait for a couple of months
with my people at Sydenham. One
| day out in a country lane I met
! Theresa Wright, her old mail. She
told me all about her. about him
about everything. I tell you, gentle
men, it nearly drove me mad. This
drunken hound, that he should dare tC