The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-07-13
The Adventure Of The Missing
 Tmee-Q Quarter
By DOVE
  with lureN Syndicate

We were fairly accustomed to re- ceive weird 1elegrams at Baker street, but I have a. particular recollection February morning, some seven or eight years ago, and gave Mr. Sher- lock Holmes puzzled quarter Of an hour. It was addressed to him, and ran thus:
 ..Please await me- Terrible mis- fortune. Right wing three quarter missing, indispensable tomorrow Overton-"
 -thirty-six," said Holmes reading it over and over. "Mr. Overton was evidently considerably excited when he sent it, and somewhat incoherent in consequences. Well, well, he will be here, I dare say, by the time I have looked through the Times, and then we shall know all about it. Even the most insignificant problem would be welcome in these Stagnant days"
 Things had indeed been very slow with us, and I had learned to dread such periods of inaction, for I knew by experience that my companions it was dangerous to leave it without material upon which to work For years [ had gradually weaned him from that drugmania which had threatened once to check his remark able career. Now I knew that under ordinary conditions he no longer craved for this artificial stimulus, but I was we'll aware that the fiend was not dead but sleeping, and I have known that the sleep was a light one and the waking near when in periods of likeness I haYe>Seen the drawn look upon Holmes ascetic face and the breeding of his deep-set and inscrut- able eyes. Therefore I blessed this Mr. Overton, whoever he might be, since he had come with his enigmatic message to break that dangerous oa I'm yxvhf foh hr-nI +o friend than all the storms of his tenn peStuous life.
 As we had expected, the telegram was soon followed by its sender and College, Cambridge, announced the arrival of an enormous young man, sixteen stone of solid bone and mus cle, who spanned the doorway with his broad shoulders, and looked from one of us to the other with a. comedy face which was haggard with anxiety.
 MT. Sherlock Holmes?''
 My companion bowed.
 I've been down to Scotland Yard MT. Holmes. I saw Inspector Stan ley Hopkins. He advised me ito come to you. He said the case, so far as he could see, was more in your line than in that of the regular police"
 Pray sit down and tell me what is the natter
 Its awful, MT. HoImes-simply awful I wonder my hair isn't gray. lTodfrey Staunton-you've heard of him, of course? He's simply the hinge that the whole team turns on I'd rather spare two from the pack, and have Godfrey for my three-quar- ter line. Whether it's passing or tackling or dribbling, there's no one to touch him, and then, he's got the bead, and can hold us all together What am to do? That's what I ask house, first reserve. but he is traan- ed as a. half, and he always edges right in on to the serum instead of keeping out on the touchline. He's he has no judgment, and he can't sprint for nuts. Why. Morton or Johnson, the Oxford fliers, could romp round him. Stevenson is fast enough, but he couldn't drop from the twenty-five line, and a three-quarter who can't either punt or drop isn't worth a place for pace alone. No, MT. Holmes, we are done unless you can help me to find Godfrey Staunton" My friend had listened with anus ed surprise to this long speech which was poured forth with extraordinary g1soT and earneStness, every point being driven home by the skipping of a DroWny hand upon the speakers knee When our visitor was silent Holmes stretched out hds hand and took down Ieuoer of his commonplace book For once he dug in vain into that | mine of varied information
 | There is Arthur H. Staunton. the | rising young forger,'' said he, land there was Henry Staunton, whom | helped to hang, but Godfrey Stauntor IS new name to me"
 Dt was our visitors turn to look surprised
 Why, MT. Holmes. I thought yor knew things" said he. "T suppose then. if you have never heard o- Godfrey Staunton, you don't know | Cyril Overton either?"
 Holmes shook his head good hu
 moredly.
 Great Scot," cried the athlete
 Why, I was first reserve for Eng
 land against Wales. and I've skipper
 ed the Varsity all this year. Bu
 that's nothing I didn't think ther, | was a soul in England who didn'
 know Godfrey staunton, the cracl
 three-quarter Cambridge, BIackheatl
 ard five Ihternationads. Good Lord
 MT Holmes. where have you lived 9
 Holmes laughed as the youn giants naive aStonishment
 You live in different world t me, MT. Overton-a sweeter am
 healthier one. My ramification stretch out into many sections of so c1ety but never, am happy to say into amateur sport, which is the bes ; and soundest thing in England. How ever, your unexpected visit this morn ing shows me that even in that worl,
 of fresh air and fair play, there ma,
 be work for me to do. So now, m,
 good sir, l beg you to sit down anc tell me, slowly and quietly exactl.
 what it is that has occurred and how
 you desire that I should help you" Young Overtons face assumed tn,
 bothered look of the man who is nor,
 accustomed to using his muscles thai
 his wits, but by degrees, with man! repetitions and obscurities which
 may omit from his narrative, he laic
 his strange story before us.
 Its this way MT. Holmes. As have said I am the skipper of tn,
 Rugger team of Cambridge Varsity
 and Godfrey Staunton is my best man Tomorrow we play Oxford. Yesterda.
 we all came up and we settled a
 Bentley's private hotel. At ten o'clocl I went round and saw that all tn
 fellows had gone to rooSt. for I be
 lieve in strict training and plenty O | sleep to keep a team fit I had word or two with Godfrey before h
 turned in- He seemed to me to b pale and bothered. I asked him wha was the matter. He said he was al right - just a. touch of headache 7 bade him goodnight and left him. : Half an hour later, the porter tell