The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-06-20

At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching d train for Leatherhead, where we hired a trap at the station inn, and drove for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes. It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and 2 few fieecy clouds in the heaV- ems. The trees and waySide hedges were just throwing out their first green sheets, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me at least there was a. strange contrast betWeeen the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged. My companion sat in the front of the trap, his arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes and his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest though, and pointed over the mead ows.
 Look there!" said he
 A heaviIy-timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope, thickening into grove at the highest point, From amid the branches there jutted out the gray gables and high roof-tree or a very old mansion.
 '-Stoke Moran?'' said he
 ''Yes, sir, that be the house of pr. Grimesby Roylott,'' remarked the driver.
 '"rhere is some building going on there," said Holmes; ''that is where we are going
 There's the village said the driver pointing to a cluster of roofs some distance to the left; but if you want to get to the house. you'll find 1t shorter to get over this Stle, and so by the foot-path over the fields Ihere it is, where the lady is walking"
 And the lady. ! fancy, is Miss c+oner.'' observed Holmes, shading his eyes "Yes. I think we had better do as you suggest
 we got off, paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on it's way to Leath- erhead.
 T thought it as weIl,'' said Holmes, as we climbed the stile, that this feI- low should think we had come hefe as architects, or on some definite buS- mess. It may stop his gossip. Good afternoon, Miss StOner. You see that we have been as good as our word"
 Our client of the morning had huf- ried forward to meet us with a face which spoke her joy ''I have been waiting so eagerly for yOu,' she erred shaking hands with us warmly. All has turned out splendidly. Dr. Roy lott has gone to town, and it is un- likely that he will be back before
 we have had the pleasure of making the doctors acquaintance said Holmes, and in a few words he sketched out what had occurred. Miss stoner turned white to the lips
 Good heavens!" she cried, "he has followed me, then.'
 "So it appears"
 He is so cunning that I never know when am safe rom nm; IT, What will he say when he returns He must guard himself, for he may find that there is some one more cunning than himself upon his track You must lock yourself up from nm tonight If he is violent, we snail take you away to your aunts at liar row Now. we must make the best use of our time, so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to examine" bIotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken. and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caVed in. a picture or rum. The central portion was in Httle pet ter repair, but the righthand pIoch was comparatively modern, and the binds in the windows, with the blue smoke up from the chimneys, show ed that this was where the family re- sided. Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall and the stone work had been broken into, but there were TO signs of any workmen at the moment of our visit Holmes walked slowly up and down the ill-Irimmed lawn, and examined with deep attention the outsides of the windows.
 This. I take it, belongs to the room in which you used to sleep, the center one to your sisters, and the one next to the main building to Dr. Roylott's chamber?'
 Exactly so. But I am now sleep ing in the middle one"
 ''Pending the alterations. as l un- derstand By-the-Way. there does not seem to be any very pressing need Tor repairs at that end w|lI.'
 There were none. I believe that it was an excuse to move me from my room.'
 "Ah, that is suggestive Now. on the other side of this narrow wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open. There are win dows in it. of course2"
 "yes but very small ones. Too narrow for any one to pass through"
 "As you both locked your doors at night your rooms were unapproacha- ble from that side. Now, would you have the kindness to go into your