The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-15
The Musgrave Ritual
sy SIR ARTHUR CON
BY ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.

is really the most extraordinary and in
applicable business
You can imagine with what eager
ness | listened to him, Watson, for
the very chance for which I had been
painting during all those months of
inaction seemed to have come within
my reach. In my Utmost heart I be
lieve that l could succeed where 9TH
ers failed. and now l had the oppor-
tunity to test myself
Pray, let me have the Details l
cried.
Reginald Musgrave sat down OPP
posite to me, and lit the cigarette
which l had pushed toward him.
You must know said he, that
though | am a bachelor, ] have to
keep up a considerable staff of serv-
ants at Huristone, for it is rambling
old place, and takes a good deal OF
looking after, | preserve, too, and IN
the pleasant months ! usually have a
house party. so that it would not do
to be short-handed. Although, there
are eight maids, the cook, the butler
, two footmen, and boy. The garden
and the stables of course have sep
arate staff.
"'Of these servants the one who had
/ been longest in our service was Brum
ton, the butler. He was young
school-master out of place when he
was first taken up by my father, but
! he was a man of great energy ano
character, and he soon became quite
| invaluable in the household. He was {
wellgrown, handsome man. with
splendid forehead, and though he has
been with us for twenty years he can
| not be more than forty now. With his
personal advantages and his extra
ordinary gifts-for he can speak sew
| eral languages and play nearly every
musical instrument-it is wonderful
that he should have been satisfied 81
| long in such a position, but ! suppose
that he was comfortable, and Lacked
energy TO make any change. The but
Ter of Hurlstone is always a thing tina
! is remembered by all who visit us.
But this paragon has one fault
He is bit of Don Juan, and you cal
imagine that for a man like him it i
not a very difficult part to play in
quiet country district. When he wa
married it was all right, but since h
has been a widower we have had n
end of trouble with him. A few month
lago We were in hopes that he wa
about to settle down again, for he be
came engaged to Rachel Howells. on
second housemaid; but he has throw
her over since then and taken up wit
Janet Tregellis, the daughter of tn
head gamekeeper. Rachel-who is
very good girl, but of an excitabl
Welsh temperament - had a shar
touch of brain-feveT, and goes abou
the house now-or did until yesterda
like a black-eyed shadow of her 70
mer self. That was our first drama {
Hurlstone; but a second one came I
drive it from our minds, and it We
prefaced by the disgrace and dismiss
, of butler Brunton.
, This was how it came about.
2 have said that the man was inteIligen
r and his very intelligence has cause
, his ruin, for it seems to have led to g
Il insanitable curiosity about thin.
\ which did not in the least concel
him. l had no idea of the lengths
q which this would carry him, until Il
merest accident opened my eyes to
> Il have said that the house is
/ rambling one. One day last week.
: Thursday night, to be more exact
;. found that | could not sleep, havil
IL foOlishly taken a cup of strong ca
noir after my dinner. After strugglil
. against it until two in the morning,
felt that it was quite hopeless, so
t rose and lit the candle with the int
3. ton of continuing a novel which l w