The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-17


! town. He had been seen talking
earnestly to madame on the promen-
ade by the lake Then he had called.
I She had refused to see him. He was
| English, but of his name there was
no record. Madame had left the place
Immediately afterwards.
So ended the first chapter of my
inquiry. The second was devoted to
the place which Lady Frances Car
fax had sought when she left Lau
same. Concerning this there had
been some secrecy, which confirmed
the idea that she had gone with the
intention of throwing someone off
her track Otherwise why should MOI
her luggage have been openly labelled
for Baden? Both she and it reached
the Rhenish spa by some circuitous
route
At Baden the track was not diff
cult to follow. Lady Frances had
stayed at the Englischer Hof for
fortnight Whilst there she had made
the acquaintance of a DR.. Shlessinger
and his wife, a missionary from South
America He was preparing a map
of the Holy Land. with special refer
! ence to the kingdom of the Milianites,
upon which he was writing a mono
graph Finally he and his wife had re-
turned to London, and Lady Frances
had started thither in their COM
pany This was just three weeks be-
fore, and the manager had heard moth
ling since As to the maid, Marie, she
had gone off some days beforehand in
floods of tears, after informing the
other maids that she was leaving ser
!: vice for ever DR.. Shlessinger had
paid the bill of the whole party be-
fore his departure.
by the way" said the landlord, in
conclusion. you are not the only
: friend of Lady Frances Carfax who is
T inquiring after her just now. Only
, a week or so ago we had man here
, upon the same errand.
: Did he givesa name?" I asked.
) None; but he was an Englishman,
! though of an unusual type
"a savage?" said 1. linking my facts
after the fashion of my illustrious
friend
Exactly. That describes him very
Well"
To Holmes wrote showing how
? rapidly and surely I had got down
: to the roots of the matter. In re-
! iply l had telegram asking for a
} description of DR.. Shlessingers left
5 ear. Holiness ideas of humor are
5 strange and occasionally offensive, so
: took no notice of his ill-timid jest
5 - indeed, l had already reached
E Montpelier in my pursuit of the maid,
: Marie, before his message came.
I had no difficulty in finding the
ex-servant and in learning all that
f she could tell me. She was a de-
r voted creature, who had only left her
mistress because she was sure that
S she was in good hands, and because
e her own approaching marriage made
d a separation inevitable in any case
/ Her mistres had, as she confessed
@ with distress, shown some irritability
It of temper towards her during their
L stay in Baden, and had even ques
J. toned her once as if she had sus
picions of her honesty, and this had
made the parting easier than it would
otherwise have been. Lady Frances
8 had given her fifty pounds as a wed
x ding present Like me, Marie viewed
e with deep disgust the stranger whc
IS had driven her mistress from Lausan
e ne. With her own eyes she had seer
IS him seize the lady's wrist with grea
d violence on the public promenade BY
r the lake She believed that it was ou
r, CT dread of him that Lady Frances hac
II accepted the escort of the Shlessing
ers to London So far she got in he
narrative, when suddenly she spran:
Il from her chair and her face was con
Itvulsed with surprise and fear. "See!'
lie she cried THE miscreant follow
r still! There is the very man o
al whom l speak
ot Through the open sitting room
ID window | saw a huge, swarthy mai
IS with bristling black beard watkins
le slowly down the centre of the stree
ar and staring eagerly at the number
ell of the houses. 1t was clear that, lik
ut myself, he was on the track of tn
Is maid Acting upon the impulse o
ne the moment l rushed out and accostet
him.
he You are an Englishman," I sait
I What if I ann" he asked, with
ds most villainous scowl.
Ia Where is the Lady Frances Cal
ed fax" ! asked.
al He started at me in amazement.
b. What have you done with her
OF Why have you pursued her? l insis
d. upon an answer" said I.
ng The fellow gave a below of ange
.ly and sprang upon me like a tige
of His hand was on my throat. and m
EN- senses were nearly gone before a
he unshaven French ouvrier, in a blu
IN blouse, dirted out from cabart
ID. opposite, with a cudgel in his hant
)p- and struck my assailant shar
tu- crack over the forearm, which mad
it him leave go his hold Then, with
no snarl of anger, he left me and el
1t tered the cottage from which l ha
Ter just come. l turned to thank N
lat preserver who stood beside me
en- the roadway.
well. Watson" said he, "a ver
in pretty hash you have made of it!
os- rather think you had better CON
for back with me to London by the nigl
he express
ere An hour afterwards SherloC
he Holmes, in his usual garb and styl
in was seated in my private room
he the hotel His explanation of b
gle sudden and opportune appearanc
in was simplicity itself. for finding tn:
Mt. he could get away from London,
he determined 10 head me off at Il
or. next obvious point of my travel
Ire In the disguise of working man
or had sat in the cabaret waiting fl
led my appearance.