Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-10
Part Five
Part Five
nv SIR ARTHUR CONAN D0YL'

Holmes shows Watson some drawings
Of tiny dancing men, like those a child
would make, which Mr. Hilton Cubitt,
of Riding Thorpe Manor, has brought
him. Cubitt says they are frightening
his wife. He tells his story. He is a
member of an old and proud family,
whose honor he is ANXIOUS to uphold.
A year before he had married Elsie Pat
rick, an American young woman, about
whose past he knew nothing, but who
asked him not to question her, as it twas
disagreeable, though not dishonorable.
They were very happy and he had stuck
TO his promise not to allude to her past.
About month before this she had re-
ceived letter from America, which she
had burned after she had read it and
turned deadly white. A week before he
had found line of dancing men chalkcd
on the window-sill. On seeing them his
wife had tainted. Mr.. Cubitt SAID he
would spend his last copper to shield his
wife fro m any danger threatening her.
Holmes told Cubitt to return home
but to bring him any fresh evidence
which might come. A few days later
Cubitt came to Holmes. He had found
a crop of dancing men on the door OF
the Toulouse and later under \ pebble
on slip of paper on the sunrdial. One
night he kept vigil with his pistol by
window which commanded the tool
house. His wife came to urge him to go
to bed and Just then figure crcpt up
to the Toulouse door. He tried to rush
out but by the time he had thrown off
his wife'S restraining arms, the man
had escaped, leaving more dancing-men.
Cubitt rubbed them off, but in the
morning there were five different ones
in another panel of the door. lie had
brought Holmes copies of them all
Several days later Cuhitt sent another
message which had appeared on the sun
dial. Holmes worked over II for while,
then jumping anxiouSly to his feet, told
Watson they must hurry down to Riding
Thorpe Manor They started immc-
diatcly and as they alghtcd from the
trim were greeted with the news that
Cuhitt was dead, and his wife terribly
injured. The servants said that both
shots had been fred by the wife. They
drove to the house.
There they heard the story of the two
women servants. They had been awak-
cned by a shot, followed closely by a
second. They rushed downstairs and
lNllIltl tlClI iiihSttt AlNitAs ibNN bpNh VIZ
the floor, and their mistress, terribly
wounded. crouched against the wall, her
head leaning almost against the window
frame. The hall, rs we'll as the study,
had been full of the smell of powder as
they came down, said the servants.
The window had been shut and locked
on the inside. Holmes examined the
room and found that bullet had hit
the window sash. This indicated that
third person had been present Holmes
Argued that the presence Of the smell
of powder in the hall when the servants
rushed from their rooms indicated
that the window had been open when
the shots were fired, forcing draught
up the stairs. Probably somebody had
fred from outside the window, striking
Cubitt, who had fred back and hit
the window sash. His wife, terribl!
wounded though she was. had rushed
and shut and locked the window Or
the table Holmes found ladys hand
bag, containing twenty fifty-pounC
notes. The fiower-bed outside the win
dow was trampled with large foot
prints. Holmes asked if there was an!
place nearby called Elriges. and founC
there was farmer of the name not IA
away. Holmes sent note there adj
dressed to Abe Slancy.