Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-09
lurid spark which marked . chink b
tweed the stones.


tweed the stones.
Its disappearance, however, was but
momentary. With . rcnding, tearing
turned over upon its side, and left a
strcamed the light of a lantern. Over
face, which looked keenly about it, and
aperture. drew itself shoulder-high and
waist-high, until one knee rested upon the
| edge. In another instant he stood at tho
side of the hole, and was hauling after
him n companion, 1.-THE and small like
himself, with a pale face and a shock
of very rcd hair.
ats all clear" he whispered. Have
YOU the chiscl and the bags. Great Scott
Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing
for itr'
Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and
seized the intruder by the collar. The
other Owed down the hole, and l heard
the sound OF rcnding cloth MS Jone,
clutchcd at his skirts. The light flashed
upon the barrel of q revolver, but
Holmes hunting crop came down on
the mans wrist, and the pistol clinked
upon the stone floor.
"It's no use, John Clay" said Holmes,
blandly. "Iou have no chance Mt ALL"
$50 see" the other answered,
with the utmost coolnesss. II fancy
that my pal is all right, though l see
YOU have go, his coat-tails."
"Thcrc are three men waiting for
him at the door," said Holmes.
ooh, indeed. You seem to have done
the thing very completely. l must
compliment YOU"
And | you.' Holmes answered.
"Nour rcd-hcaded idea was very new
and effective"
You'll see your pal again presently"
said Jones. Hes quicker at climbing
down holes than l IN. Just hold out
while | fix the derbies."
Il beg that YOU will not touch me
with Your filthy hands" remarked our
prisoner, rs the handouts clattcred upon
his wrists. you may not be aware that
| have royal blood in my veins. Have
the goodness. also, when YOU address
me always to say sir and please"
"All right" said Jones, with a stare
and a Singer. well, would you,
please sir, march upstairs, where We
can &c, a cab TO carry your hlghness
l TO the police ststion?"
That is better said John Clay
( serenely. He made a sweeping bow &c
= the three of us and walked quietly of
= in the custody of the detective.
4 Really. Mr.. Holmes" said Mr.
= Merrywether, as we followed them from
, the cellar, Il do not know how the bank
1 can thank YOU or repay you. There II
! no doubt tina. you have detected ano
5 defeated in the most complete mannel
one of the most determined attempts a
bank robbery that have ever come with
T, in my experience"
$ II have had one or two lit tie scores
of my own to settle with Mr.. John Clay
said Holmes. II have been at some small
expense over this matter, which l shall
2 expect the hank to refund, but beyond
l that l am amply repaid by having hac
an experience which is in many way
unique, and by hearing the very re
marksble narrative of the Red-headed
League"
'Nou see, Watson" he explained,
n the early hours Of the morning, as W
sat over n glass of whiskev-and-soda /
/ Baker street. ''it was perfectly obviou
O from the first that the only possible OF
/, ject of this rather fantastic business
. the advertisement OF the league, and tn
copying of the Encyclopedias mu:
be 10 get this not overnight pawr
~ broker out OF the WAY for q number
X hours every dav. II was a curious wa
OF managing it, but, really, it woul
s. be difficult 10 suggest a better. III
n method was no doubt suggested to Clay
ingenious mind by the color of his a
d completes hair. The 4 pounds a week
was a lure which must draw him, ar
what was 1t 10 them, who were playir
for thousands? They put in the adve
g tisement, one rogue has the Temporal
" Office, the other rogue ,ncites the ms
n TO apply for it, and together they mana,
m 10 secure his absence every morning
10 the week. From the time that | heal
of the assistant having come for hs
20 wages, IL was abvious to me that he h:
ar some strong motive for securing L
~ situation"
81 But how could you guess what t
nc motive was?"
hc Had there been women in the hous
nj | should have suspected a mere vulg
or llliKu'. luul. lloNtNtIr was Odi
cm the question. The mans business W
Ak a small one, and there was nothing
ld his house which could account for SUI
he elaborate preparations, and such
no expenditure as they were at. 1t mu
then, be something out Of the hou:
What could it be? / thought of the {
ed sistant's fondness for photography, a.
nd his trick of vanishing into the cell;
IA The %cel!arl There was the end of Il
n, tangled clue. Then / made inquiries
"a TO this mysterious assistant, and foul
mo that ! had to deal with one Of the coolt
ar and most daring criminals in Londc
re He was doing something in the cellar
as something which took many hours
ii day for. months on end. What could
Vie be, once more? i could think of nothi
> save that he was running a tunnel
some other building.
80 far | had got when we went
visit the scene of action. | surprised y
by beating upon the pavement with !
stick. / was ascertauing whether I
cellar stretched out in front or behiI
II was not in front. Then l rang I
bell, and, as l hoped, the assists
n answered it. We have had some Skin
ishes, but we had never set eyes up
each other before. ! hardly looked
= his face. His knees were what / wish
to see. You must yourself have remark
how worn, wrinkled and stained th
were. They spoke of those hours
b~urrowing. The only remaining POI
Al was what they were b%urrowing for.
Al walked around the corner, saw tn
Jul the City and Suburban Bank abutt
on our friends premises, and felt tina
had solved my problem. When you Dire
home after the concert ] called up