Evening star., 1925-03-08
M7 gs. g9

"Jacky has very strong likes and
dIslikes" said Ferguson. putting his
arm around the boy. Luckily am
one o. hts likes"
The hoy cooed and nestled his head
upon his fathers breast. Ferguson
gently disengaged him.
Run away. little Jscky" said he.
and he watched his son with loving
eyes until he disappeared. Now, Mr..
Holmes" he continued, when the boy
was gone, II really feel that l have
| brought you on a FOOLS errand, for
what can you possibly do, save give
me your sympathy? IT must be an
exec eedingly delicate and complex af-
fair from your point of view
1T is certainly delicate" said my
friend, with an amused smile. but /
have not been struck up to now
with its complexity. 1t has been a.
case for intellectual deduction, but
when this original intellectual de-
duction is confirmed. point by point,
by quite a number of independent in
cldents, then the subjective becomes
objective and we can say confidently
that we have reached our goal. l had.
in fact, reached it before we left
Baker street and the rest has merely
been observation and confirmation
Ferguson put his big hand 10 his
furrowed forehead.
For heavens sake, Holmes" he
said. hoarsely, ''if you can see the
truth in this matter do not keep me
in suspense. How de / stand? What
shall / do? / care nothing as to how
you have found your facts so long
as you have really got them"
Certainly l owe you an explana-
ton and you shall have 1t. But you
viii permit me to handle the matter
in my own way. Is the lady capable
of seeing us, Watson?'
She is i'll. but she is quite rational"
Very good. II is only in her pres
ehce that we can clear the matter
UP. Let US go up to her"
She will not see me-" cried Fergu-
son.
"Oh, yes. she will" said Holmes.
He scribbled few lines upon a sheet
of paper. You at least have the en-
tree. Watson. VIII you have the
goodness TO give the lady this note?"
+ ASCENDED again and handed the
note to Dolores who cautiously
opened the door. A minute later [
heard a cry from within, cry in
which joy and surprise seemed to be
blended. Dolores looked out.
She viii see them. She will lees
ten" said she.
At my summons Ferguson and
Holmes came up. AS we entered the
room, Ferguson took a step or two
toward his wife. who had raised her
self in the bed, but she held out her
hand to repulse him. He sank into
an armchair, while Holmes seated
himself beside him, after bowling to
the lady, who looked at him with
wide-eyed amazement.
Il think we can dispense with Do
Cz H01r
madame, II you would rather she
stayed l can see no objection. New,
Mr.. Ferguson, / am a busy man with
many calls, and my methods have to
be short and direct The swiftest
surgery is the least painful Let me
first say what will ease your mind
Your wife is a very good, a very low
| ing and q very ill-used woman"
Ferguson sat up with cry of joy.
Prove that, Mr.. Holmes, and l am
your debtor forever"
Il will do so, but in doing so |
must wound deeply in another direc-
ton"
Il care nothing so long as you
clear my wife. Everything on earth
is insignificant compared to that"
Let me tell YOU then the train OF
reasoning which passed through my
mind in Baker street. The idea of a
vampire was to be absurd. Such
things do not happen in criminal
practice in England. And yet your
observation was precise. You had
seen the lady rise from beside the
childs COT with the blood upon her
lips"
Il did
Did 1t not -occurr to you that a
bleeding wound may be sucked for
some other purpose than to draw the
blood from it? Was there not queen
in English history who sucked such
wound to draw poison from it?''
Poison"
"A South American household. Ny
instinct felt the presence of those
weapons upon the wall before my
eyes ever saw them. 1t might
have been other poison, but that was
what occurred to me. When l saw
that tile empty quiver beside the
small bird-bow, it was just what |
expected TO see If the child were
pricked with one of those arrows
dipped in curare or some other devil
ish drug, it would mean death if the
venom were not sucked out
And the dog. II one were to use
such a poison would one not try it
| first in order to see that it had not
lost it's power? l did not foresee the
dog, but at least l understood him
and he fitted into my reconstruction.
wife feared such an attack. She saw
it and saved the child's life, and yet
she shrank from telling you all the
truth for she knew how you loved
the boy and feared lest it break Your
heart"
"Jacky!"
SGT WATCHED him as YOU fondled
the child just now. His face was
clearly reelected in the glass of the
window, where the shutter formed
background. / saw such jealousy,
such cruel hatred. as l have seldom
seen in a human face"
My Jacky,'
You have to face II. Mr.. Ferguson.
1t Is the more painful because it is a
distorted love-a maniacal. exagger
ated love for you. and possibly for
his dead mother, which has prompted
his action. His very soul is consumed
with hatred for this splendid child,
whose health and beauty are a con-
trast to his own weakness"
Good God. 1t is incredible"
Have 1 spoken the truth. madam ?''
The lady was sobbing with her face
buried in the pillows. Now she turn
ed to her husband.
How could ] tell you, Bob? ! felt
the blow it would be TO you. 1t was
better that I should wait and that IL
should come from some other lips
than mine. When this gentleman,
who seems to have powers of magic,
wrote that he knew all. l was glad"
Il think year at sea would be my
prescription for Master Jacky," said
Holmes, rising from his chair. only
one thing Is still clouded, madam. We
can quite understand your attacks
upon Master Jacky. There is a limit
to mothers patience. But how did
you dare to leave the child these