Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13


II need not explain. madame.
have too much respect for your intelli
gence to do so, though 1 confess tina,
intelligence has been surprisingly ut
fault of late
How so, sir?"
by supposing that your hired buk
lies could brighten me from my work.
| Surely no man would take up my pro-
fession If it were not that danger at
tracts him. 1t was you, then, who
forced me to examine the case OF
young Maberley."
II have no idea what YOU are talk
ing about. What have / TO do with
hired bullies?"
Holmes turned away YEARLY.
Yes. | have moderated your in
| telligence. Well. good afternoon.
stop. Where are you going
ITO Scotland Yard
WE had not got halfway to the
door before she had overtaken
us and was holding his arm. She
had turned in moment from steel
| TO velvet.
Come and sit down. gentlemen.
| Let us talk this matter over.
| feel that may be frank with you.
| Mr. Holmes. You have the instincts
OF gentleman. How quick II
| woman's instinct is to find it out.
will treat you as a friend"
| II cannot promise to reciprocate.
| madame. | am not the law, but !
/ represent justice so far as my feeble
! powers go. / am ready to listen AMI
| then l will tell you how | will act.
NO doubt it was foolish, madam,
| in that you have placed yourself III
! the power of a band of rascals who
may blackmail or give you away.
| NO. no. / am not so simple
Since have promised to be frank.
| NAV say that no one, save Barney
| Stockdale. and Susan. his wife, has
| the least idea who their employer is.
| AS to them. well. il is not the first
| she smiled and nodded. with
! charming coquettish intimacy.
| II see. You've tested them be-
i fore
Pc "They are good hounds who run
silent"
| "Such hounds have a way sooner
! or later of biting the hand that feeds
them. They viii be arrested for
this burglary. The police are
| already after them"
!
| them. That is what they are paid
! for. | shall not appear In the mat
! ter"
| Unless / bring you into it,"
mo, no. you would not. You are
a gentleman. It is woman's
secret"
I'm the first place you must give
| back this manuscript"
She broke into ripple of laughter.
and walked to the fireplace. There
was q calcined mass which she broke
back?" she asked. So roguish and ex
quisite did she look as she stood be
| fore us with challenging smile that
| I felt of all Holmes criminals this was
the one whom he would find it hardest
to face. However, he was immune
to sentiment.
That seals you fate" he said cold
w. You are very prompt in your
actions, madame. but you have over
done it on this occasion"
She threw the poker down with Il
clatter.
How hard you are she cried.
May / tell you the whole story"
IT fancy / could tell ii to YOU"
But you must look at it with my
eyes, Mr.. Holmes. You must realize
| il from the point of a woman
who sees all her life's ambition about
| to be ruined at the last moment. ID
| such woman to be blamed IL she
protects herself?"
THE original sin was yours"
Yes, yes. l admit it,. He was i
dear boy, Douglas, but it so CHANGED
that he could not fit into my plans. He
wanted marriage - marriage; Mr.
| Holmes-with a penniless commoner.
Nothing less would serve him. Then
he became pertinacious. Because L
had given, he seemed to think that
I still must give, and to him only. II
4 was intolerable. At last had TO make
him realize it,"
| by hiring ruffianS to beat him UNI
der your own window
"You do indeed seem to know every
thing. Well, it is true. Barney and
the boys drove him away, and were,
admit. a little rough in doing so.
But what did he do then? Could I
have believed that a gentleman would
do such an act. He wrote a book ia
which he described his own story. |,
of course. was the wolf. He was tho
lamb. 1t was all there. under differ.
ent names, of course; but who in all
| London would have failed to recos.
nize it? What do you say TO that.
Mr.. Holiness"
"Well. he was within his rights"
/ ut was as il the air of Italy hat
got into his blood and brought with
| it the old cruel Italian spirit. lie
wrote to me and sent me a copy Of
his book that might have the torture
of the anticipation. There were two
copies. he said-one for me. one for
his publisher"
How did you know the publisher
had not reached him?''
II knew who his publisher was.
1t was not his only novel. you know.
] found out that he had not heard
from Italy. Then came Douglas sud.
den death. So long as that other man.
uscript was in the world there was
no safety for me. OF course. IL must
be among his effects. and these would
be returned to his mother. / set the
gang at work. One of them got into
the house as servant. I wanted To
DO the thing honestly. ! really and
truly did. l was ready to buy the
house and everything In il. I offered
any price she cared To ask. I onlv
tried the other way when everything
else had failed Now. Mr.. Holmes
granting that I was too hard on
Douglas-and. God knows. I am sorry
for it:-what else could do with my
whole future at stsker''
Sherlock Holmes shrugged his shout
ders.
We'll. WELL" said he. II suppose !
shall have to compound u felony as
usual. How much does II cost tn go
round the world I'm first class style?"
The lady stared in amazemcnt.
Gould it be done on caooN"'.
We'll. / should think So indeed
Very good. l think you will sign
me check for that. and l will see
that it comes to Mrs. Maberley. You
owe her little change of air. Mean
time, LADY," he wagged q cautionarN