The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 19, 1905, Page 1

lips & Co.) seated for silence with his ack curved over a which he was malodo- sunk upon from my lank bird, black and a nly, “you h Afri- you know t und upon his test-tube in his confess yourself ut- said he. make you sign a paper nothing my dear Watson"—he his test-tube In the rack and ture with the air of a pro- it is not ries of each depengent upon its or and each simple in itself. er doing so, one simply knocks the central inferences and pre- one’s audience with the starting- the conclusion, one may pro- startling though possibly a ious effect. Now, it was not flicuit, by an inspection of the between ~your left forefinger thumb, to feel sure that you did pose tc invest your small capi- goldfields.” connection.” y likely not; but I ‘can quickly you a close connection. Here-are the missing links of 'the ‘Very simple chain You had a chalk between your left finger and thumb when' you re- rom the club last night. 2. You when you play bil- 3. You never ards i« play billiards except with Thurston.. 4. rere steady the cue. You tald me, four weeks:ago, that Thurston had-an option on ‘some South African ‘property. which woilld expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him. 5. Your check book is locked in my drawer and you have not ‘asked for the key. 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner.” “How absurdly simple!” 1 -cried. “Quite ‘so!” said he, a little mettled. ery problem becomes very childish hen once it is explgined to you. Here is an unexplained ote.’ See what you can make of-that, friend ‘Watson.” He tossed a ‘sheet of paper upon the table and turned once more to his chemieal analysis. I lovked with amazement at the absurd hieroglyphics upon the paper. . “Why, Holmes, it is a child’s draw- ing,” I cried. “Oh, that's your idea!” “What else should it be?"” “That is what Mr. Hilton Cubitt of Riding Thorpe Manor, Norfolk, is very anxious to know. This little conun- drum came by the first post, and he was to follow by the next train. There’s a rimg at the bell, Watson. I should not be very much surprised if this ‘were he.” A heavy step was heard upon the stairs and an instant later there en- tered a tall, ruddy, clean-shaven gen- tleman, whose clear eyes and . florid cheeks told of a lifé led far from the fogs’ of Baker street. -He seemed to Lbring a whiff of his strong, .fresh, bracing, east-coast air with him as he entered. Having shaken hands with each of us, he was about to sit down, when his eye rested upon ‘the paper with the curious markings, which I had just examined and left upon the table. X “Well, Mr. Holmes, what do yob make of these?” he cried. “They told mwe that you were fond of ‘queer-mys- teries, and I don’t think you can find a queerer one than that. paper on ahead so that you might have time to study it before I came.” “It is certainly rather a curious pro- duction,” said Holmes. it would appear to be some childish It consists of a number of’ ab- surd little figures "dancing ‘across .the which * they are drawn. Why should*you' attribute any import- ance’ to 'so’grotesque -an object?” “I never should, Mr. Holmes. But It is frightening her to death. She says nothing, but I can see That's why I want prank. paper upo: my wife does. terror. in her eyes. to sift the matter to‘the bottom.” Holmes held up the paper so that the sunlight shone full' upon It. page Holmes examined it for some time, and then, folding it carefully up, he placed it in his pocket-book. “This promises to be a most interest- ing and.unusual case,” said he. gave me a few' particulars in your let- ter, Mr. Hilton. Cubitt, but-I should be torn from a mote-book. markings were done in-pencil and ran in this way: - want to say first of all. that though I'm not a rich man, my people have been at _Riding Thorpe for a matter of five centuries, and there {s no better known family. in.the “county of Norfolk. Last year I came" up to London: for the Jubilee, and’ I.stopped at. a. boarding- house in Russell square, because Park- er, the.vicar of our parish, was stay- ing/ in’ it. There was 'an.American young lady there—Patrick » was; the name—Eisie ‘Patrick. 'In some ‘way we became friends, until before' my month ‘was up I was as much in love as man could be., We were quietly married at a registry office, and we returned -io Norfolk a wedded couple. You'il.think it very mad, Mr. Holmes, that . a man of a good -old family should marry a wife in this fashion, gnowing nothiag of her past or of her people, but if you saw her and knew her it would help ¥you to-understand. 3 “She was very straight about it, was Elsle. I can't gay:that she did' not glve me every chance of getting out of it if T wished to do so. ‘I have had some- very disagreeable associations in my life,’ sald she: ‘I wish to forget all about them. I would rather never allude to ‘the :past, for it -is very-pain- ful to me. ‘If you take me, Hilton, you will take ‘a woman .who has: nothing that she need be:personally ashamed I sent the “At first sight It was a ' The “You nd to allow me with my word' for it, & t: passed up "g o be silent as to all” very much obliged if you would kindly ' the -time' when I ' became yours. go over it all again for the benefit of my friend, Dr. Watson.”: W g “I'm not much.of a.story-teller,” said our visitor, nervously clasping and: un- clasping' -his - . great, ~strang: hands. “Youw'll just ‘ask me anything that I' I don’'t make clear. P time of my- these conditions are’ too hard, then go ‘back. to N -and leave me :to the that :ghe.sald those very .words to. me. of, but youn will have to be centent ; orfolk lonely life.in which you found-me.’ It~ ‘was ;only’ the: day before our ‘wedding - at the her/on her own terms and I have beéew AP | i T lying on the sundial in the garden. I showed ..it. to. Eisie, and down she dropped in ‘a -dead-faint. . Since thén she has looked like.arwwoman in a dregmy; half dezed: and.with terror al- ways lurking in hercexes:.!It was then that lawgote and sent the paper to you, «wHolmes. . It was notza thing that I/ could , take to: the 'police, fdr they weuld. have lauyghed at. me, but you will tell me, what.to dox I am not a rich ;man, . but jif .there is any danger threatenipg. my: litties woman, I would spend my last- copper to‘shield her.” - He was a fine: creature, this man of the . old English scil—simple, _straight and gentle, with his great, earnest blue eyes and. broad,{comely:face. His love for his wife and bis trust in her shone in his features. Holmes had listened 1o his story with:the utmost attention, and.now he sat for some time in silent thought. s “Den’t ycu think, Mr. Cubitt,” said he, ‘at last, “‘that your best plan would be to make a’ direct. appeal to your wife, and to ask her to share her secret with you?” i + Hilton:Cubitt shook his massive head. “A’ promise is a promise, Mr. Huimes. If Elsie wished to ten me she would. if not, it is not-for meto" force Her confidence.. But I am justified in tak- ing my own line—and I will.” “Then'I will help .you with all my heart.: In: the’ first place, have you heard of any strangers- being seen in your neighborhood 2" -~ » . “I .presunie that -it is a ‘very quiet place. - Any fresh : face would cause comment?” - . “Well, we have been married now _ “In‘the immediate neighborhood, yes. for -a year and very happy we have But' we have several small watering- been.. But abput.a month ago, at the Places not very far away. And the end of June, I saw fcr the first time farmers take In lodgers.” signs of trouble. .One day my wife re- ‘These hieroglyphies have evidently ceived a letter from America. I saw, a meaning. If it is'a purely arbitrary the American stamp. She turned ORS, it' may be impossible for us-to deadly white, read the letter and threw Selve ‘it.* If, on the-other hand, it is it into.the fire. . She made no allusion Systematic, I bave no-doubt that we to it afterward, and I made none, f8r a shall get to the bottom:ef it. But this promise is<a promise, but she has ‘particular sample is so short that I never known an easy hour from that can do nothing, and the facts which moment. There is always a look of You have brought me are s0 indefinite fear .upon her face—a look as if she that we have no basis for an investi- were waiting and expecting. She would gaticn. I would suggest that you re- .do hetter to -trust-. me. She would turn to Norfolk, that yougkeep a keen find that I was her best friend. But lookout, and that you take an exact until she speaks I can say nothing. copy of any fresh’ dancing men which Mind you, she is.a truthful woman, may appear. It is a thousand pities ‘Mr. Holmes, and ~whatever trouble that we have not a reproduction of ‘there. may have been In her ‘past life ‘those which were done in chalk upon it has been no fault of hers. I am the window-sill. Make a discreet in- ‘only a simple Norfolk squire, but there quiry also as to any strangers In the is not a man in England who ranks his -neighborhood. = When you have col- family honor more highly than I do. lecteq some. fresh evidence, come to me .Bha_lumws.g well,” and she knew. it That is the_ best advice which well before she married me. She would I ¢ give you, Mr. Hilton Cubitt. If never bring any stain upon it—of that there are any pressing fresh develop- I am sure.. s ” ‘ments, 1 shall be_ always ready to run ‘“Well, now I.came to the queer part down and~sée’ you in: your Norfolk of . my 'story. -About a week ago—it Rc " was the Tuesday of.last week—I found on one of the window-sills a number of .very absurd. little dancing figures like these sstable-boy who “had drawn them, but .fi :he lgdl,‘nwmzhu kwv‘; ::hhl’&:::t t.. Anyhow, W’M there De ‘the night.. ‘I 'had-them washed out . and I only mentioned the matter to my || wife' afterward. T ~out: ' when he called me %fli" here, Watson.” 6’1 had*a wire from Hilton was to reach Liverpool street at onés twenty. He may be here at any mo- ment. I gather from his wire that there have been some new incidents of importance.” . We had not long to wait, for our Norfcik squire came straight from the station as fast as a hansom could Fring him. He was looking worried and depressed, with tired eyes and a lined forehead. “It’s getting on my nperves, this busi- ness, Mr. Holmes,” sald he, as he sank, like 2 wearied man, into an armchair. “It's bad enough to feel that you are surrounded by unseen, unknown folk, who have some kind of design upon you, but when, in addition to _that, you know that it is just killing your wife by .inches, then it becomes as much as -flesh and blood can endure. She’s wearing away wunder it—just wearing away before by eyes.” “Has she said anything yet?” “No, Mr. Holmes, she has not. And yet there have been times when the poor girl has wanted to speak, and yet could not quite bring herself to take the plunge. I have tried to help her, but I dare say I did it clumsily and scared her from it. She has spoken about my old family and our reputa- " tion in the county, and our pride in our unsuilied homor, and I always felt it was leading to the point, but somehow it turned off before we got there.” “But you have found out something for yourself?” “A good deal, Mr. Holmes. I have several fresh dancing men pictures for you to examine, and, what is more important, 1 have seen the fellow.” “What, the man who draws them?* “Yes, I saw him at his work. But I will tell you everything in order. When I got back after my visit to you, the very-first thing I saw next morning was a fresh crop of dancing men. They had: been drawn in chalk upon the black weooden door of the tool-house, which: stands beside the lawn in full view of the front windows. I took an exact copy, and here it is.” He un- folded a paper and laid it upon the table. Here is a copy of the hierogly- T RETOIS “Excellent!” said Holmes. lent! Pray continue.” “When I had taken the copy I rubbed out the marks, but two morn- ings later a fresh inscription had ap- peared. I have a copy of it here”: bRLIGE LD Holmes rubbed, his hands and chuck- led with delight. “Our material is rapidly accumulat- ijg.” said he.« - . - “Three days later a message was left scrawled tpon paper and placed under a pebble upon the sundial. Here it is. The characters are, as you see, exactly the same as the last one. After that I determined to lie in wait, so I got vut my revolver and I sat up in my study, which overlcoks the lawn and garden. About two in the morning I was seat- ed by the window, all being dark save 'for the .moonlight outside, whem I “Excel- m '&fl&w‘m,m.am