The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 21, 1905, Page 2

THE SAN ‘FRANCISCO. SUNDAY CALL.. R £ 2 ; e SN n oy % \ see by Holmes’ face that he was puz- from the eommnnghu to the exceed- have thrown a dozén-if he HAd léft kind-Hearted. That was thepithof the! and our door was opened to admit as boil, and CaS O 1E7 UKL \ = , \“" again T cursed this brute, who Q\‘l‘ / ' zled by-something which he had ob- ingly remarkable, for it can only mean my. bonny bird alone, He was forever information with which “"olmes left fine a specimen of manhocd as ever mishandled the woman ) / served. Every nowsand mzn. by an that Lady, rsdmgz maid ul!l.niunl’ her,. and lpttborp;‘o | to the office of the Adelaide-Southampton .passed through it. - He was a.very tall gentlemen, I ‘was. ding with her 5;: =~ WA effort, he would throw off the impres- have .geliberately lled to us,’ that not complain. She will not even “tell' me Company. Thence he: drove to-Scot- “young man, golden-moustached, ‘blue- - just the .. 4n" all” inno- \ and talk as if the matter.were one- word -of-theiristory r“fio “be be- -all that he-has done to-her. Shemever.-land -¥ard, but; instead :of-entering,she - eyed,.. with; -a« skin - o as God is ‘niy judge, when he . —7 by nfip!cfl suns, on her ‘arm sat-in his cab with his brows drawn been - -, but then his doubts would settle leved, that'they have some very strong told me of those m =475) - e - down upon him again, gnd his knitted reason for eovering the real eriminal that yousaw this mo! , but Iknow . down, lost iny nd thought. Finally and a. springy ;step, which showed called her' the vilest name that a man ¢ ¢ brows and abstricted eves would show -and that we ,,&u‘@n, ruct :fl cq“n very welly haqygev me". omfi'floshg‘gdmve u?.fi to. the Ch:flng,-c that ‘the' huge frame was i muh uld use to a woman, and welted her ( ‘ ‘ Q | s for ourselves without any helf from with a hatpin. ‘The i\:d 3¥il—God for- ' télegraph office, sént off & message, s Kmmn‘. He elugf t‘o m oss the face with the stick he had in J | them. This {8 the missibn which ndw give me that ¥ shouldsp of him .then, atJast; we made for Baker streét { behind and then he stood W S hand.. I'had sprung for the poker, \v 1 bey Grang: lies before a5, and here,"Watson; 1:&.5 now that he Is dead!. Buf a dévil'he once more, < + ¢ . - . % % 0 clenched hands “and heaVing b jand; it ‘was a fair fight betweep us. ¢ : © \vas if ever dne walked the earth. He R enacted. "At last, b} “No, 1 coyldn’t do it, Watson,” said choking down some overmastering emo- See here, onp my arm, where his first tragedy had Sydénham train.” | G, ) mere whim. I simply can't s condition. Everv cries out against wrong—T'l vet the on was sufficient. the detajl 4 act. What have I to put at® Three winegiasges. t if I had not taken I had examined which I should E oached the should I not = more defi- vou in the first instance to ss from your mind the idea that vhich the maid or her mis- v have sald must necessarily The lady's charming person- must not be permifted to warp gment. ely there are which, - if we blood, would excite our suspi- These = burglars made a derable haul at Sydenham a fort- night ago. Some account of them and of their appearance was in the papefs, and would naturally occur to any ‘one who wished to invent a story in which imaginary robbers should play a part. As a matter of fact, burglars who have done a good stroke of business are, as a rule, only too glad to enjoy the pro- ceeds in peace and quiet, without em- barking on another perilous updertak- ing. Again, it is unusual for burglars to operate at so early an hour; it is unusual for burglars to strike a lady to prevent her: screaming, since ohe would imagine that was the sure way to make her scream; it is unusumal for them to commit murder when their numbers are sufficient to overpower one man; it is unusual for them to .he content with a limited plunder. when there, was much more within their reach, and, finally, I should say that it was very unusual for such men to leave a bottle half-empty. How do all these unusuals strike you, Watson?"” “Their cumulative effect is certainly - comsiderable, and yet each of them is quite possible in itself. The most un- usual thi g of all, as it seems to me, is that the lady should be tied- to the chair.” “Well, I am not so clear about that, Watson, for it is evident that they must either kill her or else secure her in such a way that she could not give immediate notice «of their escape, But * at any rate I have shown, have 1 not, that there is a oertain element of im- probability about the lady's story? And now, on the top of this, donfes the incldent of the wine glasses.” “What about the wine glasses?™ “Can you see them in your mind's eye?” : “I see them clearly.” “We are told that three men drank from them. Does that strike you as likely?” “Why. not? glass.” “Exactly, but ‘there was RQeeswing only in one glass. You must have no- ticed that fact. What does that sug- gest to your mind?” “The last glass filled would be most likely to contain beeswing.” "Not at all. The bottle was full of it, and it is iaconceivable that the first two glasses were crear ‘and the third heavily charged with it. There are two possible explanations, and only two. e i that after the second glass was filled the bottle was violently agitated, and so the third glass recelved the beeswing. That doés not appear prob- able. ‘No, no; I am sure that I am detafls in - her looked at in There was wine in each right.” “What, then, do you suppose?” “That only two glasses were used, and that the dregs of both were poured into a’third glass so as to give the false impression that three people had been here. In that way all the beeswing would be in the last glass, would it not? Yes, I am convinced that this is so. But if T have hit upon the true ex- planation of this one small phenome- non, then in an instant the case rises (O O] ¢C J TS & perfect shame. Look at that lawn! Cut right straight across from the lilacs to the sidewalk, as if we kept a little chain gang of elephants trotting over it. I wouldn’t have it, Neil! I'll turn the hose on those boys.” “Don’t jabber over it, Kit. You'll only get gll red and warm and fussy and some one may hear you.” Kit scowled defiantly at the broad bay window of the house next door. The shades were lowered and the blinds half closed. On one window sill a plump tortoise-shell cat dozed comfortably. Peace evidently reigned ‘within and it was the habitation of the enemy. “I don’t care who hears me. Who- ever hears—” Kit raised her voice ever so little, just enough to carry over the tortoise-shell cat. “They must know all about it anyway. How would they like it if we trampled paths all over their lawn day and night?” “There comes one of them.” Nell paused in her sweeping on the little vine-covered porch and waited anx- lously. “Now don’t be huffy, sis.’” Kit sat immovable in the dandelion- starred grass and watched the com- ing boy with disapproving, menacing eyes. He was rather a nice boy to look at, too, somewhere around 15, and he whistled as he came along the sidewalk in.front of the Norton cot- tage. There was a break ig the low box hedge made by vandals, but this vandal disdained it and added insult to injury by jumping over the hedge and boldly'starting across the path. “How’do, Miss Norton?” he called cl:iorflsn “Pretty hot to-day, isn't “Say, Dick McLean, we don't ‘want you three béys: tramping over .our iawn.” Kit gpoke with dignity and severity. “It makes a regular beaten path all the way to your lilacs and I think you could use your own lawn if “almest ‘complete.” _Eprang. up on the m: not guite reach it, put his knee.on.ghe..think eur next scene of op voted himself for.two hours te one:of those minufe and laborioug investiga- tions whigh form .the solld basis on which his ‘brilliant edifices df deduc- tion were regred. Seatea in a. corner like an interested student who observes the -demanstration of his professor, * followed g¥esy step‘df that remarkable - research. > Théywindow, the' curtains, the. carpgt, air, the rope—each in turn was? tely. examined and duly pondered.; body of the unfortundte baronet had deen temoved, and all else remained ~@swe ‘had séen’ it in the morning. '%mh.)ly, to my astonishment, Hoimes climbed up on te the massive mantelpiece, sFar-above his head hung the few incheg of red cord which“were » still ,attached to the wire. For.a long time he gazed upward at it, and thef in an-attempt to get nearer to it he rested his knee upon @ weoden bracket on. the. wall. This broughi his hand within -a few inches - of the broken end, of the rope, but it was not._this so much a8 the bracket itself which seemed. to e e hig attention. Finally he sprang d0wn with an ejacu- lation of satisfaction. i ¢ . > “Ht's all right, Weteon,” said he. “We have got our case—one Of the mast Te-. markable in our collection. But, dear me, how slow-witted I have been, and how nearly 1 have committed the blun- der of my lifetime! Now, I think that, with a few missing links, my chain ‘is ““¥ou bave got. your men?” “Man, Watscn, man. nly ‘ome, but & very formidable person. ‘Strong as a lion—witness the blow that bent that paker! Six foot three in height, active > as a squirrel, dexterous with his.fin- gers, finally, remarkably quick-witted, for this whole ingenlous story. is' of his concoction. ¥es, Watson,', we " have come upon the handiwork of a very re- markable individual. And yet, in that bell rope, he has given us a clew which should not have left us a doubt.” “Where was the clew?” s “Well, if you were to:pull down a bell rope, Watson,” where woyld you expect it to-break? Surély at the spot where it is attached to the Wire. Why should. it break three-inches from the top, as'this one has done? 4 “Because it is frayéd there?” “Bxactly. This end, ‘which we can examine, is frayed. He was cunning enough to do that with his knife. /But the other end is t-frayed.. You could not observe that’from here, but if you were on the mantelpiece you would see that “it is cut tlean off without any mark of fraying whateyer.. - You can reconstruct what occurred. The: man needed the rope. ‘He would not tear it dotwn for fear ‘of ‘giving the alarm by ringing the bell. What, did he do? He lpiece, could bracket—you will see the impression in the dust—and so.got his knife to bear upon the cord. "I could not reach the’ piace hy at' least three inches—from which I infer that he is at least three inches a bigger man than' I.” Look 2t that mark upon the ‘seat of .the oaken chair! What isit?" “Blood."” % “Undoubtedly it 48 blood. This alone puts the lady’s story out of court:. If she were geated on the chair when the crime was done, how comes that mark. No, no, she was placed in the chair after the death of her husband. T'lL wager that the black dress shows a corresponding mark to this. We have not yet met our Waterloo, Watson, but this is our Marengo, for it begins in defeat and ends in victory. I should like now to have a few words with the nurse, Theresa. We must be wary for awhile, if we are to get the informa- tion which we want.” She was an interesting person, this stern Australian nurse—taciturn, sus- picious, ungracious, it took some time before Holmes’ pleasant manner and frank acceptance of all that she said .thawed her into a corresponding amia- bility. She did not attempt to conceal her hatred for her late employer. “Yes, sir, it is true that he threw the decanter at me. I heard him call my mistress a name, and I told him that he would not dare to speak so if her brother had been thete. Then-it was that he threw it at me. He might § ® you want to make a chéckerboard on the grass.” Dick halted midway on the forbid- den way and looked at its undeviating course of harrenness with interest. “It does look queer,” he said. “I'm awfully sorry we did it. When old Mrs. Tisdale lived here .she didn’t give a rap about it. It wasn’t a lawn then. She just hung up her wash here and she kept chickens, too.” “Well, we don’t,” retorted Kit most ungraciously. *“Ever since we moved here I've been trying to coax a real croquet lawn out of a wilderness of chickweed and plantain. We only had the hedge put in as a gentle hint to our neighbors—" > “You mean us, don't you?" Dick smiled down on her ‘good naturedly. “Yes,. 1 @o,” granted Kit.. *“Beeause it really was all the fault of you boys, and you don’'t care. You even jump right over the hedge.” Dick got over on his own side hastily. “Well, I'm sorry 4 jumped, Miss Nor- ton,” he said, contgitely. ‘“‘And I'll tell the other boys to %eep off, too. Good- by.” i Kit's curly head nodded an unwill- ing response as she bent over the pansy bed again. “He heard every word.” Nell down on the top step end laughed. “How do you kmow?” _ “The cat went indoors, and she never does unless he is at the desk.” There was a pause and the.pansies suffered from too vigorous treatment. ‘“Well, I don't care if he did,” sald Kit, finally, but her tone was lower. "I‘t they don’t stop it I'll put up barb wire.” It was not an idle threat, though it needed provocation to carry it out. Two days later, just at noon, a happy, sat <has gone through allithat _.ment ‘th\e bruise “upo ~hey * I hope, : again?”’ m “gazed s 3 < mhiss, but take she-has pald for it ‘if7ever a woman did, Whatmonth. did we.meet him? Well, I tell you it Svas just after we arrived. We arriyed’in' June,” and it- was July. -\They wéfe married in January, of last-year. Yessshe is down in the mof msrtdom!gflll‘?&nd I have no doubt she 3 i , “but you must ‘not ask tod much of jier, for she flesh and falge Loudoh Way.%:f she made a mis- blood will stand.” Lady Brackenstall the' sarig “col than before. with, us. and- y feclining on *l:llfl» ~|z;’d entered - ore to fo- brow. sald the lady; “that‘you have . not ;o!nowh;t_:mn _xamme me “No,” Holmes answered, in hisgen- “tlest voice, “I will‘mot ‘cafise you any unnecessary trouble, ‘Lady Bracken- stall, and my. whole dgelre is. t6 “make things -easy “for you, for vinced that ¥ou aré a much*tried wo- man: ; If you'wfll treat me i.s a friend and trust me you may find that I will Justify’ your trust.” “What dé you yant me to do?”. “T¢ tell the truth.” “Mr." Holmes!” “No, no, Lady Brackenstall—it is no use. Ypu may have‘heard of any lit§le reputation which I possess. I will:st it all on the fact that your story is- absolute fabrication.” : Mistress and maid were both staring at Holmes with pale faccs and fright- ened;eyes. ¢ “You are an impudent fellow!” eried Therega. ‘‘Do you.mean to say that my mistress has told a-l{e?” Holmes! rose from his.chair. “Have ¥ou nothing to tell me?” “I.have told you everything.” “Think once more, ‘Lady Bracken- stall. - Would it not‘be better to be frank?" 5 ' For .n instant there Wwas 'hesitation in her beautiful face. Then some new “Z’l,g thought crused it ‘to'set*like’'a “Lhave told you all;I know.” "'~ Helmes took his hat and shrugged:his shoulders.. “I am sorry,” he said,.and without, another . word - we left the recom ‘and the house. “There ‘was a popd in the park, and to this my - ‘friend led the way. It was.frozen over, but a) single hole .was left for the con- venienge: of a solitary-swan.. Holmes lodge gate. There he scribbled'a short note for Stanley Hopkins, and'left it with theé loggekeeper. = AR ay;be a hit, or: it maysbe’a for: friend' Hopkins, second wisit,” said he. I will. take shini’ into my cen: not quite US| be the shipping office” of Y aide- Southamipton line, which s fi‘fhd? end bf Pall Mall. 1:4‘ remember right. There is a sécond lhie of stéamers. which .connect.South - Australia ~wjth Enpgland, ‘but we will d(taw larger cover fi-gt.” 3 “Holmes' ‘card qegi}fi& he manager insured ipstant attention, and.he was" not long n acquiring all the informa- tion he needed. In June of’’95 only one ‘of their line had weached -a*home port. It:was the Reck" of :Gibraltar, their largest and best-.boat. A. refer- erite to the passénger list showed that Miss Fraser of Adelaide, with her maid, had made the voyage in her. The boat was now on her way to Australia some- where ifi the south of the Suez canal. Her officers were the same as in 95, with one exception. The first officer, Mr. Jack Crockér, Lad been imade a captain, and was to take charge of their new ship, Phe Bass Rock, sail- ing in’two days’ time fr.m Southamp- ton. ‘He lived at Sydenham, but he was {ikely to be in that morning for instructions, if we cared to wait for him. > No; Mr. Holmes had no desire to see him, but would be glad to know more about his record and character. His record was magnificent. There was not an officer in the fleet to touch him. liable on duty, but a wild, desperate fellow off the deck of kis ship—hot- headed, excitable, but loyal, honest and By Izola leisurely procession passed over the lawn, Even Dick, the traitor, was lead- ing and whistling in sweet forgetful- ness, with a baseball bat over his shoulder. Kit said-nothing. The point had arrived where mere wrath was futile. " Early on Saturday morning she superintended the placing of her outposts of defense and by the time that the boys appeared a neat array of 'barb wire strands were stretched along beside the hedge. “It's all right for the boys,” said Nell critically. “But what If Mr. Me- Lean—" “If he can’t make his little brothers behave, then we will., It's bad enough :l;lt;;‘:xext door to a perfect old crank, r -summer vacation anyway, ;vlll;hou!; being '?lrlx intimate term-ywl-ts;n .. Even ‘mother says he's eccentric, and that rx}lenns' crn.nks."' Ay ‘“He doesn’t look like one.” “Well, he is all the same. All writers are cranks, and the more successful they get the crankier they are, so Kirke Ross McLean must be a terror. And he doesn’t write books -either, not real books. He only travels and writes, doesn’'t make up a thing out-of his own head.” v Nell did not answer. She was look- ing over at the cool, darkened bay {window, ahd thinking of the figure beyond that tortoise-shell cat, a figure, that, sitting at the broad, flat top desk sles - nd W a the croquet - balls “Just you wait,” said Kit, following her glance. * day those ‘boys wiil forget and take a run over that path end tumble in the wire, and we'll see t.-JooKed " brighter “mistress’ - am_con-“havio-. " right in front of their noses. ‘ there be a better hiding place?” it, and then passed onito the™ ¢ are bound‘ts'do something * a’tv.m-mtuym ; mo hint tol give me?” As to his character, he was re- - ¥ THE FORBIDDEN P the “window, sometimes turned " 3 vz the hedge where the w;:} i and ‘1 had rather play tricks with, the law of England than with my own con- science. ' Let us know a little more be- fore wg aeh” - g Aes .~ Béfore’ evening' we ‘had’ a;visit from Inspector Stanley ‘Hopkins: Things were not going wvery well with' him. # ~“I belleve that you are a'wizard, Mr. ‘Holmes, 1 really do -sometimes, think that you have powers that are not human. Now, how on earth could you ~know that the stolen silver was at thg bottom*of that pond?” 1“1 -didn’t know it.” * But you told ‘me to examine it.” ¢ “Ybu'got it, then?” £} Yo, T got jt.”’z “I am very gla@ if I have helped you.” * “But, you haven’t helped me. You have made ‘the affair far more diffi- cult. -What sort of burglars. are .they who steal silver, arid then throw it into the nearest pond?”. “It was certainly rather eccentric be- I was merely going on the idea that if the stiver had been taken by per- sons o did not want-it—who merely took It'for a blind, as it were, then they \\;nuld naturally be anxious to get rid of it." S0 ‘. “But why:should such an Idea cross ‘your mind?”’ SA 2 ““Well, I ‘thought it ~was possible. When they came. out through the French window there: -was’ the pond with one tempting little hole in tlg icled, oul ‘‘Ah,ra ‘hiding place—that is better!™ cried Stanley Hopkins. ‘‘Yes, yes, I +see it all mow!{ It was early, there were folk 'upon ‘the roads, they were afraid of ‘being seen with the silver, so they sank jt in.the pond,,intending to return for‘it.when-the coast was clear. Excellent, - Mr. Holmes—that .is better than your-idea'of a blind." “'Quité s0; you have got an admirable “theory. I have mo doubt that my own iideas were quite wild, but you, must admit that; they have ended ‘18 dis- covering the, silver.” 37 ' ''Yes, sir—yes. It was all your doing. But I have 'had a bad setback.” “A, sethack?” * ., ¢ “Yes, --Mr. [Holmes. The Randall gang were arrésted in New York thfs “‘morning.”’ . . . “Dear- me, Hopkins! That is‘cer- tainly rather against your theory that they committed ‘a murder in Kent last night.” * / i “It is'fatal, Mr. Holmes—absolutely fatal.” Still, there are; other gangs of “three besides the Randalls, or it may * be some new gang. of which the police _have never heard.” i B “Quite s, it {5 pertectly possible. Title* ana - money—owho . conld - cabry Wh Lm you off? 3 . _them better than she? She was born- . “¥es,iMr. Holmes, there is %(L t. -all that is ‘bea: 1 'and" dainty. me: _I bave got to the bottom' I didn’t grieve over her marriage. I - of the ss. ‘1 _suppose you have was not such a selfish hound as that. e Jiv'en you one." “Well, “But.wh RS “Ah, that's the question, of course. But L'cbmmend. the idea to your mind. You might possibly find that there was something .in it. You won't stop for dinner? Well, good-by, and let us know how you get on.” Dinner was over, and the table " cleared before Holmes alluded *to the matter again. He had lit his pipe and I suggested a blind.” * held his slippered feet to the cheerful "blaze of the fire. his_watch. “1 expeet developments, ‘Watson.” “When?” P : “Now—within a few minutes. I dare “say ‘you #¥hought I acted rather badly to Stanley Hopkins just now?"” “I trust your judgment.” ' “A very sensible reply, Watson. You must look at it this way: what I know is unofficial, what he knows is. official. I have the right to private judgment, but he has none. He must.disclose all, or he is a traitor to his. service. doubtful case I would not put him in so painful a position, and so I reserve my information until my‘own mind is clear upon the matter.” ’ “But when will that be?"” 3 “The time has come. You will now be present at the last scene of a re- markable little drama.” There was a sound upon the stairs, Suddenly }:e looked at Forrester. Sunday evening supper was a mat- ter of individual vagary and caprice so far as the Norton family was con- cerned. Molly went home after din- ner, Mrs. Norton went upstairs for a cozy nap about twilight, and the girls susually took -iced tea and salad sand- wiches out on the porch, where ‘they could lie in thé hammocks, a book in one hand and a:sandwich in the other, safely screened from prying eyes by the wistaria vines. The Sunday follow- lowing the putting up of the wire of the hammocks were occupied, when gome one came along the sidewalk with a quick, firm tread and deliberate- ly walked through the broken place in the hedge and across the path. Kit gave a smothered exclamation and sat up, but before she could speak there was the sound of a fall at the barbed-wire guard, and the ‘girls rose with frightened, yét half laughing, faces. “Hello!” called Kit gently. “Are you hurt?” 555 There was no response for a minute, then some one answered in a strange voice: “I beg: your pardon, but would you mind ringing our bell and calling the boys. My foot is twisted-and I can- not stand up.”" = T An_ hour later Kit stood guiltily at the head of .the steps as: her mother. “and Nell came slowly from the house next * door. “Will he be sick long?” “About. a month before he can walk,” said Mrs. Norton. “It is. too bad. And he is a'very delightful per- son to.meet, not at all eccentric. He takes the blame entirely, and says he is worse tbgil; the boys, and that we were perfectly right in putting up the Ina’ the hour you said. *T hdgd heen down to the office, There was no gétting away from you. ‘Let's hear the worst.” What are you.going to do with me? Arrest me?: Speak out, man! You can’t sit there and play with me’ like a cat with a' mouse.” “Give him -a’ cigar,” ‘said -Holmes. “Bite on that, Captain Crocker,-and don’t let 'your nerves run, away with you: " I should ot sit_ here ‘smoking with you if I thought that you were a common criminal, you may be sure of that. ‘Be frank with:me and-we may do some good. Play tricks with me, and I'll crush you.” “What do. you' wish me to do?” “To give me a true ‘account”of all that happened ‘at thHe Abbey .Grange last night—a true account, rind you, with nothing taken -off. I know so much already that if:you go one inch off the straight I'll blow this police whistle frpm my window and the affair goes out of my: hands; forever.” The sailor thought for a little. Then he struck'his leg with' his great sun- burned hand. white man, and I'll tell you the whole story. But one thing I will say first. So far as I am concerned, I . regret nothing, and I would do it all again and be proud of the job. Damn the beast, if he had as many lives as a cat, he would owe them all to mel But it’s the lady, Mary—Mary Fraser —for never will I'call her by that ac- cursed name. When. I think of get- ting her into trouble, I who would give my life just to bring one, smile to her dear face—it’s that that turns my soul into water. And yet—and yet—what _less could I do? I'll tell you'my'story, -gentlemen, and then I'll ask you, man to man, what less could I do. “I must go back a bit. You seem to know everything, so I expect that you know that I met her when she was. a’ ‘passenger and I was first officer of ‘the Rock' of Gibraltar. rqm the ‘first day —, a sudden fmpulse, just as our/tra Fhe household at the Abbey Grange Was all honey. when first we met him— he, as we re-entered our room. “Once tion. blow fell. ' Then it was my turn, and I =10 was crawling out of a suburban &td- eno® pUien gurprised at our return, Onlyeighteen months ago, and wef both that warrant was made out, nothingon' “Sit'down, Captain Crocker. You got Went through him as if he had been & . PN tion, he sprang on to the platform and 5 Sherlock Holmes, finding that feel@s if it were cighteen years.. She earth would save him. Once or twice ‘my telegram?” § rotten pumpkin. Do you think I was ' / ) Selaiape fatintter Staniey . Hopkins had sone off to. hadionly just arriyed in London..Yes, . in my career I feel that I have done . Our visitor sank into an armchair sorry? Not I! It was his life or mine, { repost to - headquarters, took . pos- it Wt‘ her firstyvoyager—she had never more ‘redl harm by -my - discovery of ‘and looked-from one to the‘other of us ‘but far more than that, it was his life Session " of the dining-room, locked Deenifrom home kefore. He won her the.criminal than ever he'had done by :with questioning eyes. - - or hers, for how could I leave her in N he the door mipon -the imside, and ‘de- withy his, tile and® his’ money. and his yhis crime. I have leafned:caution now, . “I got your telegram and I came at 'the power of this madman? That was e you k heard that you'show I killed‘him. Was I wrong? . Well, then, what svould either of -you gentle- men have' done, if you had been in my position? i “She had: screamed when he struck her, and that brought old Theresa down from ‘the room above. There was a bottle of wine on the sideboard, and I opened it and poured a little between Mary’s lips, for she was half dead with shock. Then I took a drop myself. Theresa was as cool as ice, and it was her plot as much as mine. We must make it appear that burglars had done the thing. Theresa kept on repeating our story to her mistress, while I swarmed up_and cut the rope of the bell.” Then I lashed her in her chair and frayed out the end of the rope to make it look natural, else they would wonder how in the world a burglar could have got up there to cat it. Then 1 gathered up a few plates and pots of silver, to carry out the idea Gf robbery, and then I left them, with orders to give the alarm when I had a quarter of an hour’s start. I dropped the silver “I'll 'chance it,” he eried, “I believe *infb ‘thie-pond and made off for Syden- you are a man of your word and a . ham, feeling that for once in my life 1 had done a real good night's work. And. that’s the truth and the whole truth, Mr. Holmes, if it costs me my Holmes smoked for some time in si- lence. Then he crossed the room and shook our visitor by the hand. “That’'s what I think,” said he. *“T know that every word is true, for you have hardly said a word which I did not know. No one but an acrobat or & sallor could have got up to that bell- rope from the bracket, and no one but a sailor could have made the knots with which the cord was fastened to the chair. Only once had this lady been brought into contact with saflors, and that was on her voyage, and it was some one of her own class of life, since she was trying to shield him, and 80 showing that she loved him. You see how .easy it was for me to lay my I*met her.she was the only woman to ‘hands. upon you when once I had start- me. . Every day of that voyage I loved her more, and many-a time since have I kneeled down in the dukneas-qkthe y night watch and Kkissed the deck of that ship .because I knew her dear feet had trod it. She was never engaged to me. [She treated me as fairly. as ever a woman treated a man. ‘I have no complaint to make. . It was all‘love on my-side, and all.good comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted she ‘was a free woman, but I.could .never again be a free man. “Next. time I ‘back from sea I heard of “her -marriage. shouldn’t she marry - T just rejoiced that good luck had come her way and-that she had not thrown hergelf’. away on a penniless sailor. ‘That's how I'loved Mary Fraser. ‘“Well,:I never thought to see her again, but last voyage I was promoted «and the new boat was not yet launched, so I had to. wait for a couple of months out in a country-lane I met Theresa ‘Wright, her old maid. She told me all about her; about him, about everything. I tell you, gentlemen, it nearly drove me mad. This drunken hound, that he should dare to raise his hand to her, whose bogts he was not worthy to lck! I met Theresa again. Then I met Mary herself—and met; her again. Then she would meet me no more. But the other day T had a notice that I was to start o my voyage within a week, and I determined that I wotld see her orue before T left. Theresa was always my friend, for she loved Mary and hated this villain_almost as much as I.did. From her I learned the ways of the house. Mary used to sit up reading in her own little room downstairs. I crept round there last night and scratched at the window. At first she would not open to me, but in her Neart I know that now she loves me, and she could not leave me in the frosty night. 'She whispered to me to come round to the ‘big front window, and I found it open before me, so as to let me into the dining-room. Again I heard from her own lips things that made my blood RSNSOI DI000N00000000000000%) ATH ¥ wire.” % « “That's what he said to you, moth- erie darling,” interposed Nell discon- solately. “He probably thinks .that Kit and I are heathens.” “Barbarous heathens,” Kit smiled - wickedly. g “This is far from _being.a joke, Katherine,” said Mrs. Norton. “I am afraid you must both do penance by being-as kind as possible. Of course he is a-a—"" “Crank?” ‘A celebrity,” corrected her mother. “We may find him odd, but after this misfortune we must do our best to make him comfortable. I.told him you would take turns in bringing him flowers." 2 * P “Well, I won’t; motherie,” sdid Kit flatly. “I'm sorry he hurt himself, but I'm not a bit sorry I put up the fence, and I don’t want to be for- glven.” In the days that followed they could see the strong, patient figure sitting in the shady. corner of the veranda next door. Nell carried the first pro- pitiatory .bunch of roses over to the enemy’s country. She brought back a good report, and after® week of dis- interested indifference, Kit suddenly announced her intention of being flow- er bearer to His Majesty. She found him a totally disabled, rather sarcas- tic majesty.. “So you're the young woman who set the trap, are you, Miss Kit? And you’re not'a bit sorry?” . “I'm sorry I came over to see you.” Kit stood ‘erect, very haughty, very “they, ‘to the best of my belief. Well,- why * ed'upon the right trail.” “I thought the police. never could have seen through our dodge.” - “And the police haven't,. noy will Now, look here, Captain Crocker, this is a very serious matter, though I am-will~ ing to:admit that you acted under the most extreme provocation to which any ‘man could have been- subjected. I am 'not sure that in defense of your own; your; action will not-be pro- nounced* ate, However, that is for a -Brif jury to decide. Mean- while'I have' so much sympathy for you” that, if‘you choose to disappear in the next twenty-four hours, I will promise ;you ‘that no one will hinder ““And then it will all come out?"* “Certainly it will come out.” The sailor flushed with anger. “What sorf of propesal is that to make.a man? I know enough of law to understand that Mary would be held as‘accomplice. Do you think I would leave “her alone to face the musie, while I slunk away? No, sir, ““with my people at Sydenham. One day let them do their worst upon me, but for heaven’'s sake, Mr. Holmes, find some way of keeping my poor Mary out of the courts.” Holmes for a second time held out his hand to the saflor. “I was only testing you, and you ring true eve! time. Well, it is a great responsibility that I take upon myself, but I have given Hopkins an excellent hint, and if he can’t avail himself of it I can do no more. See here, Captain Crocker, we’ll do this in due form of law. You are the pris- oner. Watson, you are a British jury, and I never met.a man who was more eminently fitted to represent ome. I am the Judge. Now, gentlemen of the jury, you have heard the evidence. Do you find the prisoner guilty or not gulilty 2" “Not guilty, my lord,” sald I “Vox populi, vox Dei. You are ac- quitted, "Captain Crocker. So long as the law does not find some other vic- tim you are safe from me. Come back to this lady in a year, and may her future and: yours justify us in the judgment which we have pronounced this night!”. her. “Please sit down.. Don’t you know I've been hoping every day to :lve" you visit me and beg my par- on. “TI won’t do any such thing.” met his eyes deflantly. “You hadn’t _ the least right to cross there, only— only, I meant it for the boys, of course.”. Her glance fell'to his swathed foot. “I'm sorry you were hurt.” “That will do very well.” He was laughing openly ‘now. “It covers:the personal side for me, you see. You're not sorry you hurt me, but you're sorry T'm hurt. Please sit down and- talk to a fellow, won’t you?"” Kit hesitated, flushed warmly under his feasing gaze, and took a seat on the hickory settee. Four weeks later McLean took his first walk. It was a slow, tedious one, from the veranda to the hedge. “I came half way for my roses to- dl‘(ly'"tlnm sald tob;:;“‘ figure-in white be- side the rose -“May 1 come over the hedge?” 4 Kit did not even turn her head. “Are-you angry?" low eager. “After last evening I Eln d you might not come again, She.turned .and -walked toward him slowly, the bunch of roses. held cl to ‘her face. At the hedge she looked up at him, and the merriment had died tr?‘in her ’eyel. - was just coming,” she said softly. His hands closed over those that held the roses. “To say ‘yes,’ sweetheart?"” “Look out for the barb wire, Mr. McLean,” called Nell from the sitting- room window. “Kit still guards hee forbidden path.” ¥ “‘All wires' down,” called McLean. “It's the path of roses now. I claim the right of. way.” - The Tyrolean Alpine Assoclation has decided to build about a hyndred new sweet and very young. “I only Alpine huts fn the next few years. brought the flowers.” - Somé of the huts will be at a height of “And you didn’t t to be scold- over 14,000 feet above the level-of the ed?” She knew he " laughing at sea. T el a double twi‘_er turned.