| Show I I I The Adventure of the A Grange By Sir Arthur r IiI Ii I I J IYE I 1 Copyright 1021 1921 by Harper B Bros published published pub pub- by special arrangement with the 11 l Newspaper Syndicate PUb PUb-I THE THUS TItUS FUt IUt Inspector s or Hopkins I called le on oa Holmes e to t oratH atH g ent I he help him at the Abbey b Grange r in Kent There Holmes and Watson went to find that Sir Eustace had been n l th tho night before Hopkins apologized apologized apologized apol apol- I for calling on Holmes Hoimes and said it itY Y was Vias as the work of the three Randalls father and sons lions a notorious gang gan of burglars as asbe ashe ashe he be was assured by Lady now that she was able to talk Holmes saw I Lady a beautiful woman with witha a welt over one e eye Wl which her maid a T Theresa There There- f I sa her hor rov nurse r S since babyhood d wa bathing bath bath- ing She said she had married a II year before before before be be- fore when she came to England from Australia Aus Aus- Her marriage had been unhappy as Sir Eustace was a drunkard She said that the night before he went vent to bed bad early leaving her reading down down- stairs Her maid was the only person besides besides besides be be- sides her husband and herself in that part of the house She went into the dining I Ir Irom r room rom om to see that everything was locked and found a big l Trench French window open I In II it stood tood an elderly man behind him two I younger men He lIe struck her and she fell fainting When she came to she found I he had torn down the which rang lang langa ranga a bell In tn the kitchen and lied her with it I Ito to a chair Her husband armed with a j cudgel entered the room and and the next i she knew he e had been Killed by the oldest oldest old old- i bf ei the V I est burglar a She fainted again a When she opened n her er eyes 8 the burglars g r were I drinking wins ln erT T Then they ye l left f and when she got her mouth free she screamed for help which shortly came Holmes looked j jat at the dining room He lie learned that the I murdered man was a brute when drunk i and that he lie threw a decanter at I I I t i iI I I i I 1 Theresa Holmes was impressed with the fact that the burglars burs must have known the habits of the house to dare lare pull down the bell- bell cord without fearing it would waken the servants The burglars took only a II few pi pieces ces of plate There were three glasses and a botie o of wine on the table There was wine In all but dregs in only one This struck Holmes as strange so he lie returned to Abbey Grange Orange after starting away lIe He Examined the dining room again He lie found fauna that the had been cut near the ceiling by someone who climbed up to get it It He lie questioned Theresa and from her learned that Lady ha had met her husband husband husband hus hus- band shortly after arriving in England Englan irons from rom Australia a year before but that he had always been brutal to her TOI TO TOI'S TOIS S 'S INSTALMENT I Ithe Lad Lady was reclining on the same couch but looked brighter than before The maid ha had entered with us liS and b began gan once more to foment foment fo foment fo- fo ment the tho bruise upon her mistress' mistress brow I 1 said the lady that you jou ou have not come to cross examine me again No Holmes answered in his gentlest gentlest gentlest gen gen- voice I will not cause you any unnecessary trouble Lady Bracken Bracken- stall and my whole desire is is- is isto to make things easy for you for I am convinced convinced con- con vinced that you are arc a much tried worn wom- an If you ou will treat me as a friend wom-j wom an and trust me you may find that I will wiH justify your trust I II What do you ou want vant me to do do To tell the truth Mr Holmes No no Lady It is no I use You ma may maj have heard of any littie little lit lit- tle tie reputation which I possess 1 will stake stale It all on the fact that your story is an absolute fabrication Mistress and maid mald w were re both staring at Holmes with pale faces and frightened frightened fright fright- ened eyes You are arc an impudent fellow rellow cried Theresa Do you mean to say zay that my mistress has to told d a lie lie Holmes rose from his chair Have I you nothing to tell teU me me I I have told you cv everything r n Think once more mere LUI I Would it not be better to be frank franK franKFor For an instant there was wag hesitation in her beautiful face Then some now new strong stronA thought caused it IL to set act like a mask I I have told you all I Know Inow Holmes took his hat liat nd and shrugged his shoulders I I am air sorry he said And nd without w other another word we wc left the room and the house There was u a pond In the park parI an and to this r my iy frIend f led the way It waS Wag frozen over ever but a single single sin sin- gb gle hole was left for fot tho the convenience of a a solitary swan Holmes gazed aed at atIt atIt atit It and passed on to the lodge gate te There he lie scribbled a short note for Stanley Hopkins HopkinS' and left it tt with the It may be a lilt hit or it may be a no miss but we are arc bound to do something for tor friend Hopkins Just to Justify this second visit said he I will vill not quite take him into my confidence yet 1 i I think our next scene of operations operations' must be the shipping office of the Adelaide Adelaide- Southampton line which stands at the end of Pall lall Mall Mali all if I remember aright I There is a second line Une of steamers that connect South Australia with B Ith England but we will draw the larger cover coveri i i first firstI I Holmes Holmes' mes card sent in to the manager I insured instant attention and he was va not long in acquiring acquiring- all aU the Information information informs informs- tion he needed In June of 1895 only one of their line Une had reached a home port It was the Rock of Gibraltar their largest and best boat A reference reference reference refer refer- ence to the tho the passenger passenger list showed thai Miss Fraser of Adelaide with her maid had made made- the voyage in her The boat I was now on her wa way to A Australia somewhere om where tn In the south of the the- thesues sues ue H Her officers c were re the same as asi r F. F i i 1 M ifft t Yo cis' cis l. J J in 1895 with one exception The first I officer Jack Crocker had been made madea I a captain and was to take charge of J I their new ship the Bass Rock sailing salling I in two da days days' s time from Southampton He lie lived at Sydenham but he ho was likely likely likely like like- I ly to be in that morning morning- for Instructions Lions if we cared eared to wait for him I No Mr l Holmes had no desire to see him him but would be glad to know more about his record and character Ills His record was magnificent There was not an officer in the fleet to touch him As to his character he was re reliable reliable reliable re- re liable on duty but a wild desperate I fellow off the deck of the ship hot 1 Leaded excitable but loyal loyat honest and kind heared hearted That was the pith of the Information with which Holmes left the office of the Adelaide ton company Thence he drove to Scotland Scotland Scotland Scot Scot- land Yard but instead of entering he sat in his cab with his brows drawn down lost in profound thought Finally he drove around to the Charing Cross telegraph office sent off a message and then at last we ve made for Halter Baker street oCe moreNo more No No 1 couldn't I couldn't do it It Watson said he as we reentered our room Once I that warrant was made out nothing on earth would save him Once or I twice in my mv career I feel that I have done more real harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he ho had done I by his crime I have learned caution now and I had rather play pla tricks with the law of England than with my o oWn I conscience Let us know a little more Before e evening we had a visit from Inspector Stanley Hopkins Things I were not going very well with himI him I 1 believe that you are a wizard Mr 11 Holmes I really do sometimes think that you have powers that are not human hu hu- hu- hu man Now Kow how on earth could you know that the stolen silver was at the bottom of that pond I r didn't know it But you told me to examine It It Y You ou got It then Yes I got It it itI I am ver very glad if I have helped you But nut you ou haven't h helped me You have made the affair far more difficult What sort of burgl burglars rs are they who steal silver sUver and then throw It Into the nearest pond It was certainly rather eccentric be behavior be- be havior baylor I was merely merel- going on In n the idea that if the silver had been taken by persons who did not want it who It-who who merely took tool it for a blind as ag it were then then they would naturally be anxious to get rid of it it But why should such an Idea cross your mind I I Well I thought It was possible When they came out through h the thc I French window there was vas the pond with one tempting little hole in the ice right in front of their nose Could there be a better hiding place Ah a hiding place that place that Is better cried Stanley Hopkins Yes yes I see it all now It was early there were folk upon the roads they were werd afraid of being seen with the silver So they sank it in the pond intending to re return return return re- re turn for lor or it when the coast was clear I Excellent Mr Holmes that is better than your our idea of a blind Quite so you ou have got an admirable admira admira- ble theory I have no doubt that my myown myown myown own ideas were quite wild but you ou must admit that the they have ended in discovering the silver Yes sir sir yes It was all aU allour your our doing But Dut I have had a bad bad- setback A A setback Yes Mr Holmes there I it h no rest for me until I have got to thE tho bottom of the business I s suppose j yot ou have no hint t to give me I have given you one Which Well Yell I suggested a blind bUnd But nut why Mr Ir Holmes why Holmes why Ah Vh theres there's s the question or of course But I r commend the idea to your mind You might possibly find that there was something in it You wont won't stop for dinner Well and goodbye and let us know how y you ou get on Tomorrow Tomorrow The The Adventure of the I Abbey Grange continued |
