| Show r The Adventure ture of the A Abbey b bey Grange By Conan Sir Doyle Arth r I RT r. SIX SIN Copyright 1021 1921 b bj by Harper Bros Dros pub pub- 1 by special arrangement with the McClure l Newspaper SyndIcate TIlE flit t STORY TOK THUS FAR Inspector Hopkins called on holmes Holme to help hint at the Ahe Abbey Grange Orange in Kent There Thero Holmes and Watson went to find tind that Sir Eustace had been murdered the night before Hopkins apologized apol apoi- for calling on Holmes and said aid It wa was Wa the work o ot of the three father and sons a notorious gang ot of burglars as ashe ho he was assured by Lady now that she was able to talk tall Holmes saw Lady a woman with a welt over one eye eje which her maid Theresa her nurse nunc since babyhood was wall bathing She said she had married a year before when she came to England from train Australia Her marriage had been unhappy Unhappy unhappy un un- happy as aa Sir Eustace was a drunkard She bhe said that the night before he lie went to bed early leaving her reading down stairs Her maid was the only person besides beside'S her husband and herself herselt In that part of the house She went vent into the dinIng dining din din- ing lag room to see that everything was locked I and found a big 1 renca window open In it stood an elderly man behind him two I younger men He Ste struck her and she fell fainting AV When hen she came to she found he had torn down the which rang ranga a bell In the kitchen and tied her with it to a 0 chair Her husband armed with a cudgel entered the room and the tho ne nest t she knew he had been killed by the oldest burglar She fainted tainted again When she opened her eyes ejes the burglars drinking wine Then they left lett and when she got gother gother gother her mouth free she screamed for help which 1 shortly ing t room came He lie Holmes learned d looked that o e the h at t murdered the d dining dining din din- d man nian was a brute u when drunk un and that he i once threw e a decanter e t at Theresa hr Holmes was impressed with the fact tact that tho burglars must have havo known the habits of the house to dare pull down the bell bell- cord without fearing it would awaIt awaken en the servants The burglars took only a few pieces of ot plate There were i glasses and a bottle bottie of ot wino wine on the table There was wine in all but dregs In only one This struck Holmes as strange strange strange-so so strange that ho returned to Abbey Grange Granle after atter starting awa away He examined the dinIng dinIng din din- Ing leg room again He lIe found the had been blen cut near the ceiling by someone who climbed up to get at it lIe He qu questioned Theresa and from and her learned that Lady had m met t her husband shortly short short- ly after arriving in England from Australia Australla Austra Austra- lla lia a year jear before but that he had always been ben brutal to hori hor her i Holmes again interviewed Lady Bracken Bracken- I stall and begged her to tell teU him the truth I I She bhe protested that she had done so Then S he returned to London to the offices of ot tho the largest steamship line to Australia He lie found that the teamer Lady had sailed on the preceding year was at sea with the same officers except one Jack Crocker a a. man with a a. fine record who was in London Holmes loft word for tor Crocker to come to see him Later Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins told Holmes the Randall gang had been arrested that morning in New r-ew York TOlAY'S TODAY'S r. o. Dinner was over and the table was I cleared before Holmes alluded to the matter again He had lit his pipe and I held his gU pe e ehte feet to the cheerful cheerful cheer cheer- ful blaze blare of the fire Suddenly he looked at his watch S I I J expect dev developments Watson atson When Now v o within a few minutes I dare daresay daresay daresay say you thought I acted rather badly to Stanley Hopkins just now I I trust you judgment A v very ery sensible reply Watson V You must look at It this way What I know knowIs Is unofficial what he Knows Is offiS official to private judgment judgment judg judg- S cial Ial I have the right I ment meet but he has none He Ho must disclose disclose dis dis- dis close all or he is a traitor to his service ser set vice In a doubtful case I would not put him in so 50 painful a position and so I reserve my information until my myown myown myown own mind is clear upon the matter But when will that be be beThe The time has come You iou will now be present at the last scene of a re rein remarkable remarkable re- re little drama in the stairs There was a a. sound upon and our door was opened to admit as fine Zinc a specimen of manhood as ever passed through It He was a very tall young oung e ed dg with man a golden skin en which mustached I c had been blue bluee burned b by tropical suns Buns uns and a springy springs step which showed that tho the huge frame was as active as it was strong He lIe closed the door behind him and then and ho he stood with clenched hands heaving breast choking down some overmastering emotion Sit down Captain Crocker er You got gol my telegram 1 Our visitor sank Into an armchair and looked from one to the other of ofus ofus ofus us with questioning eyes I I got sot your telegram and I came at atthe atthe atthe the hour you said I heard that you had been down to the office There Lets Let's was no getting away from you hear the worst What are you going to do with me arrest me-arrest arrest me me Speak out there and play man You cant can't sit 5 with me like a a. cat with a mouse Give him a cigar elgar said Holmes Bite Bits on that Captain Crocker and dont don't let your jour our nerves tun un away awa with S you I should not sit ait here smoking with you if I thought j yOU rou ou were a common com corn mon criminal I you may be e sure or ot th that t. t I Be TIe frank franl with me and we may do some r r good Play tricks with me and I Ill 11 crush you What do you ou wish me to do do To To give me a true account of all aU that happened at the Abbey Grange last night A true account mind you with nothing added and nothing taken off I know so much already that if you jou OU go on one inch off the straight Ill I'll blow this police pollee whistle from my window win win- I dow cow and the affair goes out of my hands forever The sailor thought for a HUe litle Then he struck his leg with his great greate sun sunburned sunburned burned hand I Ill I'll chance it he cried I believe you vou are arc a man of your jour word and a white man and ill i'll tell you the whole story But one thing I will say first So far as I am concerned I regret nothing t a and I fear nothing and d I Ii td ah I Ithe would v l do o oa it all again n and be proud o of of the Job Damn the beast If he had as as' as many lives as a cat he would owe I them all to me But nut Its It's the lady MaryMary Mary Maryl Mary Iary Fraser for never will I call calli her by y that accursed ur name e. e When I I Iwho ti fe think of getting her into tr trouble 1 w who ho would give my mj life just to bring one smile to her dear face It its it's s that I that turns my soul into water And yet yet and and jet what yet what less could I do do doI I Ill I'll 11 tell you my story gentlemen and and then Ill I'll ask you ou as man to man what le less s could I 1 could I i must go back a a. bit You seem to toI I know now everything so I exp expect t that you know that I met her when she was a I I pass iger and I was was first officer of the Rock nock of Gibraltar From Prom the first I da day daj I met her she was the only woman I Ito to to me Every day of that voyage I I loved her e more and many y a time since have I kneeled n e down v 1 In t the darkness I Ilof lof of the nl night ht watch and kissed the deck of that ship because us I knew w her d dear I I feet had ds trod it She bhe h was wn n never r engaged engaged en- en I I to me She Sho treated me as fairly a as ever er a woman treated a nan irian I have II i ino no complaint to make It was all love loveon on m my side and all good comradeship i I and friendship on hers When we parted she was a free woman but I 1 could never again b be a free manNet man Next t time I came back from sea I heard of her marriage Well Veil why shouldn't t she marr marry whom she liked Title and who money who could carry them better than she She was born I for all that is beautiful and dainty I did not grieve over her marriage I 1 Iwas was not such a selfish hound hourd as that I I I just rejoiced that good luck had come I her way and that she had not thrown herself away on a penniless sailor That's how I 1 loved Mary Iary Fraser 1 Well I never thought to see her again But last voyage I was promoted pro pro- and the new boat was not yet jet et launched hed so I had to wait walt for a coupie couple couple cou cou- pie of or months with my people at Sj- Sj denham One da day daj out in a country lane I met Theresa Wright her old maid She told m me all about her about him about everything thing I tell you JenI gentlemen gen Jen tiemen 1 i it nearly drove me mad a This drunken hound o d that thit Oh he should u dare to raise his hand to her whose boots he was not worthy to lick I met Theresa The resa again Then I met Mary herself her ner- her self self and and met her again Then she would meet me inc no more But the other day 1 had a notice that I was wag to start starton on my voyage within a week and I determined that I 1 would see her once before I left Theresa was always my mj friend for she loved Mary Iary and hated this villain almost as much as I did From Irom her I learned the ways of the house Mary used to sit up reading in her own little room downstairs I 1 crept around there last night and scratched at the window At first she would not open to me but in her heart I know that now she loves love's me and she could not leave me in the frosty night She fane whispered to me to come around to the big front window and I found it open before me so as to let me Into the dining room Again Agail I 1 heard from her own lips things that made my blood boil boit and again I cursed this brute who mishandled the woman I loved WellS VelI gentlemen I was standing with her just inside the window in all In Innocence Innocence In- In as God is my judge when he rushed In like a madman called her herthe herthe herthe the vilest name that a man could use to toa a la woman and welted her across the face tace with the stick he had in his hand I had sprung for the poker and It was wasa a fair fight right between us See here on my arm where his first blow fell Then I it was my turn and I 1 went through him as if he had been a rotten pump pump- kin Do you jou OU think I was sorry Not I 1 1 It was his life or mine mine but far more than that it was her life or his for how could I 1 leave her in the power of this madman That was how I killed him Was Vas I wrong Well Vell then what would either of you gentlemen have done If you jou ou had been in my position position po po- po- po She had screamed when he struck her and that brought old Theresa down from the room above There was a bottle of w wine Ine on the sideboard and I 1 opened It tt and poured a little between Marys Mary's lips for she was half dead from shock Then I 1 took a drop myself Theresa was as cool as Ice and anc it was her plot as much as mine We e must must- make it appear that burglars had done the thing Theresa kept on repeating our story to 10 her mistress while I 1 bw swarmed armed up and cut the rope of the bell Then I lashed her In her chair and frayed out the end of the rope to tomake tomake tomake make It look natural else they would wonder how in the world a burglar could have hae got up there to cut it Then I gathered up a few plates and pots of or silver to carry out the idea of the robbery and there I left them with orders to give the alarm when I had a quarter of an hour hours hour's s start I dropped the silver into the pond and made off oft for Sydenham feeling that for once in my life I had done a real realI I good nights night's work And that's that s the I truth and the Ute whole truth Mr Ir Holmes if it costs me my neck Holmes smoked for some time in si si- si lence lenee Then he crossed the room and shook our ou i Hor by bj the hand That s what I think said he I know knoy that ever every word wora Is true for you jou havo have hardly said a word which I did not know No one but an acrobat or a I sailor c could have got up to that bell- bell rope from the bracket and no one but I a sailor could have made the knots with which the cord was fastened to lo the chair Only once had this lady been brought into contact with ith s. s 41 and that was on her I i was voyage a and it was someone of her own class of life lite I since she was trying hard to shield him I land and so showing showing- that she loved him You t I see how easy it was v for me to lay I Imy my hands upon you when once I had hall I started upon the tho right trail 1 I I thought the police never could I have seen through our dodge I And the police haven't nor will they to the best of my belief Now look here v Captain Crocker this is a I. I very ry serious matter though I am willing will will- I ing to admit that you acted under the I most extreme provocation to which man could be subjected I am not sure any I i that in defense of or your own 11 life fe your our action will not be pronounced I mate However that Is for tor i a British Jury to decide Meanwhile I have 1 1 I much choose e est st sympathy to n disappear for In you jou the that If you jou so next t twenty twenty- e t I fou four hours I I promise you tat no one wIll 1111 h hinder you jou ou And then it will all aU come out I Certainly it will vill come com out Tb flip sailor flushed v with ith an er r I What sort of proposal is that to a make man I now know enough motion of law to in un m- m that M- M Mary Mry ry would be held accomplice a cl a. a an m Do you think I would leave her alon alone o 0 face the music while white I slunk awa away No Xo sir Ir let them do worst upon me litO mc l but ut for heavens heaven's I sike E Mr find Borne some way vay cf ct my poor Mary out of or courts the Holmes for tor a second I his hand to the sailor time held out I I 1 was only testing true you and you ring every time Well Vell it Is It a i great responsibility that I take I but I 1 have haye given Hopkins upon myself lent hint and if It he an excellent excellent excel excel- self cannot avail aval himself him him- of it I do can no more I See bee here hero Captain Crocker well we'll do this In form dUe of law You are aro a prisoner VatI Vat Wat- son eon OU are I a British jur jury and I neve never met a man who was more I fItted to o r represent eminently on one I am th Now Y have I ow gentleman of the jury heard the ev evidence evidence Do you vou find th tn prisoner oner guilty or not guilt guilty I I. I Not guilty my lord said saul Vox vo ox voDel Del DI You are lit quitted Captain Crocker So long a. a the law does not find some other vI vu- vu vic vic'S tim S you vou are safe from me mo Come MC D to this lady In a year ear and rn may MI n future and anti yours ours ju justify us n In J j Judgment which we have I this nf night ht f Monday The Monday The Adventure of Speckled Band fl I t ni S |
