| Show I The Tl e Man lYla II With h t the h e rr Twisted I d L Lip ip By Conan Sir Doyle Arthur I PART FOUR FOURBy FOURBy By Dy SIR ARTHUR CO CONAN AN DOYLE Copyright 1321 1921 by Harper Dro Bro Put Pub lIh d by br l arrangement with the i McClure Syndicate Tho story thus far sr Ono One night Dr AV Watson Waton t on made hl hi way Into an in opium den In earch of IL a friend who was vaa there and noticed among amone th the of tho the place a stooped old man Aa Aft ha ho passed the old man spoke poke to him revealing as ae Sherlock Holme and asked Watson Ahon to Walt wait outside for him him- lr Dr Watson atlOn did dl and n t Holmes hint him t to go 0 with him to Z Lee e In Kent a a suburb to help with a SL C cass case They went vent to the houw hOUM of ot St. St ClaIr who who hoo o was raa as Investigating Mr St. St Clair had hall a large suburban hou houw many friends friend n II harming charming wife two children and plenty of money monty But nut he had disappeared tho the before This wa was wal l Friday Every d y he went to the city to attend to tho the several companies In which he i was wa Interested Inter Inter- ested ted though tho ho he had no regular business I. I On his hi wife had been called caned to town for an express S package and on leaving baY leav ing Inc the express office had seen her husband hus bus I band without t U n a collar beckon wildly v I to hr her dir from a a window over the tho opium p den e I He lie had then suddenly disappeared a an If It he had been jerked back out of sight Sh She Sheran I ran un In but the La Lascar car who kept the opium den wouldn't let her go upstairs I She got tho police They went up There Thero was no one In the room but a horrible cripple a welt well known beggar who made mAdo hi his home there ther He Sic denied all of St. St Clair However on a a table was a box of blocks block such as IU St. St Clair had prom I ls d to bring home homo for his hll children On looking about they found traces of blood on the window silL overlooking tho the river Qt at the back Behind a a. a curtain were St. St Clalra Clairs clothes Tho The cripple a hideous fellow with a twitted twisted led lip Up a R. scar car from eye eyo to chin and a rough shock of hair denied dented all an knowl knowledge of th the disappearance When h n the tide went out St St. Clairs Clair's coat weighted with pockets full of ot pennies was 1 found In the mud ud of the river bed TODAY'S INSTALMENT We are on the outskirts oC ot Lee Ice said my my companion We have ha touched on on three English counties In our short our short drive starting In Middlesex eX passing over an angle of Surrey Surre rid arid ending In Kent See Sec that light among the trees trees' That is The Cedars and anti beside that lamp sits a woman whose anxious cars have already I have I little doubt caught the clink of or our horses horse's feet I I I But wh why are arc you ou not conducting I the case from Baker street I ask asked d Because there are many Inquiries I which must bo be made out here Mrs I St. St Clair has most kindly put two rooms at my disposal and you ou may real reMt assured that she will have nothIng nothing noth noth- ing but a welcome for tor my friend and I c colleague ll IJ ague I hate to meet her Watson Watson Wat Wat- son son when I have ha nO no news of ot her I husband Here we Wa arc Whoa hoa there whoa Wo We had pulled up In front of ot a large tarse villa which stood within Its own grounds A stable boy had run out to the horses horse's head and springIng springing spring spring- Ing down I followed up the small winding gravel gra drive which led to tb the house As we approached the door flew tew open and a a. little blonde woman oman stood In the tho opening clad In some sort of ot light dc do s sole le with witha a a. touch of ot fluffy tutty pink chiffon at her neck a and d wrists She stood with her figure outlined against the flood of ot light on one one hand upon tho the door one half halt raised In her eagerness her body slightly bent her head and face tace protruded protruded pro pro- with eager eyes and parted Ups lips a a. standing questions question Well 1 she cried well 1 And then seeing that there were were two of or ofus ofus I us she sho gave e a ft cr cry of ot hope which sank Into a groan as she he saw that m my companion shook his head and and f shrugged his shoulders No good news None Nono No bad 1 f No Thank God for tor that But come In You must be wear weary for tor you have had a long tong day This Is m my friend Dr Watson Ho He has been of ot most vital ns use to me in several everal of pt my cases cues and arid a lucky chance chanco has made It possible for tor me to bring him out and associate him with this Investigation I I am delighted d to see you sl said ld ahe she pressing my hand band warm warmly I You will I am sur sure tor forgive lve anything that ma may be wanting In our arrangements when you ou consider the blo blow which has como come so sud suddenly enly upon us us u My oo dear madam Ii d j I I. I i 1 am an old old campaigner and if tf I were not I Ican Ican can Very pry well see ace that thi no ap apology logy Is needed Jl U J L can bo be o of 01 any assist 1 I I a ance either to you ou or to my friend h here ere I shall be Indeed happy Now Mr r. r Sherlock Holmes said t the he tad lady as we entered a n well lit fining t room room upon the tho table of ot which a cold supper had be been h 1 laid ld out I s should hould very much like to ask you OU one oner o or r two plain questions to which I b beg eg that you OU wit wilt give lv a a. plain an- an s swe Cei Certainly madam Do not Hot fot trouble about abou my feelings I t am m n not t hysterical nor nor given ghen to f fainting I simply wish to hear henr your our r real eal real opinion Upon what point In heart ot hearts do your our of you OU t think hink that Neville Is Is alive silver alive Sherlock Holmes seemed to be embarrassed embarrassed embarrassed em em- by the question Frankly Frankl now she repeated standing upon pon t the tho rug and looking keenly down at him as a's as he leaned ba back k in a a. basket asket c hair chair Frank Frankly then hen madam I do not You think that he is dead 1 I I do o Murdered I r dont don't say ray a that Perhaps And on what day did he meet his his' death Z On Then perhaps Mr tIr Holmes Holme you OU will be good enough to explain ho hoIt how howIt It i t Is that I have received rec i ed n a letter f from him rom today todar Sherlock Holm Holmes s sprang out of or his chair as if he had been galvanized What he roared Y Yes s toda today She stood smiling smiling- holding up a a. a little slip of paper Inthe in inthe inthe the theair air May Ia I see it Z Certainly He snatched It If from her in his eagerness and smoothing smoothing- It out upon the table he drew over O the lamp Jamp and examined It Int intently I had left my chair and was gazing at it over his shoulder The envelope was Iwas a very v ry coarse on one and was stamped with the Gravesend postmark and with the date of ot that very day dar or rather of the da day before for tor It was as considerably considerably considerably consider consider- ably after alter midnight ht Coarse writing murmured Holmes Surely Sureh this Is not your OUr husbands husband's writing madam No No but the Inclosure Is I I 1 perceive also that whoever ad addressed ad- ad dressed the envelop en had to go and Inquire as to the tho address j How can you OU tell teU that The name you OU see sec Is in perfectly black Ink which has dried Itself The rest Is of ot the grayish color which shows that blotting paper has been used If It it had been written straight oft off and then blotted none nono would beof be beof of ot a deep black shade shad This man has written tho name and there has then been a pause before he wrote tho the address which can only mean that he lie was was' not familiar with It It Is of co course a trifle but there is nothing so Important as as trifles Letus Let Lct us now see tho tim letter Ha there has been an an Inclosure here Yes there was a ring His signet ring And you arc are sure that this Is your ouzo husbands husband's hand and 1 One of his hands One His hand when ho It It- Itis is very ery unlike e his usual writing and yet t I know it well n I Dearest De rest do not be frightened Allwill All AH Allwill will come well weI There is a a. huge error which it may may take some little lIUe time to rectify Walt Wait in patient patient- Ne me Written in pencil upon the fly leaf teat of a book octavo size no water mark H Hum m Posted today in Gravesend by a man with witha a dirty th mb Ha And the tho flap has hils been gummed if It I am ami not very much I in error b by a person who had been chewing hewIns tobacco And you OU shave have no doubt that it is your our husbands husband's hand m madam dam 1 None Neville wrote th those se words And the they were posted today at Gravesend Well Mrs Mra St St. Clair the clouds lighten though I should not venture to s say that the danger Is over But he mu must t be alive Mr II Holmes Unless this is a clever forgery to put us on the wrong scent The ring after all proves nothing It may havo have been taken from him No o no it Is it Is ts it is his very own writing Very well It may however have been written oh on on onIon Monday Ion aj and only onty posted today That uTha t Is possible lit HIt so much may have hava happened between Oh you must not discourage me Mr Holmes I know v that all is well wen with him There Is so keen a a. sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy path between U us that I should know if Jt evil came came upon him On the very clay day that I saw him last ho he cut himself hint him self In the bedroom and yet I in tho the dining room rushed upstairs Instantly with the utmost certainty that something something something some some- thing had happened Do you think that I would respond to such Buch a n trifle and yet be bo Ignorant of his death 1 I have teen jeen reen too much not to know that tho the impression of ot a woman may be ba moro more valuable than th the tho conclusion of ot an nn analytical reasoner And In this letter you certainly certainty havo have a R. very strong piece of ot evidence e to corroborate corroborate corroborate rate your our view But if It your husband is Js alive and able to write letters why should he ho remain awa away from tram you OU I r cannot imagine It is able And on on Monday he made no remarks re remarks remarks re- re marks before leaving you OU No Xo And you we were e surprised to see Bee I I i I him in Lane I Ver Very much so 80 Was the window open open 1 Yes Then he might have ha called to you OU Z Ho might He only as I understand ga gave an inarticulate cry I Yes Yes A call for tor help you OU thought I Yes I He waved his his' hands But It might have h. been a cry of surprise Astonishment at the unI unexpected unexpected un un- un- un expected sight of ot you ou might cause I him to throw up hi his hands It is possible And you thought he was pulled I back lIe Ho disappeared so 10 suddenly Ho He might have leaped back You did not see ue anyone else In the room 1 No Xo but this horrible man confessed confessed con con- to having been there and the Lascar was was at tho the foot toot of ot the stairs Quite Quito so Your Tour husband as far as you could sec see had his ordinary clothes on T But nut without his collar cottar or tie I II I distinctly saw saw his bare baro throat lied Had he C ever Cr r spoken of ot Lane Never er c Had he t e ever r showed any 81 signs s of or in having taken opium Never Thank you ou Mrs Irs St. St ClI Tho rho those ue are the principal points point about which X 1 wished to Do be absolutely clear We Ve shall now have a a. little supper and f then thon retire for tor wo we may have havo a a. very busy day tomorrow o t tTo To be continued i |
