The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 13 (1/2)
”It was only a joke at first,” groaned our visitor ”We never thought that she would have been so carried away”
”Very likely not However thatlady was very decidedly carried away, and, having quite made up her mind that her stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an instant entered her entleman's attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed adan to call, for it was obvious that the o if a real effect were to be produced There were irl's affections fro towards anyone else But the deception could not be kept up forever These pretended journeys to France were rather cu the business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it would leave a per lady'supon any other suitor for some time to come Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament, and hence also the allusions to a possibility of so James Windibank wished Miss Sutherland to be so bound to Hosel, and so uncertain as to his fate, that for ten years to come, at any rate, she would not listen to another ht her, and then, as he could go no farther, he conveniently vanished away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a four-wheeler and out at the other I think that was the chain of events, Mr Windibank!”
Our visitor had recovered so, and he rose from his chair noith a cold sneer upon his pale face
”It may be so, or it may not, Mr Holht to be sharp enough to know that it is you who are breaking the la, and notas you keep that door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal constraint”
”The law cannot, as you say, touch you,” said Hol open the door, ”yet there never was alady has a brother or a friend, he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders By Jove!”
he continued, flushi+ng up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon the man's face, ”it is not part ofcrop handy, and I think I shall just treat myself to--” He took tift steps to the whip, but before he could grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs, the heavy hall door banged, and fro at the top of his speed down the road
”There's a cold-blooded scoundrel!” said Hol, as he threw himself down into his chair once more ”That felloill rise fro very bad, and ends on a gallows The case has, in some respects, been not entirely devoid of interest”
”I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning,” I remarked
”Well, of course it was obvious froelobject for his curious conduct, and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by the incident, as far as we could see, was the stepfather Then the fact that the two ether, but that the one always appeared when the other as suggestive So were the tinted spectacles and the curious voice, which both hinted at a disguise, as did the bushy whiskers My suspicions were all confirnature, which, of course, inferred that his handwriting was so fanise even the sether with many minor ones, all pointed in the same direction”
”And how did you verify theet corroboration I knew the fir taken the printed description I eliuise--the whiskers, the glasses, the voice, and I sent it to the firm, with a request that they would inform me whether it answered to the description of any of their travellers I had already noticed the peculiarities of the typewriter, and I wrote to thehim if he would come here As I expected, his reply was typewritten and revealed the saht me a letter from Westhouse & Marbank, of Fenchurch Street, to say that the description tallied in every respect with that of their employe, James Windibank Voila tout!”
”And Miss Sutherland?”
”If I tell her she will not believe er for hier also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman'
There is as e of the world”
ADVENTURE IV THE BOsob VALLEY MYSTERY
We were seated at breakfast one ram It was from Sherlock Holmes and ran in this way:
”Have you a couple of days to spare? Have just been wired for froland in connection with Bosob Valley tragedy
Shall be glad if you will coton by the 11:15”
”What do you say, dear?” said o?”
”I really don't knohat to say I have a fairly long list at present”
”Oh, Anstruther would do your work for you You have been looking a little pale lately I think that the change would do you good, and you are always so interested in Mr Sherlock Holrateful if I were not, seeing what I gained through one of theo, I must pack at once, for I have only half an hour”
My experience of ca me a prompt and ready traveller My wants were few and simple, so that in less than the ti away to Paddington Station Sherlock Holure -cloak and close-fitting cloth cap
”It is really very good of you to come, Watson,” said he ”Itsohly rely Local aid is always either worthless or else biassed If you will keep the two corner seats I shall get the tickets”
We had the carriage to ourselves save for an iht with hied and read, with intervals of note-taking and ofThen he suddenly rolled theantic ball and tossed the of the case?” he asked
”Not a word I have not seen a paper for some days”