The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 7 (1/2)
”I aine how I came to be so weak I wish you, Mr Holmes, to come to Mackleton with me by the next train”
My friend shook his head
”My colleague, Dr Watson, could tell you that we are very busy at present I am retained in this case of the Ferrers Docu up for trial Only a very important issue could call me from London at present”
”Important!” Our visitor threw up his hands ”Have you heard nothing of the abduction of the only son of the Duke of Holdernesse?”
”What! the late Cabinet Minister?”
”Exactly We had tried to keep it out of the papers, but there was soht have reached your ears”
Hol, thin arm and picked out Volume ”H” in his encyclopaedia of reference
”`Holdernesse, 6th Duke, KG, PC'--half the alphabet! `Baron Beverley, Earl of Carston'--dear me, what a list! `Lord Lieutenant of Hallahter of Sir Charles Appledore, 1888 Heir and only child, Lord Saltire Owns about two hundred and fifty thousand acres Minerals in Lancashi+re and Wales Address: Carlton House Terrace; Holdernesse Hall, Hallaor, Wales Lord of the Admiralty, 1872; Chief Secretary of State for----' Well, well, this reatest subjects of the Crown!”
”The greatest and perhaps the wealthiest I ah line in professional matters, and that you are prepared to work for the work's sake I may tell you, however, that his Grace has already intimated that a check for five thousand pounds will be handed over to the person who can tell him where his son is, and another thousand to him who can name the man or men who have taken him”
”It is a princely offer,” said Holmes ”Watson, I think that we shall accoland And now, Dr Huxtable, when you have consumed that milk, you will kindly tell me what has happened, when it happened, how it happened, and, finally, what Dr Thorneycroft Huxtable, of the Priory School, near Mackleton, has to do with the matter, and why he coives the date--to ask for my humble services”
Our visitor had consuht had come back to his eyes and the colour to his cheeks, as he set hiour and lucidity to explain the situation
”I entlemen, that the Priory is a preparatory school, of which I am the founder and principal HUXTABLE'S SIDELIGHTS ON HORACE may possibly recall my name to your memories The Priory is, without exception, the best and land Lord Leverstoke, the Earl of Blackwater, Sir Cathcart Soames--they all have intrusted their sons to me But I felt that o, the Duke of Holdernesse sent Mr Ja Lord Saltire, ten years old, his only son and heir, was about to be coe Little did I think that this would be the prelude to themisfortune of inning of the su youth, and he soon fell into our ways I may tell you--I trust that I am not indiscreet, but half-confidences are absurd in such a case--that he was not entirely happy at home It is an open secret that the Duke's married life had not been a peaceful one, and the matter had ended in a separation byup her residence in the south of France This had occurred very shortly before, and the boy's syly with his mother He moped after her departure from Holdernesse Hall, and it was for this reason that the Duke desired to send hiht the boy was quite at home with us and was apparently absolutely happy
”He was last seen on the night of May 13th--that is, the night of last Monday His rooh another larger roo These boys saw and heard nothing, so that it is certain that young Saltire did not pass out that way His as open, and there is a stout ivy plant leading to the ground We could trace no footmarks below, but it is sure that this is the only possible exit
”His absence was discovered at seven o'clock on TuesdayHis bed had been slept in He had dressed hi off, in his usual school suit of black Eton jacket and dark gray trousers There were no signs that anyone had entered the roo in the nature of cries or ones struggle would have been heard, since Caunter, the elder boy in the inner rooht sleeper
”When Lord Saltire's disappearance was discovered, I at once called a roll of the whole establishment--boys, masters, and servants It was then that we ascertained that Lord Saltire had not been alone in his flight Heidegger, the Ger His roo, facing the same way as Lord Saltire's His bed had also been slept in, but he had apparently gone away partly dressed, since his shi+rt and socks were lying on the floor He had undoubtedly let himself down by the ivy, for we could see the marks of his feet where he had landed on the lawn His bicycle was kept in a sone
”He had been with me for two years, and came with the best references, but he was a silent, morose man, not very popular either with itives, and now, on Thursday norant as ere on Tuesday Inquiry was, of course, made at once at Holdernesse Hall It is only a few ined that, in soone back to his father, but nothing had been heard of hiitated, and, as to me, you have seen yourselves the state of nervous prostration to which the suspense and the responsibility have reduced me Mr Holmes, if ever you put forward your full powers, I implore you to do so now, for never in your life could you have a case which is more worthy of them”
Sherlock Holmes had listened with the utmost intentness to the statement of the unhappy schoolmaster His drawn brows and the deep furroeen them showed that he needed no exhortation to concentrate all his attention upon a problem which, apart from the tremendous interests involved must appeal so directly to his love of the complex and the unusual He no out his notebook and jotted down one or twoto ation with a very serious handicap It is inconceivable, for exa to an expert observer”
”I am not to blame, Mr Holmes His Grace was extremely desirous to avoid all public scandal He was afraid of his faed before the world He has a deep horror of anything of the kind”
”But there has been soation?”
”Yes, sir, and it has provedAn apparent clue was at once obtained, since a boy and a youngstation by an early train Only last night we had news that the couple had been hunted down in Liverpool, and they prove to have no connection whatever with the matter in hand Then it was that in ht, I caht to you by the early train”
”I suppose the local investigation was relaxed while this false clue was being followed up?”
”It was entirely dropped”
”So that three days have been wasted The affair has been most deplorably handled”
”I feel it and admit it”
”And yet the problem should be capable of ultimate solution I shall be very happy to look into it Have you been able to trace any connection between theboy and this German master?”
”None at all”
”Was he in the ed a ith hiular Had the boy a bicycle?”
”No”
”Was any other bicycle ?”
”No”
”Is that certain?”
”Quite”
”Well, now, you do not est that this Ger the boy in his arms?”
”Certainly not”
”Then what is the theory in your mind?”
”The bicycle may have been a blind It one off on foot”
”Quite so, but it seems rather an absurd blind, does it not? Were there other bicycles in this shed?”
”Several”
”Would he not have hidden a couple, had he desired to give the idea that they had gone off upon them?”
”I suppose he would”
”Of course he would The blind theory won't do But the incident is an adation After all, a bicycle is not an easy thing to conceal or to destroy One other question Did anyone call to see the boy on the day before he disappeared?”
”No”
”Did he get any letters?”
”Yes, one letter”
”From whom?”
”From his father”
”Do you open the boys' letters?”