The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 19 (2/2)
”But, so far as you can ascertain, he did not take it?”
”No, he has not been seen”
”What did you do next?”
”I wired to Lord Mount-James”
”Why to Lord Mount-James?”
”Godfrey is an orphan, and Lord Mount-James is his nearest relative--his uncle, I believe”
”Indeed This thro light upon the land”
”So I've heard Godfrey say”
”And your friend was closely related?”
”Yes, he was his heir, and the old boy is nearly eighty--craout, too They say he could chalk his billiard-cue with his knuckles He never allowed Godfrey a shi+lling in his life, for he is an absolute h”
”Have you heard from Lord Mount-James?”
”No”
”Whatto Lord Mount-Jaht before, and if it was to do with money it is possible that he would h fro it Godfrey was not fond of the old o if he could help it”
”Well, we can soon deter to his relative, Lord Mount-Ja fellow at so late an hour, and the agitation that was caused by his co”
Cyril Overton pressed his hands to his head ”I canof it,” said he
”Well, well, I have a clear day, and I shall be happy to look into the ly recommend you to make your preparations for your entle necessity which tore him away in such a fashi+on, and the saether to the hotel, and see if the porter can throw any fresh light upon the matter”
Sherlock Hol a humble witness at his ease, and very soon, in the privacy of Godfrey Staunton's abandoned room, he had extracted all that the porter had to tell The visitor of the night before was not a gentleman He was si chap,” a rizzled, pale face, quietly dressed He seeitated The porter had observed his hand tre when he had held out the note Godfrey Staunton had crammed the note into his pocket Staunton had not shaken hands with the ed a few sentences, of which the porter had only distinguished the one word ”time” Then they had hurried off in the manner described It was just half-past ten by the hall clock
”Lethimself on Staunton's bed ”You are the day porter, are you not?”
”Yes, sir, I go off duty at eleven”
”The night porter saw nothing, I suppose?”
”No, sir, one theatre party came in late No one else”
”Were you on duty all day yesterday?”
”Yes, sir”
”Did you take any ra What o'clock was this?”
”About six”
”Where was Mr Staunton when he received it?”
”Here in his room”
”Were you present when he opened it?”
”Yes, sir, I waited to see if there was an answer”
”Well, was there?”
”Yes, sir, he wrote an answer”
”Did you take it?”
”No, he took it himself”
”But he wrote it in your presence”
”Yes, sir I was standing by the door, and he with his back turned at that table When he had written it, he said: `All right, porter, I will take this myself'”
”What did he write it with?”
”A pen, sir”
”Was the telegraphic form one of these on the table?”
”Yes, sir, it was the top one”
Hol the forms, he carried them over to theand carefully examined that which was uppermost
”It is a pity he did not write in pencil,” said he, throwing the of disappointment ”As you have no doubt frequently observed, Watson, the ih--a fact which has dissolved e However, I can find no trace here I rejoice, however, to perceive that he wrote with a broad-pointed quill pen, and I can hardly doubt that ill find so-pad Ah, yes, surely this is the very thing!”