The Omaha Illustrated
B
NUMBER 306.
Entered Second Class at Omaha Postofflce Published Weekly by The Bee Publishing: Co. Subscription, $2.D0 Tor Year.
AlMilL
ioor
Return of Sherlonk Holmes Arivenfi
y ociiis a oiory icaciimg mai v-arciui ana okuhui invesugauon win sometimes rrove mat wnot Looks Like the Hlackcst ol Crimes May Be on Entirely Innocent Incident v
(Copyright 1904. by A. Co nan Ioyle nai Collar's Weekly.)
(Copyright, 1005, by McClure, rhllllpa & Co.)
XI.
xi r r
w
some cause that was too strong (or htm. No, I fed as if bo were
gono for good and we should never see him again."
Sherlock Holmes listened with the deepest attention to this singular
narrative.
"AVhat did you do?" he asked.
"I wired to Cambridge to learn If anything had been heard of him
there. I have had an answer. No one has seen him."
"Could he hare got back to Cambridge?"
"Yes, there Is a late train 11:15."
"But, so far as you can ascertain, ho did not take it?"
"No, he has not been seen."
"What did you do nest?'
"I wired to Lord Mount-James."
"Why to Lord Mount-James?"
"Godfrey is an orphan and Lord Mount-James is bis nearest rela
tivehis uncle. I believe."
"Indeed. This throws new 'light upon the matter. Lord Mount-
reverse will give the message,
read:
Here It is." He turned it over and
rent in consequence. Well, welL he will bo James ls one,of the riL'hest mcn ln EnKland-"
re, I daresay, by the time I have looked 2 J' he"d Godfrey say
rough the limes, and then we shall know "And your friend was closely related "
V
"v if
to
B WEKH fairly accustomed to receive weird
telegrams at Baker street, but I have a par
ticular recollection of ono which rcuched us
on a gloomy February morning, some seven
or eight years ago, and gave Mr. Sherlock
Holmes a puzzled quarter of an hour. It
was addressed to him, and ran thus:
Fleasa await me. Terrible misfortune.
Right wing three-quarter missing. Indis
pensable tomorrow. OVERTON.
"Strand postmark and dispatched ten-thlrty-six,"
said Uolmcs, reading it over and over.
"Mr. Overton was evidently considerably ex-
eitea when he Bent it. and somewhat Inco
herent
her
through
all about It. Even th mn.t ln-in-nm.-nnt r,r,.H. "ea. ho was his heir, and the old boy ls nearly fnrani full of
lem would h wf-lrmA in thaHa ,tnnf h- Eout, too. They sty he could chalk his billiard cue with his knuckles.
Thlntrs had Indeed been verr iw with ' U noer allowed Godfrey a shilling ln his life, for he is an absolute
aud I had learned to dread nuch porlods of inaction, for I knew by mlser' but 11 aU 0011X0 t0 hlm rlcht enouh "
experience that my companion's brain wa so abnormally active that "ve you -heard from Lord Mount-James l
it was dangerous to leave it without material upon which to work. "No-"
For years I had gradually weaned him from that drug mania which "What motive could your friend nave in going to Lord Mouut
had threatened once to check his remarkable career. Now I knew James?"
that under ordinary conditions he no longer craved for this artiflclal "Well, something was worrying hlm the night beforo, and if it was
stimulus, but I was well aware that the flend was not dead, but sleep- to do with money it is possible that he would make for his nearest
Inj and I have known that the sleep was a light one and the waking relative, who had so much of It, though from aU I havo heard he
near when in periods of idleness I havo seen the drawn look upon would not have much chance of getttug it Godfrey was not fond of
Holmes' ascetlo face and the brooding of his deep-set and inscrutable the old man. He would not go if ho could help it"
eyes. Therefore I blessed this Mr. Overton, whoever ho might bo, "Well, we can soon determine that If your friend was going to his
since he had come with his relative, Lord Mount-Jumes,
enigmatic message to break you would have then to ex-
that dangerous calm which ; rw plain the visit of this rough
brought more peril to my 'y00 " '" -SP'" ' ty looking fellow at so lute au
friend than all the storms of w hour and the agitation that
hla tempestuous life. ML V- was caused by his coming."
As wo had expected, the j Cyril Overton pressed his
telegram was soon followed j hands to his head. " 1 can
by Its sender, and tho card of t. A mako nothlng out of it," said
Mr. Cyril Overton, Trinity J Ni?Nk ue-
college Cambridge, an- f "Well, well, I have a clear
nounced the arrival of an i v lay, and I should bo happy
enormous young man . six- fjr AWft:- the matter," said
ten stone of solid bone and llMr -V"W . .
muscle, who spanned the WrT Uolmes- "l 8U0la strongly
doorway with his broad 1SLk Nf, ViV ii recommend you to make your
shoulders and looked from JiWfWUW vi preparations for your match
one of us to tho other with a g alCT V: it without reference to tills
comely face, which was hag- "slmV'tfEiL 5S Foung gentleman. It must, as
gard with anxiety. ' J f0U Baj aV0 1,4:011 au over"
"Mr. Sherlock Holmes? J VjN34 - Perhig necessity which
My companion bowed. Sfl 5 tore nlw uv,' IU ucu a
"I've been down to Scotland Js NZV svk - 1, ?1T
Yard, Mr. Holmes. I saw In- V VS. - JS fw.v t J 7 bold ,L m
Bpoctor Stanley Hopkins. Ho fcTJV X A 48?i 7' wl 1 ' "
advised me to come to you. tf3 X X t0 th htel aud 8e lf
He said tho case, so far as V vSjfc, ' V M th Prter Q throw any
he could see, was more ln v4i 1 8h ,lght upon the uiattcr'
your Hue than In that of the K 1V. X M Sherlock Holmes was a
regular police." X.. A. TV SH. k past master the art of pot-'
"Pray sit down and tell SVv ' Ung a humble witness at his
me what is tho mattcr. fcJs V5AS' J vc soon.Jn the
.. . . w , ' -JSW V'V IVww privacy of Godfrey BLauu-
Us awfuL Mr. Holmes- i 5S? A Wf ton's abandoned room, he had
dmply awf ull Godfrey . extracted all that tho porter
SUunlon-you've heard of 4 -J. SgSJA had to tell. The visitor of
him. of course? He's simply - )ItvW tho night before was not a
the hhigo that the wholo S gentleman, neither was he a
team turns on. I'd rather s AV X wo.kiugman. He was simply
i-paro two from Ue pack and IS221- what the ported described as
havo Godfrey for my three- if SX a "medium lookiug chap," u
quarter line. Whether its ""rS V U IK. of 50, beard grilled,
passing or tackling, or drib- , . Ih pale face, quietly dressed,
b ing, there s no one to touch . JUffW He seemed himself to be agl
him and then, he's got the OT ' tated. The porter had ob-
head, and can hold us all to- 'if eerved bls hllua trcnlhlins
getber. What am I to do! wnn ll(J hud held out
Xhats what I ask you, Mr. DR. LESLIES ARMSTKONQ. note. Gqtlfrey Staunton had
Holmes. There's Moore- . crammed tho note into his
house, first reserve, but he ls trained us a half, and ho always edges pocket Staunton had not shaken bauds with the man in the hall
right in onto the scrum Instead of keening out on the touchllne. He's Thev had exehanire.l r row wnipmva of which th luntm hn uv
a Une place kick, It's true, but then he has uo Judgment, and he can't distinguished the one word, "time." Then they had hurried off iu tho
wny, Morton or Johnson, the Oxford fliers, could manner described. It was just half-past 10 by the hail cluck.
"You
... .. f A
'ft
'" Z -e
., 2- ) 4.,;
sprint for nuts.
romp round him. Stevenson is fast enough, but he couldn't drop from
the twenty-five line, and a three-quarter who can't either punt or drop
isn i worm a place ror pace alone. No, Mx. Holmes, wo are done un
less you can help me find Godfrey Staunton."
My friend had listened with amused surprise to this long speech,
which was poured forth with extraordinary vigor and earnestness,
every point being driven home by the slapping of a brawny hand upon
the speaker's knee. When our visitor was silent Holmes stretched out
(UV his hand and took down letter "S" of his commonplace book. For
'kVfib onco he dug ln vain Into that mine of varied information.
S 'Cn "The i Arthur H. Staunton, the rising young forger," said he,
ouu mere was nenry btaunton, wnoni l helped to hang, but Godfrey
Staunton is a new name to me."
"It was our visitor's turn to look surprised.
"Why, Mr. Holmes, I thought you knew things," said he. "I suppose,
then, lf .you have never heard of Godfrey Staunton, you dont' know
Cyril Overton, either?"
Holmes shook his head good hunioredly.
"Great Scotl" cried tho athlete. "Why, I was first reserve for Eng
land against Wales, and I've skippered the "varsity all this year. But
that's nothing! I didn't think there was a soul in England who didn't
, know Godfrey Staunton, the crack three-quarter, Cambridge, Black
heath and llv internationals. Good Lord, Mr. Holmes, where have
you lived?"
Holmes laughed at the young giant's naive astonishment
Ton live in a different world from me, Mr. Overton a tweeter and
healthier one. My ramifications stretch out into many sections of so
doty, but never, I am happy to say, Into amateur sport, which is the
best and soundest thing in England. However, your unexpected visit
this morning shows me that even ln that world of fresh air and fair
play there may be work for me to do. So now, my good sir, I beg you
to tit down and tell me, slowly and quietly, exactly what it is that
occurred, and how you desire that I should help you."
Youug Overton's face assumed the bothered look of tho man who ls
more accustomed to using his muscles thun his wits, but by degrees,
with many repetitions and obscurities which I may omit from his nar
rative, he laid his strange story before us.
"It's this way, Mr. Holmes. As I havo said, I am the skipper of
tho Hugger team of Cambridge 'vanity and Godfrey Staunton is my
best man. Tomorrow we play Oxford. Yesterday we ull came up,
nnd we settled at Bcntley's private hotel. At 10 o'clock I went around
and saw that all the fellows had gone to roost, for I believe iu strict
training aud plenty of sleep to keep a team fit I had a word or two
with Godfrey before he turned In. He seemed to me to be pale and
.' bothered. 1 uked hlm what was the matter. He said he was all
' ' right just a touch of headache. I bade him good night and left him.
Half an hour later the porters tells me that afough looking man with
n beard culled with a note for Godfrey. He bad not gone to bed. and
' the uote was taken to his room. Godfrey read it and fell back iu a
chair us lf he had been pole-axed. Tho porter was so scared that he
was going to fetch Uie, but Godfrey stopped him, had a drink of water
uud pullod himself together. Then he went downstairs, said a few
wordd to the man who was waltlug la tho halL and the two of them
went out together. Tho last that tho porter saw of them they were
uuuuit runuiug down the street ln tho direction of the Strand. This
inorulug Godfrey's room was empty, his bed had ut'ver been clept iu,
. uud his tilings were all just as I hud sceu them the ulpht before. lie
Lad goiiu v$ at u moment's notice with this struugei', uud uo word 'has
couie from him since. I don't believe he will-ever come back. He
Has a feporUman, was Godfrey, down to bis marrow, and he wouldn't
have stepped his training and let lu his skipper 'if it were not for
"So that ls the tail-end of the telegram which Godfrey Staunton dis
patched within a few hours of his disappearance. There are at least
six words of tho message which have escaped us, but what remains
'Stand by us for God's sake?' proves that this youug man saw a for
midable danger which approached him and from which someone else
could protect him. Us, mark you! Auother person was Involved.
Who should It bo but the pale-faced, bearded man, who seemed him
self in so nervous a state? What, thou, ls the connection between
Godfrey Staunton and the bearded man? And what is the third source
from which each of them, sought for help against pressing danger?
Our inquiry has already narrowed dowu to that"
"We have only to find to whom that telegram ls addressed," I sug
gested. . "Exactly, my dear Watson. Your retlectiou, though profound, had
already crossed my mind. But I daro say it may have como to your
notice that if you walk iuto a postofflce and demand to seo the counter
foil of auother1 man's messago there may be some disinclination on the
part of the otllclals to oblige you. There ls so much red tape lu these
matters. However, I havo no doubt that with a little delicacy "uud
tluesso the end may be obtained. Meanwhile, I should like iu'our
presence, Mr. Overton, to go through these papers which have been
left uikju tho table."
There were a number of letters, bills and notebooks, which Holmes
turned over aud examined with quick, nervous fingers and darting,
penetrating eyes. "Nothing here," ho said, at last "By the way, I
supiose your friend was a healthy young fellow nothing amiss with
hlm?"
"Souud as a bell."
"Have you ever known him 1117"
"Not a day. He has been laid up with a hack, uud ouce he slipped
his kneecap, but that was nothing."
'Terhaps he was not so strong us you suppose. 1 should think he
may have had some secret trouble. With your assent, I will put one
or two of those papers In my pocket, in case they should bear upou our
future inquiry."
"One moment ono inomentl" cried a querulous voice, and wo looked
up to find a queer little old man, jerking and twitching in tho door
way. Ho was dressed iu rusty black, with a very broad-brimmed top
hat aud a loose whito necktie the whole effect being that of a very
rustlo parson or of an undertaker's mute. Yet, in spite of his shabby
and even absurd appearance, his voice had a sharp crackle, and his
manner a quick intensity which commanded utteutlou.
"Who are you, sir, and by what right do you touch this gentleman's
papers?" he asked.
"I am a private detective aud I am endeavoring to explain his dis
appearance." ' "Oh, you are, are you? Aud who instructed you, eh?"
"This geuUemau, Mr. Staunton's friend, was referred to mo by.
Scotland Yard."
"Who aro you. sir?"
"I am Cyril Overton."
:'A:iM.4tr,4H yo who seut
me u telegram. My name is
Lord Mount-James. I came
round as quickly as tho
Bayswator 'bus would bring
me. So you havo instructed
a detective?"
"Yes, sir."
"And you are prepared to
meet the cost?"
"I have no doubt, sir, that
my frleud Godfrey, when wo
find him, will be prepared to
do that"
"But if he Is never found,
eh? Answer me that'."
"In that case, no doubt his
family"
"Nothing of the sort slrl"
screamed the littlo man.
Dou't look to me for a penny
not a penny I Y'ou under
stand that Mr. Detective! I
am all tho family that this
youug man has got, and I tell
you that I am not responsi
ble. If he has any expecta
tions It is due to the fact that
X havo never wasted money,
and I do not propose to begin
to do so now. As to those
papers with which you are
making so free, I may tell
you that in case there should
bo anything of any value
among them, you will be held
strictly to account for what
you do with them."
"Very good, sir," said
Sherlock Holmes. "May I ask,
ln the meanwhile, whether
you have yourself any theory
to account for this young
man's disappearance?"
"No, sir, I have not He ls
big enough and old enough
to look after himself, and I
entirely refuse to accept the
responsibility of hunting for
him."
"I quite understand your
position," said Holmes, with a mischievous twinkle ln his eyes. "Per
haps you don't quite understand mine. Godfrey Staunton appears to
havo been a poor man. If he has been kidnaped it could not have
been for anything which ho himself possessed. The fame of your
However, I can wealth has gone abroad, Ixrd Mount-James, and It ls entirely possible
He hailed a cab. "King's
"Let me see," said Holmes, seating himself on Staunton's bed.
are the day porter, aro you not?"
"Yes, sir; I go off duty at 11."
"The night porter saw nothing, I suppose?"
"No, sir; one theater party came ln late. No one else,"
"Were yon on duty all d'.iy yesterday?"
"Tea. sir."
"Did you take any messages to Mr. Staunton?"
"Yes, sir; one telegram.
Ah! that's Interesting. What o'clock was that?"
"About a"
"Where was Mr. Staunton when he received It?"
"Here in his room."
"Were you present when he opened it?"
Yes, sir; I waited to seo if there was an answer."
"Well, was there?"
"Yes, sir; he wrote an answer."
"Did you take it?"
"No, be 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."
Holmes rose. Taking the forms, he carried them over to the window
and carefully examined that which was uppermost
"It is a pity he did uot write in peucll," said he, throwing them
down again, with a shrug of disappointment "As you have no doubt
frequently observed, Watson, the impression usually goes through
a fact which has dissolved manv a hannv marrta. 1lru-fvr i -nn
find no trace here. I rejoice, however, to perceive that he wrote with that a gang of thieves have secured your nephew in order to gain
a broad-pointed pen, aud I hardly doubt that we will find some im- from him some information as to your house, your habits and your
pressiou upon this blotting pad. Ah, yes; surely this is the very treasure."
thing!" The face of our unpleasant little visitors turned as white as his
lie tore a strip of the blotting paper aud turned toward us a queer neckcloth,
lookiug conglomeration of characters that looked like nothing so much "Heavens, sir, what an idea! I never though of such vllliany! What
as an Imitation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. iuliuman rogues there are iu the world! But Godfrey is a Hue lad a
....i-i-iiii .llll... I I u-iii .mill -nil lni.,il.n...i,.i,Ml.J,..ll.,., ,
r- -
. r'TTOr-T; n.
Cyril Overton was much excited. "Hold it to the glass!" he cried:
"That is unnecessary," said Holmes. "The paper is thiu, and the
staunch lad. Nothing would Induce him to give his old uuclu away,
I'll have the plate moved over to the bank this evening, lu the mean
's'
!
NEXT
NEXT
SUNDAY'S
DEE
IN SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES
THE ADVENTURE OF
THE ABBEY GRANGE
NEXT
SUNDAY'S
BEE
ANOTHER BIG ILLUSTRATED FEATURE Sunday0 nbxt
ELEANOR FRANKLIN'S LETTERS JAPAN
INSIDE GLIMPSES BY AMERICA'S MOST ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT.
time spare no pains, Mr. Ivtoctive! I beg you to leave uo stone un
turned to bring him safely back. As to money, well, so fur ns a fiver,
or even a tenner goes, you can always look to me."
Even in his chastened frame of mind the noble tntscr could
give us no information which could help us, for he knew littln
of the private life of his nephew. Our only duo lay in tho
truncated telegram, and with a copy of this In his hand
Holmes set forth to find a second link for ills chain. Wo had
shaken ott lxu'd Mount-James, and Overton had gono to con
sult with the other members of his team over the misfortune
which hud befallen them.
There wus a telegraph olllce at a short distance from the
hotel. We halted outside It
"Its worth trying, Watson," said Holmes. "Of course,
with a warrant we could demand to seo tho counterfoils, but
we have not reached that stage yet. I don't suppose they remember
faces in so busy a place. Let us venture it."
"I am .sorry to trouble you," said he, in his blandest manner to thn
young woman behind the grating; "there is some sniull mistako about
a telegram I sent yesterday. I have had no answer and I very much
fear that I must have omitted to put my namo at tho end. Could you
tell me if this wus so?"
The young woman turned over a sheaf of counterfoils.
"What o'clock was it?" she asked.
"A little after six."
"Whom was It to?"
Holmes put his linger to his lips and glanced at me. "The best
words in it wore 'tor (itnl's sake,' " he whispered, confidentially; "1
am very anxious at getting no answer."
The joung woman separated one of the forms.
"This ls it There Is no name," sold she, smoothing It out upon
tho counter.
"Then that . of course, accounts for my not getting an answer," said
Holmes. "Dear me, how very stupid of me, to be sure! Good morn
ing, miss, and many thanks for having relieved my mind." He
chuckled und rubbed his hands wheu wo found ourselves in the street
onco more.
"Well?" I asked.
"We progress, my dear Watson, we progress. I had seven different
schemes for gottlug a glimpse of that telegram, but I could hardly
hope to succeed tho first time."
"And what have you gained?"
"A starting point for our investigation.
Cross station," said he.
"We have a Journey, then?"
"Yes, I think wo must run down to Cambridge together. All tho in
dications seem to mo to point in that direction."
"Tell me, I asked, as we rattled up Gray's Inn Road, "have you any
suspicion yet as to tho cause of tho disappearance? I don't thiuk
that among all our cases I havo known ono where tho motives are
more obscure. Surely you don't really Imagine that ho may bo kid
naped in order to give information against his wealthy uncle?"
"I confess, my dear Watson, that that does not appeal to me ioj
a very probable explanation It struck me, however, as being the ono
which was most likely to interest that very unpleasant old person."
"It certainly did that; but what are your alternatives?"
"I could mention several. You must admit that it is curious and
suggestlvo that this incident Bbould occur on tho eve of 'this Important
match, and Bhould involve the only man whosa presence seems essen
tial to the success of tho side. It may, of course, be a coincidence,
but it is interesting. Amateur sport ls free from betting, but a good
deal of outside betting goes on among the public; and it ls possible
that it might be worth someone's while to get at a player as the
ruffians of the turf get at a race horse. There ls one explanation, A
eocond very obvious one ls
that this young man really Is
the heir of a great property,
however modest his means
may at present be, and it is
not Impossible that a plot to
hold for ransom mlghtfce
concocted.
"These theories take no ac
count of the telegram.
'Quite true, Watson. The
telegram still remains the
only solid thing with which
we havo to deal, and wo must
not permit our attention to
wander away from It It ls
to gain light upon tho pur
pose of this telegram that we
are now upon our way to
Cambridge. Tho path of our
investigation is at present
obscure, but I shall bo very
much surprised if before
evening we have not cleared
it up or made a considerable
advance along It"
It was already dark when
we reached the old university
city. Holmes took a cab at
tho station and ordered the
man to drive to the house of
Dr. Iifslle Armstrong. A few
minutes later we had stopped
at a largo mansion ln the
busiest thoroughfare. We
were shown in, and after a
long wait were at last ad
mitted into tho consulting
room, where wo found the
doctor seated behind bis table.
It argues the degree la
which I bad lost touch with
my profession that the name
of Leslie Armstrong was un
known to me. Now I am
aware that he ls not only one
of the heads of the medical
school of the university, but
a thinker of European repu
tation in more than ona
branch of science. Yet even
without knowing his brilliant record one could not full to be Impressed
by a mere glance at the man, the square, massive face, the brooding
eyes under the thatched brows, and the granite molding of the In
flexible Jaw. A man of deep character, a man with uu alert mind,
grim ascetic, self-contained, formidable so I read Dr. Leslie Ann
strong. He held my friend's card in his hand and ho looked up with
no very pleased expression upon his sour features.
"I have heard your name, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, aud I am aware of
your profession ono of which I by no means approve."
"In that, doctor, you will find yourself in agreement with every
criminal iu the country," said my friend, quietly.
"So far as your efforts ure directed toward the suppression of crime,
sir, they must have tho support of every reasonable ihcuiImt of the
community, though I cannot doubt that the otliclal machinery is uuiply
sulficlent for the purpose. Where your calling is more open to criticism
is wheu you pry into the secrets of private individuals, when you rake
up family matters which are U tter hidden, uud when you incidentally
waste the time of men who are more busy than yourself. At tho pres
cut moment, for example, I should be wilting u treatise instead of
conversing with you."
"No doubt, doctor; and yet the conversation may prove more im
portant thuu Hie treatise. Incidentally, 1 may tell you that we ure
doing the reverse of what you very justly blame, und Hint wo ure en
deavoring to prevent uuythiiig like public exposure of private matters
which must necessarily follow wheu onco the case is fairly In the
hands of the official police. You may look upon me simply as an Ir
regular pioneer, who goes in front of the regular forces of the country.
I have come to ask you almut Mr. Godfrey Staunton.''
"What nlMtiit him?"
"You know him, do you not?"
"He is au intimate friend of mine."
"You are aware that he has disappeared?" ,
"Ah, Indeed!" There was no change of expression 1 the rugged
tHB MISSING THREE-QUARTER.
