Illustrated Bee
HE
NUMBER 325.
Entered Second Class at Omaha Fostoffice Published Weekly by The Ike Publishing Co. Subscription, 2.50 Per Year.
SKITKMUKK 3, 1003.
Exploits of Sherlock Holmes Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
Being an Account of the Strange and Mysterious Disappearance of an American Girl Just After Her Marriage to an English Nobleman and the Fart Flayed in it by a Rich American Miner.
r
'X
THE Lord St. Simon marriage and its cunous termination Have
Ions ceased to be a subject of Interest In those exalted cir
cles in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves. Fresh
scandals have eclipsed It, and their more piquant details
hare drawn the gossips, away from this four-year-old drama. As I
have reason to believe, however, that the full facts have never been
revealed to the general public, and as my friend Sherlock Holmes
had a considerable share in clearing the matter up, 1 feel that no
memoir of him would be complete without some little sketch of this
remarkable episode.
It was a few weeks before my own marriage, during the days
when I was still sharing rooms with Sherlock Holmes in Baker
fttreet, that be came home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter
on the table waiting for him. I bad remained indoors all day, for
the weather had taken a midden turn to rain, with high autumnal
winds, and the jezall bullet which I had brought back in one of my
limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign, throbbed with dull per
sistency. With my body in one easy chair and my legs upon an
other, I had surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers, until
at last, saturated with the news of the day, I tossed them all aside
and lay listless, watching the huge crest and monogram upon the
envelope upon the table, and wondering lazily who my friend's noble
correspondent could be.
"Here is a very fashionable epistle," I remarked, as he entered.
"Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a fish mon
ger and a tide waiter."
"Yes, my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety,"
he answered, smiling," and the humbler are usually the more inter
esting. This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses
which call upon a man either to be bored or to He."
He broke the seal and glanced over the contents.
"Oh, come, it may prove to be something of Interest, after all."
"Not social, then?"
"No, distinctly professional."
"And from a noble client?"
"One of the highest in England."
"My dear fellow, I congratulate you."
"I assure you, Watson, without affectation, that the status of
m client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his
case. It Is just possible, however, that that also may not be want
ing in this new investigation. You have been reading the papers
diligently of late, have yu not?"
"It looks like it," said I, ruefully, pointing to a huge bundle
in the corner. "I hnve had nothing else to do."
"It is "fortunate, for you will perhaps he able to post me up. I
read nothing except the criminal news and the agony column. The
latter it. always instructive. But if you have followed recent events
'so rl.onely you must have read about Lord St. Simon and his wed
ulns?" "Oh, yes, with the deepest' Interest."
"That is well. The letter which I hold in my hand is from
Lord St. Simon. I will read it to you, and in return you must turn
oter these papers and let me have whatever bears upon the mat-,
.ter. Thin is what he says:
"'My Dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes: Lord Backwater tells me
that I may place Implicit reliance upon your Judgment and discre
tion. I have determined, therefore, to call upon you, and to consult
you in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in
connection with my wedding. . Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard,' is .
uctin(! already In the matter, but he assures me that he- sees no ob
' lection to your co-operation, and that he even thinks that it might
bo of some assistance. T will call at 4 o'clock, in the afternoon, and
should you have any other engagement at tha.t time, I hope that you
will postpone It, as this matter is of paramount Importance. Yours
faithfully. ST. SIMON.'
"It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions, written with a quill .pen,
and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink
upon the outer side of his right little finger," remarked Holmes, as
he folded up the epistle.
"lie tays 4 o'clock. It is 3 now. He will be here in an hour."
"Ther. I have Just time, with your assistance, to get clear upon
the subject. Turn over those papers, and arrange the extracts in
their order of time, while I take a glance as to who our client is."
He jii'-ked a red-covered volume from a line of books of reference
beside the mantel piece. "Here he is." said he, sitting down and
fattening it out upon his knee. "Lord Robert Walsingham de
Vero St. Simon, second son of the duke of Balmoral Hum! Arms:
Aaure, three caltrops in chief over a fess sable. Born in 1846. He's
41 years or age, which is mature for marriage. Was under secre
tary for the colonies in a late administration. The duke, his father,
was at one time secretary for foreign affairs. They inherit Plan
ta?enet blooo bv direct descent, and Tudor on the distaff side. Ha!
Well, there is nothing very instructive in all this. I think that I
must turn to vou, Watson, for something more solid."
"I hav very little difficulty in finding what I want," said I,
"for the facts are quite recent, and the matter struck me as re
markable. I feaied to refer them to you, however, as I knew that
you had an inquiry ou hand, and that you disliked the intrusion of
other matters." '
"Oh, you mesn the little problem of the Grosvenor Square
furniture van. Thnt is quite cleared up, now though, Indeed, it
was obvious from the first Pray give the results of your news
paper selections. " .
"Hero is the tr"t notice which I can find. It is in the personal
column of th Morning Post, and dateB, as you see, some weeks
back. 'A marriage has been arranged,' it says, 'and will, if rumor
Is correct, very, shortly take place, between Lord Robert St. Simon,
second son of the duke of Balmoral, and Miss Hatty Doran, the
pnly daughter of Aloyslus Doran, esq., of San Francisco, Cal., U.
8. A. That is all."
"Terse and to the point," remarked Holmes, stretching his
long, thin legs toward the fir.
"Ther was a paragraph amplifying this In one of the society
papers of the sam week. Ah! here it 1b. "Inhere will soon be a
call for protection In the marriage market,' for the present free
trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home product
One by one the management of the noble houses of Great Britain is
passing into the hands of our fair cousins from across the Atlantic
An Important addition has been made during the last week to the
list of prizes which have been borne away by these charming In
vaders. Lord St. Simon, who has shown himself for over twenty
years proof against the little god's arrows, has now definitely an
nounced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty Doran, the
fascinating daughter of a California millionaire. Miss Doran, whose
graceful figure and striking face attracted much attention at the
Westbury House festivities, is an only child, and It is currently re
ported that her dowry will run to considerably over the six figures,
with expectancies for the future. As it is an open secret that the
duke of Balmoral has been competed to sell his pictures within
the last few years, and as Lord St. Simon has no property of his
own, save the small estate of Blrchmoor, it is obvious that the CalU
fornla heiress is not the only gainer by an alliance which will
enable her to make the easy and common transition from a repub
lican lady to a British peeress.' "
"Anything else?" asked Holmes, yawning.
"Oh, yes; plenty. There is another note in the Morning Post
to say that the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one; that it
would be at St. George's, Hanover Square, that only half a dozen
Intimate friends would be Invited, and that the party would return
to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate which had been taken by
Mr. Aloyslus Doran. Two days later that Is, on Wednesday last
there was a curt announcement that the wedding had taken place,
and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord Backwater's place,
near Petersneld."-, Those are all the notices which appeared before
the disappearance or tn bride."
"Before ta what?' asked Holmes.' with a start.
"The vanUhla of the Jady." . I - .
"When did sh vanish, then?"
VU the wedding breakfast."
Thrilling Chapters from the Life Story of the
World's Greatest Detective Character
"Indeed. This is more in
teresting than it promised to -be;
quite dramatic, in fact."
"Yes; it struck me as
being a little out of the com
mon." "They often vanish before
the ceremony, and occasion
ally during the honeymoon;
but I cannot call to mind any
thing quite so prompt as this.
Pray let me have the details."
"I warn you that they are
very Incomplete."
"Perhaps we may make
them less so."
"Such as they are, they are
set forth in a single article of
a morning paper of yesterday,
which I will read to you. It
is headed, 'Singular Occurrence
at a Fashionable Wedding:'
" 'The family or Lord
Robert St. Simon has been
thrown into the greatest con
sternation by the strange and
painful episodes which have
taken place In connection with
his wedding. The ceremony,
as shortly announced in the
papers of yesterday, occurred
on the previous morning; but
it is only now that it has been
possible to confirm the strange
rumors which have been so
persistently floating about: In
spite of the attempts of the
friends to hush the matter up,
so much public attention has
now been drawn to it that.no
good purpose can be served by
affecting to disregard what, is
a common subject for conver
sation. " 'The ceremony, which
was performed at St. George's,
Hanover Square, was a very
quiet one, no one being present
save the father of the bride,
Mr. Aloyslus Doran, the duch
ess of Balmoral, Lord Back
water, Lord Eustace and Lady
Clara St. Simon (the younger
brother and sister of the bride
groom), and Lady Alicia Whit
tington. The whole party pro
ceeded afterward to the house
of Mr. Aloyslus Doran, at Lancaster Gate, where breakfast had been
prepared. It appears that some little trouble was caused by a
woman, whose name has not been ascertained, who endeavored to
force her way into the house after the bridal party, alleging that
she had some claim upon Lord St. Simon. It was only after a pain-
As to my own case, I am
ready to give you any In
formation which may assist
you in forming an opinion."
"Thank you. I have al
ready learned all that Is in
the public prints, nothing
more. I presume that I may
take It as correct-this arti
cle, for example,, as to the
disappearance of the bride."
Lord St. Simon glanced
over it. "Yes, It is correct,
so far as it -goes."
"But it needs a great
deal of supplementing before
any one could offer an opin
ion. I think that I may ar
rive at my facts most directly
by questioning you."
"Pray do so."
"When did you first
meet Miss Hatty Doran?"
San Francisco, a
"In
year ago."
"You were traveling in
the states?"
"Yes."
"Did you become en
gaged then?"
"No."
"But you were on a
friendly footing?"
"I was amused by her
society, and she could see
that I was amused."
"Her father is very
rich?"
"He is said to be the
richest man on the Pacific
slope."
"And how did he make
his money?"
"In mining. He had
nothing a few years ago.
Then he struck gold, invested
It, and came up by leaps and
bounds."
"Now, what is your own
impression as to the young
lady's your wife's charac
ter?" The nobleman swung
his glasses a little faster and
stared down Into the fire."
"You see, Mr. Holmes," said
he, "my wife was 20 before
her father became a rich man. During that time she ran free in a
mining camp, and wandered through woods or mountains, so that
her education has come from nature rather than from the school
master. She is what we call in England a tomboy, with a strong
nature, wild and free, unfettered by any sort of traditions. She Is
ful and prolonged scene that she was ejected by the butler and the Impetuous volcanic, I was about to say. She is swift In making up
"SHE HAD CAUCHT VT AN UISTER AND BONNET.
footman. The bride, who had fortunately entered the house before
this unpleasant interruption, had sat down to breakfast with the
rest, when she complained of a sudden Indisposition and retired to
her room. Her prolonged absence having caused some comment,
her father followed her, but learned from her maid that she had
only come up to her chamber for an instant, caught up an ulster and
bonnet, and hurried down to the passage. One of the footmen de
clared that he had seen a lady leave the house thus apparelled, but
had refusod to credit that It was his mistress, believing her to be
with the company. On ascertaining that his daughter had disap-
her mind, and fearless in carrying out her resolutions. On the
other hand, I would not have given her the name which I have the
honor to bear" he gave a little stately cough "had not I thought,
her to be at bottom a noble woman. I believe she is capable of
heroic self-sacrifice, and that anything dishonorable would be re
pugnant to her."
"Have you her photograph?"
"I brought this with me." He opened a locket, and showed us
the full face of a very lovely woman. It was not a photograph, but
an Ivory miniature, and the artist had brought out the full effect
of the lustrous black hair, the large dark eyes, and the exquisite
Then he closed
peared, Mr. Aloyslus Doran, in conjunction with the bridegroom.
instantly put themselves into communication with the police, and mouth. Holmes gazed long and earnestly at It.
very energetic inquiries are being made, which will probably result the locket and handed it back to Lord St. Simon.
in a speedy clearing up of this very singular business. Up to a late "The young lady came to London, then, and you renewed your
hour last night, however, nothing had transpired as to the where- acquaintance?"
abouts of the misBing lady. .There are rumors of foul play. In the "Yes, her father brought her over for this last London season,
matter, and it is said that the police have caused the arrest of the I met her several times, became engaged to her, and have now mar
woman who had caused the original disturbance, in the belief that, rled her."
from Jealousy or some other motive, she may have been concerned
In the strange disappearance of the bride."
"And is that all?"
Only one little item in another of the morning papers, but it is
a suggestive one."
"And it is"
"That Miss Flora Millar, the lady who had caused the dis
turbance, has actually been arrested. It appears that she was for
merly a danseuse at the 'Allegro,' and that she has known the bride
groom for some years. There are no further particulars, and the
whole case is in your hands now so far as it has been set forth in
the public press."
"And an exceedingly interesting case it appears to be. I would
not have missed it for worlds. But there Is a ring at the bell, Wat
son, and as the clock makes it a few minutes after 4, I have no
doubt that this will prove to be our noble client. Do not dream of
going, Watson, for I very much prefer having a witness, if only as
a check to my own memory."
"Lord Robert St. Simon," announced our pageboy, throwing
open the door. A gentleman entered, with a pleasant, cultured
face, high-nosed and pale, with something perhaps of petulance
about the mouth, and with the steady, well-opened eye of a man
whose pleasant lot It had ever been to command and to be obeyed.
His manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue
Impression of age, for he had a Blight forward stoop and a little
bend in the knees as he walked. His hair, too, as he swept off his
very curly-brimmed bat, was grizzled round the edges and thin upon
the top. As to his dress, It was careful to the verge of foppishness,
with high collar, black frock coat, white waistcoat, yellow gloves,
patent-leather shoes, and light-colored gaiters. He advanced slowly
Into the room, turning his head from left to right, and swinging in
his right hand the cord which held hla golden eye-glasses.
Good-day, Lord St. Simon," said Holmes, rising and bowing.
"Pray take the baskei-chalr. This is my friend and colleague, Dr.
Watson. Draw up a little to the fire, and we will talk this matter
over."
"A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine,
Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you
have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though
I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society."
"No, I am descending."
"I beg pardon."
"My last client of the sort was a king."
"Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?"
"The Kins of Scandinavia."
"What! Had be lost his wife?"
"You can understand," said Holmes, suavely, "that I extend
to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise
to you la yours."
"Of course! Very right! -Tery right! I'm sure I beg pardon.
"She brought, I understand, a considerable dowry?"
"A fair dowry. Not more than is usual in my family."
"And this, of course, remains to you, since the marriage Is a
fait accompli?"
"I really have made no inquiries on the subject."
"Very naturally not. Did you see Miss Doran on the day be
fore the wedding?"
"Yes."
"Was she in good spirits?"
"Never better. She kept talking of what we should do In our
future lives."
"Indeed! That is very Interesting. And on the. morning of
the wedding?"
"She was as bright as possible at least until after the cere
mony." "And did you observe any change In her then?"
"Well, to tell the truth, I saw then the first signs that I had
ever seen that her temper was Just a little sharp. The incident,
however, was too trivial to relate and can have no possible bearing
upon the case."
"Pray let us have it. for all that."
"Oh, It is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went to
ward the vestry. She was passing the front pew at the time, and it
fell over into the pew. There was a moment's delay, but the gen
tleman in the pew handed it up to her again, and It did not appear
to be the worse for the fall. Yet when I spoke to her of the matter
she answered me abruptly, and In the carriage, on our way home,
she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause."
"Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman In the pew.
Some of the general public were present, then?"
"Oh, yes. It Is Impossible to exclude them when the church
la open."
"This gentleman was not one of your wife's friends?"
"No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy, but he was quite
a common looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. But
really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point."
"Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less
cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to It. What did she do
on re-entering her father's house?"
"I saw her In conversation with her maid."
"And who is her maid?"
"Alice la her name. She la an American, and came from Cali
fornia with her."
"A confidential servant?"
"A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress al
lowed her to take great liberties. Still, of course, in America they
look upon these things in a different way."
"How long did she speak to this Alice?"
"Oh, a few minutes. I had something else to think of."
"You did not overhear what they said?"
"Lady St. Simon said something about 'Jumping a claim.' She
was accustomed to use slung of the kind. I have no Idea what she
meant."
"American slang Is very expressive sometimes. And what did
your wife do when she finished speaking to her inuid?"
"She walked into the breakfast room."
"On your arm?" s
"No, alone. She was very independent in little matters like
that. ,Then, after we had sat down for ten minutes or so, she rose
hurriedly, muttered some words of apology, and left the room. She
never came back." v
"But this maid, Alice, as I understand, deposes that she went
to her room, covered her bride's dress with a long ulster, put on a
bonnet, and went out."
"Quite so. And she was afterward seen walking Into Hyde
Park In company with Flora Millar, a woman who is now In cus
tody, and who had already made a disturbance at Mr. Doran's house
that morning."
"Ah, yes. I should like a few particulars as to this young
lady and your relations to her."
Lord St. Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eye
brows. "We have been on a friendly footing for some years I
may say on a very friendly footing. She used to be at the 'Allegro.'
I have not treated her ungenerously, and she has no Just cause of
complaint against me, but you know what women are, Mr. Holmes.
Flora was a dear little thing, but exceedingly hot-headed, and de
votedly attached to me. She wrote me dreadful letters when she
heard that I was about to be married; and, to tell the truth, the
reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I feared
lest there might bo a scandal in the church. She came to Mr.
Doran's door just after we returned, and she endeavored to push
her way in, uttering very abusive expressions toward my wife, and
even threatening her; but I had foreseen the possibility of some
thing of the sort, and I had two police fellows there In private
clothes, who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she
saw that there was no good in making a row."
"Did your wife hear all this?"
"No, thank goodness, she did not."
"And she was seen walking with this very woman afterward?"
"Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard, looks upon
as so serious. It Is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and
laid some terrible trap for her."
"Well, It Is a possible supposition."
"You think so, too?"
"Ijlld not say a probable ono. But you do not yourself look
upon this as likely."
"I do not think Flora would hurt a fly."
"Still, jealousy is a strange transformer of character. Pray
what Is your own theory as to what took place?"
"Well, really, I CHtne to. seek a theory, not to propound one. I
have given you all the facts. Since you ask me, however, I may
say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of
this affair, the consciousness that she had made so immense a social
stride, had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance In
my wife."
"In short, that she had become suddenly deranged?"
"Well, really, when I consider that she has turned her back
I will not say upon me, but upon so much that many have aspired
to without success I can hardly explain it In any other fashion."
"Well, certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis," said
Holmes, smiling. "And now, Lord St. Simon, I think that I have
nearly all my data. May I ask whether you were seated at the
breakfast table so that you could see out of the window?"
"We could see the other side of the road and the park."
"Quite so. Then I do not think that I need to detain you
longer. I shall communicate with you."
''Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem," said
our client, rising.
"I have solved it."
"Eh? What was that?" . '
"I say that I have solved it."
"Where, then, is my wife?"
"That Is a detail wV'ch I shall speedily supply.''
Lord St. Simon shook his head. "I am afraid that It will tak
wiser heads than yours or mine,' he remarked, and, bowing In a
stately, old-fashioned manner, he departed.
"It la very good of Lord St. Simon to honor my head by put
ting It on a level with his own," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing.
"I think that I shall have a whisky and soda and a cigar after all
this cross-questioning. I had formed my conclusions as to the caso
before our client came Into the room."
"My dear Holmes!"
"I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as I re
marked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole examination
served to turn my conjecture into a certainty. Circumstantial evi
dence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a trout in the
milk, to quote Thoreau's example."
"But I have heard all that you have heard."
"Without, however, the knowledge of pre-existing cases which
serves me so well. There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen soma
years back, and something on very much the same lines at Munich
the year after the Frp.nco-Pnissian war. It is one of these cases
but, hello, here is Lestrade! Good afternoon, Lestrade! You will
find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard, and there are cigars in
the box."
The official detective was attired in a peajacket and cravat,
which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance, and he carried a
black canvas bag in his hand. With a short greeting he seated him
self and lit the cigar which had been offered to him.
"What's up, then?" asked Holmes, with a twinkle In his eye.
"You look dissatisfied."
" And I feel dissatisfied. It is this Infernal St. Simon mar
riage case. I can, make neither head nor tall of the business."
"Really! YoSi surprise me."
"Who ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clue seema
to slip through my fingers. I have been at work upon it all day."
"And very wet it seems to have made you," said Holmes, lay
ing his hand upon the arm of the peajacket.
"Yes, I have been dragging the Serpentine."
"In heaven's name, what for?"
"In search of the body of Lady St. Simon."
Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily.
"Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain?"
he asked.
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Because you have Just as good a chance of finding this lady In
the on as in the other."
Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion.
"I suppose you know all about It," he snarled.
"Well, I have only Just heard the facts, but my mind is made
up."
"Oh, Indcod! Then you tbluk that the Seipvullue plays no
part In the matter?"
"I think it very unlikely."
"Then perhaps you will kindly explain how It is that we found
this In it?" He opened his bag as he spoke and tumbled on to the
floor a wedding dress of watered silk, a pair of I white satin shoes
and a bride's wreath and veil, all discolored and soaked in water.
"There," said he, putting a new wedding ring upon the top of the
pile. "There Is a little nut for you to crack. Master Holmes."
"Oh, Indeed!" said my friend, blowing blue rings into the air.
"You dragged them from the Serpentine?"
"No. They were found floating near the margin by a park
keeper. They have been Identified sb her clothes, and It seemed to
me that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off."
"By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body Is to be
found In the neighborhood of bis wardrobe. And pray what did
you hope to arrive at through this?"
(Continued on Page Eight)
