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AROTT VOL. LIV. XO. 226. THE ARGUS, SATURDAY, JULY 8, I90o. PAGES 9 TO 12. THE RETURN' OF SHERJLOCK HOLMES, By A. Coian Doyle V Illustrated by F. D. Steele EOGK I BLAND ti mi The Adventure of the Missing Three Quarter No. 11 of th ftcrica CCtpfrithi. 2904, if A Ctmtm &fh ami CtllUr' Ue.kJt.J (Cpr,tki, mi. h UiCImn. Htlhft ft U.) E wcp fairly accustomed "'R A T to receive weird tele I f I Kraui at Baker street. recollection of one which reached m on a gloomy February morning, some even or eight years ago, and pave Mr. Sherlock Holmes a puzxled quarter of mi hour. It wan addressed to him and ran thus: Please await m. Tcrrlbl mlfortune. Right wln three-qurtr miin, Indis laaable tomorrow. OVERTON. "Strand postmark and dispatched 10:3," said Holmes, reading it over and over. ' Mr. Overton was evidently considerably excited when he sent it and somewhat incoherent In conse quence. Well. well, he will be here. I dare tay, by tbe time 1 have looked through the Times, and theu we shall know all about it. Even the most insig nificant problem would be welcome in these stagnant days." Things hud indeed been very slow with us, and 1 had leu rued to dread Much period of Inaction, for I knew ty experience that my companion's bruin was so abnormally active that It was dangerous to leave it without ma terial upon which to work. For years 1 had gradually weaned him from that drug uaula which hud threatened once to check his remarkable career. Now I know that under ordinary con ditions he no longer craved for this artificial stimulus, but I was well aware that the tie ml was not dead, but sleepiug, and 1 have known that the sleep was a light one and the wak ing near when in periods of idleness I have seeu the drawn look upon Holmes' ascetic face and the brooding of hi deep set and inscrutable eyes. Therefore 1 blessed this Mr. Overton, whoever he uiigiit be. since he had come with his enigmatic message to break that dangerous calm which brought more peril to my friend than ail the storms of his tempestuous life. As ' we had eHpecfed." the telegram was soou followed by Its sender, and the card of Mr. Cyril Overton. Trinity college. Cambridge, announced the ar rival of au euoruioua young man, six teen stone of solid boue and muscle, who spanned the doorway with his Lroad shoulders and looked from one of us to the other with a comely face which nun haggard with auxiety. -Mr. Sherlock Holmes?" My coin pa ulou bowed. "I've been down to Scotland Yard, Mr. Holmes. I saw Inspector Stanley Hopkins. He advised me to come to you. He said the case, no far as h could see, was more In your line than In that of the regular police." "Pray sit down and tell me what is the matter." "It's awful. Mr. Holmes. Simply awful! 1 wonder my hair Isn't gray. Godfrey Staunton you've heard of Llm, of course? He's simply the hinge that the whole team turns on. I'd rather spare two from the pack and have Godfrey for my three-quarter Hue. Whether It's passing or tackling or dribbling there's no one to touch Lliu, and. theu, he's gt the beud and cau hold us utl together. What am I to do? That's what I ask you, Mr. Holmes. There's Moorhoiise. first re serve, but he Is trained as a half, and he always edges rltrht iu on to the scrum Instead of keeping out ou the touch line. He's a tine place kick, it's true, but theu he has no judgment, and hi' can't print for nuts. Why, Mor tou or Johusou. the Oxford fliers, could rouip round him. Stevenson is fa st enough, but he couldn't drop from the twenty five line, ai.d a three quarter who can't either puut or drop tsn't worth a place for pace alone. ho. Mr. Holmes, we are done unless you cau help me to find Godfrey Staunton." My friend had listened with amused surprise to this long speech, which was poured forth with extraordinary Igor and earnestness, every point be ing driveu home by the slapping of a brawny hand upon the speaker's knee. When our visitor was silent Holmes stretched out his baud and took dowu letter "S" of his commonplace book. 1'or once he dug in vain into that mine of varied information. "There is Arthur H. Staunton, the rUing young forger." said he. "and there was Henry Staunton, wheu I bclied to bang, but Godfrey Staunton is a new name to me." It was our visitor's turn to look sur prised. "Why, Mr. Holmes. I thought you knew things." said he. "I suppose. then, if you have never heard of God frey Stauutou. you don't know Cyril Overton cither?" Holmes shook his head good bsrnor edly. "Great Scott!" cried the athlete. Why, I was first reserve for Eng land against Wale, 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 God frey Staunton, tbe crack three-quarter, Cambridge. Blackheath and five in ternatlonals. Good Lord, Mr. Holmes, where have yon lived?" Holmes laughed at the young giant's Halve astonishment. "Ton live In a different world from me, Mr. Overton a sweeter and health ier one. My ramifications atretch out Into many sections of society, 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 In that work! of fresh air and fair play there may be work for me to do. So now, my good sir, I beg you to sit down and tell me. slow ly and quietly, exactly what it is that has occurred and how you desire that I should help you." Young Overton's face assumed the bothered look of a man who is more accustomed to using his muscles than his wits, but by degrees, with many repetitions and obscurities which I limy omit from his narrative, be laid his strange story before us. "It's this way. Mr. Holmes. As I have said, I am the skipper of the Rug ger team of Cambridge varsity, and Godfrey Staunton is my best man. To morrow we play Oxford. Yesterday we all came up, and we settled at Bent ley's private hotel. At 10 o'clock I went round and saw- that all the fellows had gone to roost, for I believe in strict training and plenty of sleep to keep a team fit. I had a word or two with Godfrey before he turned in. He seem ed to me to be pale and bothered. I asked him what was the matter. He suid he was all right just a touch of headache. I bade him good night and left him. Half an hour later, the por ter tells me. a rough looking man with a beard called with a note for Godfrey. He had not gone to bed, and the note wag taken to his room. Godfrey read It and fell back in a chair as If he bad been iole axed. Tbe porter was so scared that he was going to fetch me, but Godfrey stopped him, had a drink of water and pulled himself together. Then he went downstairs, said a few words to the man who was waiting in the hall, and the two of them went off together. The last that the porter saw of them tbey were almost running down the street in tbe direction of the Strand. This morning Godfrey's room was empty, his bed had never been slept in, and bis things were all just as I had seen them the night before. He had gone off at a moment's notice with this stranger, and no word has come from him Binee. I don't believe he will ever come back. He was a sportsman, wag Godfrey, down to his marrow, and he wouldn't have stopped his training and let In his skipper If it were not for some caue that was too strong for him. No; I feel as if he were gone for good, and we should never see him again." Sherlock Holmes listened with tbe deepest attention to this singular nar rative. "What did you do?" he asked. "1 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 have got back to Cam bridge?" "Yes; there is a late train quarter past 11." "But, so far as you cau 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 Jjonl Moimt-JaiuesY" Godfrey is an orphan, and Lord Mount-James Is bis nearest relative his undo, I believe." "Indeed. This throws new light upon the matter. Ird Mouut-James Is one of the richest men in England." "So I've heard Godfrey say." "And your friend was closely re lated?" "Yes; he was bis heir, and the old boy is nearly eighty cram full of gout too. They say he could chalk his bil liard cue with bis knuckles. He never allowed Godfrey a shilling iu his life, for he is an absolute miser, but it will all come to him right enough." "Have you heard from Lord Mount- James?" "No." "What motive could your friend have in goiug to Lord Mount-James?" "Well, something was worrying him the night before, and if it was to do with money it is ossible that he would make for his nearest relative, who had so much of it. though from all I have heard he would not have much chance of getting it. Godfrey was not foud of the old mau. He would not go if he could help it." "WelL we cau soou determine that. If your friend was goiug to his relative. Lord Mount James, you have then to explain the visit of this rough looking fellow at so late an hour and the agi tation that was caused by bis coming." Cyril Overton pressed his hands to his head. "I can make nothing of it," said he. "Well, well, I have a clear day. and I shall be happy to look Into the mat ter," said Holmes. -I should strongly recommend you to make your prepara tions for your match without reference to this young gentleman. It must, as you say, have been an overpowering necessity which tore him away in such a fashion, and the same necessity is likely to hold him away. Let us step round together to the hotel and see if the porter can throw any fresh light upon the matter." Sherlock Holmes was a past master lu the art of putting a bumble witness at his ease, and very soon, in the pri vacy of Godfrey Staunton's abandoned room, he had extracted all that the por ter had to tell. The visitor of the night before was not a gentleman, neither was he a workingman. He was simply what the porter described as a "medi um looking chap," a man of fifty, beard grizzled, pale face, quietly dress ed. He seemed himself to be agitated. The porter had observed his hand trembling when he had held out the note. Godfrey Staunton bad crammed tbe note Into his pocket. Staunton had not shaken hands with the man in the hall. They had exchanged a few sen tences, of which the porter had only distinguished the one word "time." Then they had hurried off in tbe man ner described. It was Just half-past 10 by the hall clock. "Let me see," said Holmes, seating himself on Staunton's bed. "You art the day porter, are you not?" "Yes, sir. I go off duty at ll." "The night porter saw nothing, I sup pose r "No, sir. One theater party came In late; no one else." "Were you on duty all day yester day?" "Yes, sir." "Did you take any messages to Mr. Staunton?" "Yes, sir; one telegram." "Ah, that's interesting. What o'clock was this?" "About G." "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 unswer." "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." 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 not write in pen cil," said he, throwing them down again, with a shrug of disappointment. I As you have no doubt frequently ob served, Watson, the impression usually goes through a fact which has dis solved many a happy marriage. How ever, 1 can tlnd no trace here. 1 re joice, however, to perceive that he wrote with a broad jiolnted quill pen, and I can hardly doubt that we will find some impression upon .this blotting pad. Ah, yes, surely this is the very thing!" He tore off n strip of the blotting paper and turned toward us the fol lowing hieroglyphic: Cyril Overton was much excited. "Hold it to the glass!" h cried. "That is unnecessary," said Holmes. "The paer is thin, and tbe reverse will give the message. Here It is." He turned It over and we read: "So that is the tail end of the tele gram which Godfrey Staunton dis patched within n few hours of Ids dis appearance. There are at least six words of the message which have es caied us, but what remains 'Stand by us for God's sake!' proves that this young man saw n formidable dan ger which approached him, and from which some one else could protect him. 'Us.' mark you! Another person was Involved. Who should it be but the pale faced, bearded man. who seemed himself in so nervous a state? What, then, is the connection between Godfrey Staunton and the bearded man? And what is tbe third source from which each of them sought for help against pressing danger? Our in quiry has already narrowed down to that." "We have only to find to whom that telegram Is addressed," I suggested. "Exactly, my dear Watson. Yoor re flection, though profound, had already crossed my mind. But I dare say it may have come to your notice that If you walk into a postofflce and demand to see the counterfoil of another man's message there may be some disinclina tion on the part of the officials to oblige you. There Is so much red tape In thes matters. However, I have no eeubt that with a little delicacy and fiuesse the end may be attained. Mean while, I should like In your presence, Mr. Overton, to go through these pa pers which have been left upon the ta ble." There were a number of letters, bills and notebooks, which Holmes turned over and examined with quick, nerv ous fingers and darting, penetrating eyes. "Nothing here," he said at last. "By the way. I suppose your friend was a liealiby young fellow nothing amiss with him?" "Sound cs a bell." "Have you ever known bim ill?" "Not a day. He has been laid up with a hack, and once be slipped his kneecap, but that was nothing." "Perhaps he was not so strong as you suppose. I should think he may have had some secret trouble. With your assent, I will put one or two of these papers in my pocket, in case they should bear upon our future in quiry." "One moment one moment!" cried a querulous voice, and we looked up to fiud a queer little old man jerking and twitching in the doorway. He was dressed In rusty black, with a very broad brimmed top hat and a loose white necktie the whole effect being that of a very rustic parson or of an undertaker's mute. Yet. iu spite of his shaJUby and even absurd appearance, his voice had a sharp crackle and his manner a quick in tensity which commanded attention. "Who are you. sir. and by what right do you touch this gentleman's papers?" he asked. "I am a private detective, and I am endeavoring to explain his disappear ance." "Oh. you are, ate you? And whe Instructed you. eh?" "This gentleman, Mr. , Staunton's friend, was referred to me by Scot laud Yard." "Who are you, sir?" "I am Cyril Overton." "Then it is you who sent me a tele gram. My name is Lord ,Mount J antes. I came round as quickly as the Bayswater bus would briug me. So you have instructed a detective?" "Yes, sir." "And are you prepared to meet the cost ?" "I have no doubt, sir, that my friend Godfrey, when we tind him, -will he prepared to do that." ' ' "But if he is uever found, eh? An swer me that!" j "In that case no doubt his family" "Nothing of the sort, sir!" screamed the litt'.c man. "Don't look to me for msmimr rr i ft : t$ttf-. " I''-VAvi- Copyright by Colljcr'si Weekly. WE LOOKED LT TO FIND A QI'EEU LITTLE OLD MAN IN THE DOOHWAY. a penny not a penny: you under stand that, Mr. Detective! I am all the family that this young man has gt, and 1 tell you that 1 am not respon sible. If be has any expectations it is due to the fact that I have never wa.st ed money, and I do not propose to be gin to do so now. As to those papers with which you are making so free, I may tell you that iu case there should be anything of any value among them jou will be held strictly to account for what you do w ith them." "Very good, sir," said Sherlock Holmes. "May I ask in the meanwhile whether you have yourself auj- theory to account for this young man's disap pearance?" "No, sir, I have not. He is big enougli and old enough to lk after himself, and if he is so foolish as to lose himself I entirely refuse to accept the resiousibility of hunting for him." "I quite understand your position," said Holnic. with a mischievous twin kle in his eyes. "Perhaps you dou't quite understand mine. Godfrey Staun tan appears to have been a poor man. If he has been kidnaped it could not have been for anything which he him self possesses. The fame of your wealth has gone abroad. Lord Mount James, and It Is certainly iossilIe that a gang of thieves have securet your nephew in order to gain from bim some information as to your house, your habits and your treasure." The face of our unpleasant little vis itor tnrned as white as his necktie. "Heavens, sir. what an Idea! I never thought of such villainy! What inhu- man rogues there are in the world! But Gi.dfrey Is a tine lad a stanch lad. Nothing would induce him to give his old uncle away. I'll have the plate moved over to the bank this evening. In the meantime spare no pains, Mr. Detective! I beg you to leave no stone unturned to bring him safely back. As to inouey, well, so far as a tiver or even a tenner goes, you can always look to me." Even in his chastened frame of mind the noble miser could give us no infor mation which could help us. for he knew little of the private life of his nephew. Our only clew lay in the trun cated telegram, and with a copy of this In his band Holmes set forth to tind a Second link for bis chain. We'had shak en off Lord Mount-James, and Overton had gone to consult with the other members of his team over the misfor tune w hich had befallen them. There was a telegraph oHice at a short distance from the hotel. We halt ed outside it. "It's worth tryiug, Watson," said Holmes. "Of course with a warrant we could demand to see the counterfoils, but we have not reached that stage yet. 1 don't suppose they rememler faces iu so busy a place. Let us ven ture it." "1 am sorry to trouble you." said he in his blandest manner to tbe youug woinuu bebiud the grating; "there is some small mistake about a telegram I sent yesterday. I have had no answer, and I very much fear that I must have oruitted to put my name r.fc the end. Could you tell me if this was so?" The young woman turned over a sheaf of counterfoils. "What o'clock was it?" she asked. "A little after V,." "Whom was it to?" Holmes put his linger to his lips and glanced at me. "The last words in It were 'for God's sake,' " he whispered confidentially. "1 am very anxious at getting no answer." The young woman separated one of the forms. "This is it. There Is no name," said she, smoothing it out upou the counter. "Then that, of course, accouuts for my getting no answer," said Holmes. "Dear me, bow very stupid of me, to le sure! Good morning, miss, n:u many thanks for having relieved my mind." He chuckled and rubbed his hands when we faund ourselves In the street once more. "Well?" I asked. "We progress, my dear Watson, we progress. 1 had seven dlii'ereut schemes for getting a glimpse of that telegram, but 1 could hardly boe to succeed the very lirst time." "And what have you gained?" "A starting ioiut for our investi gation." He bailed a cab. "King's Cross station," ijid he. "We have a Journey, then?" "Yes, 1 think we must ri u down to Cambridge together. All the indica tions seem to me to point in that direc tion." "Tell me," I asked, us we rattled up Gray s Inn road, "have j-ou any sus picion yet as to the cause of the dls appearance? I don't think that among all our cases I have known one where the motives are more obscure. Surely you don't really imagine that he may be kidkuaiM-d in order fo give informa tion against his wealthy uncle?"' "I coufes, niy dear Watson, that that does not appeal to me as a very probable explanation. It struck me, however, as being the one which was uiist likely to Interest that exceedingly unpleasant old person." "It certainly did that, but what are your alternatives?" "I cjuld mention several. You must admit that It i curious and sujrestive that this ix;;;idvnt fchouid occur on the, eve or Uiis important match and should involve the only mau whose preseuce seeuis esseutiai to the suc cess of the side. It may, f course, be a coincidence, but it is interesting. Amateur sport Is free from betting, but a good deal of outside betting govs ou among the public, and it is ossible that it might be worth some one's while to get at a player as the ruffians of the turf get at a race horse. There Is one explanation. A second very obvious one is that this young man really is the heir of a great property, however A r . kTVV Cop) lr. Li.nl ie -irmtroity. niottest tits means may at present be, and it Is not imixissihle that a plot to bold him for ransom might be con cocted." "These theories take no account of the telegram." "Quite true, Watson. Tbe telegram still remains the only solid thing with which we have to deal, and we must not permit our attention to wander away from it. It is to gain light upou the purpose of this telegram that we are now upon our way to Cambridge. The path of our Investigation is at present obscure, but 1 shall lie very much surprised if before evening we have not cleared it up or made a con siderable advance along it." It was already dark when we reached the old university city. Holmes took a cab at Ihe station anil ordered the man to drive to the house of Dr. Les lie Armstrong. A few minutes later we bad stopped at a large mansion in the busiest thoroughfare. We were shown In and after a long wait were at lat admitted into the consulting room, where we found the doctor seat ed behind his table. It argues the decree in which I had lost toiich with my profession that the name of Leslie Armstrong was un known to me. Now I am aware that he Is not only one of the heads of the medical school of the university, but n thinker of European reputation in more than one branch of science. Yet even without knowing bis brilliant record one could not fall to be Impressed by a mere glance at the man the square, massive faoe, tbe brooding eyes under the thatched brows and the granite molding f the inflexible Jaw, a man of deep character, n man with nn alert mind, grim, asietie, self contained, for midableso I lead Dr. Leslie Arm strong. He belli my friend's card lu his band, and be lo.jked up with uo very pleased expression upon his dour features. "I have Ireard your name, Mr. Sher lock Holmes, aud I am aware of your profession one of which I by no means approve." "In that, doctor, you w ill tind your self in agreement with every criminal in the country," said my friend quietly. "So fur as your effort are directed toward the suppression of crime, sir, they must have the support of every reasonable member of the community, though I cannot doubt that the olticial machinery is amply sntlicient for the purjK)se. Where your calling Is more open to criticism is when you pry into the secrets of private individuals, when you rake up family matter which are better hidden, and when you incidental ly waste the time of men who are more busy than yourself. At the preseut mo ment, for example, I should be writing a treatise instead of conversing with you." "No doubt, doctor, and yet the con versation may prove more important than the treatise. Incidentally 1 may tell you that we are doing the rerse of what you very Justly blame, and that we are endeavoring to prevent any thing like public exposure of private matters which must necessarily follow when once the case is fairly in tbe hands of the official police. You may look upon me simply as an Irregular pioneer, who goes In front of the reg ular forces of the country. I have come to ask you about Mr. Godfrey Staunton." "What about him?" "You know him, do you not?" "He is an Intimate friend of mine." '"You are aware that he has disap peared?" "Ah, Indeed!" There was no change of expression in the rugged features of the dtx tor. "He left his hotel last night he has not Ihs-ii beard of." "No doubt he will return." "Tomorrow Is the varsity football match." "I have no sympathy with these childish games. The young man's fate interests me deeply, since I know bim I and like him. The football match does not come within my horizon at all." "I claim your sympathy, tken. in my investigation of Mr. Staunton'a fate. 'right bv Collier' Week! v. "f Lo you Know where be tsr "Certainly not." "You have not seen him since yester day?" "No. I have not." "Was Mr. Staunton a healthy man?" "Absolutely." "Did you ever know htm ill?" "Never." Holmes popped n sheet of paper be fore the doctor's eyes. "Then perhftpt you will explain this receipted bill for 13 guineas paid by Mr. Godfrey Staun ton last month to Dr. Leslie Arm strong of Cambridge. I picked it out from among the papers upon his desk." TW doctor flushed with anger. "I do not feel that there is any reason why I should render an explanation to you. Mr. Holmes." nolmcs replaced the bill in his note book. ,-If you prefer n public explana tion, it mu.'t come sooner or later." said he. "I have already told yon that I can hush up that which others will be bound to publish, and you would really be wiser to take me luto your com plete oonfldem-e." "I know nothing nbout it." "Did you hear from Mr. Staunton ia London?" "Certainly not." "Dear me. dear me the postofflcc again!" IIolir.es sighed wearily. "A most urgent telegram was dispatched to you from Loudon by Godfrey Staunton at 0:15 yesterday evening -a telegram which Is undoubtedly associ ate! with his dlsapjearauce and yet you have not had it. It is most cul pable. 1 shall certainly go down to the office here aud register a com plaint." Dr. Leslie Armstrong sprang up from behind his desk, and his dark face was crimson with fury. "I'll trouble you to walk out of my bouse, sir." said be. "You can tell your employer. Lord Mount-James, that I do not wish to have anything to do either with hint or with his agents. No, sir not another word!" He rang the bell furiously. "John, show these gentlemen out." A jompons butler ushered us severely to the door, and we found ourselves in the street. Holmes burst out laughing. "Dr. Leslie Armstrong Is certainly a man of energy and character," said he. "I have not seen a man who. If he turns his talents that way. was more calculated to till the gap left by the illustrious Moriarty. And now, my poor Watson, here we are. stranded and friendless in this inhospitable town, which we cannot leave without abandoning our case. This little inn just opposite Armstrong's house Is singularly adapted to our needs. If you would engage a front room and purchase the necessaries for the night. I may have time to make a few In quiries." f These few Inquiries proved, however, to be a more lengthy proceeding tbau Holmes had imagined, for he did not return to the inn until nearly 1) o'clock. He w as pale and dejected, stained with dust, and exhausted with hunger and fatigue. A cold supper was ready up on the table, and when his needs were sutistied and bis pipe alight he was ready to take that half comic and wholly philosophic view which was natural to hiui when his affairs were going awry. The sound of carriage wheels caused him to rise and glance out of tbe window. A brougham aud alr of grays stood lefore the doc-tor's door. "It's been out three hours." said Holmes. Sturted at G;). and here it is back again. That gives a radius of ten or twelve miles, and he does It once or struct lines twice a day." "No unusual thing for a doctor in practice." "But Armstrong Is not really a doc tor lu practice. He Is a lecturer and a consultant, but he does not care for general praetlee. which distracts hlni from his literary work. Why. then, does he make these long Journeys, which must le exceedingly irksome to him. and who is It that he visits';" "His coachmau" "My dear Watson, can you doubt that it was to him that I first applied? I do not know whether it came from his own innate depravity or from the promptings of bis master, but he was rude enough to set a dog at me. Nei ther dog nor man liked tte look of my stick, however, and tbe matter fell through. All that I have learned I got from a friendly native iu th yard of our own inn. It was he who told me of the doctor's habits and of his dally Journey. At that Instant, to give point to his words, the carriage came round to the door." "Could you not follow it?" "Excellent, Watson! You are scin tillating this evening. Tbe idea did cross my mind. There la, as you may have observed, a bicycle ah op next to our inn. Into this I rushed, engaged a bic ycle and was able to get started be fore the carriage was quite out of sight. I rapidly overtook It, and then, keeping at a discreet distance of a hun dred yards or so, I followed Its lights until we were clear of the town. We had got well out on the country road when a somewhat mortifying incident occurred. The carriage stopped, the doctor alighted, walked awlftly back to where I had baited and told me In an excellent sardonic fashion that be fear ed the road was narrow and that be hoped his carriage did not Impede the passage of my bicycle. Nothing could have been more admirable than his way of putting It. I at once rode past the carriage, aud, keeping to the main roa'L I went, on for a few wUJM.and)