No. 2 The Adventure of the Cardboard Box by Arthur Conan Doyle

No. 2 The Adventure of the Cardboard Box by Arthur Conan Doyle
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" ' it_was to_see Sarah that he_came house first , but soon it_was to_see , for he_was man with winning ways, and he_made friends wherever went he_was dashing, swaggering chap, smart and curled , who had seen half the world and could talk what had seen he_was good company , I won 't deny , and had wonderful polite ways with_him for sailor man , so_that i_think there must_have been time when he_knew more of_the poop than_the forecastle for month he_was and out of_my house , and never once did cross mind that harm might come of_his soft , tricky ways and then last something made suspect , and from_that day peace was gone forever

" ' it_was only little thing , too I had come into_the parlour unexpected , and I walked at_the door I_saw light welcome wife 's face but she saw who it_was faded again , and she turned away with look disappointment that was enough for_me there_was one but Alec Fairbairn whose step she could_have mistaken for mine I_could_have seen him then i_should_have killed him , for I_have always been like madman when temper gets loose Mary saw the devil 's light eyes , and she ran forward with her hands sleeve "Don't, Jim, don't ! " says she " where 's Sarah ? " I asked " in_the kitchen ," says she "Sarah," says I I went , " this man Fairbairn never darken door again " " why_not ? " says she " because I order " "Oh ! " says she , " if_my friends are_not good enough for_this house , then I_am not good enough for_it either " " you_can what you like ," says I, " but Fairbairn shows his face here again I'll send_you one of_his ears for keepsake " she was frightened face , i_think , for she never answered word , and_the same evening she left house

" ' well , I don't know now whether it_was pure devilry on_the_part of_this woman , whether she thought that she_could turn against wife encouraging her misbehave anyway , she took house just two streets off and let lodgings sailors Fairbairn used stay there , and Mary would round to_have tea with her sister and him how often she went I don't know , but I followed her one day , and I broke at_the door Fairbairn got away over the back garden wall , like the cowardly skunk that he_was I swore wife that i_would kill her I_found her in_his company again , and I led her back with , sobbing and trembling, and white piece paper there_was trace love between_us any longer I could_see that she hated and feared , and when_the thought drove drink , then she despised as_well

" ' well , Sarah found that she_could_not make living Liverpool , she went back , I understand , live with her sister Croydon, and things jogged much the same ever home and then came this last week and all the misery and ruin

" ' it_was in_this_way had gone on_the may day for round voyage seven days, but hogshead got loose and started one_of_our plates, so_that had to_put back into port for twelve hours I left the ship and came home , thinking what surprise would_be for_my wife , and hoping that maybe she_would be_glad_to_see soon the thought was head I turned into own street , and at_that moment cab passed , and there she was , sitting by_the side Fairbairn, the two chatting and laughing, with never thought for_me I stood watching them from_the footpath

" 'I tell you , and I give_you word for_it , that from_that moment i_was not own master , and it_is all like dim dream when I look back on_it I had_been drinking hard late , and_the two things together fairly turned brain there 's something throbbing head now , like docker's hammer , but that morning I seemed to_have all Niagara whizzing and buzzing ears

" ' well , i_took heels, and l ran after_the cab I had heavy oak stick hand , and I tell you I_saw red from_the first ; but I ran I got cunning , too , and hung back little to_see them without being seen they pulled soon at_the railway station there_was good crowd round the booking- office , I got quite to_them without being seen they took tickets for new Brighton did I, but I got three carriages behind them when reached they walked along the parade , and i_was never more than hundred yards from_them last I_saw them hire boat and start for row , for it_was very hot day , and_they thought , no_doubt , that_it would_be cooler on_the water

" ' it_was just if_they had_been given into hands there_was bit haze , and you_could_not see more than few hundred yards I hired boat for_myself , and I pulled after them I could_see the blur of_their craft , but they were going nearly fast I, and they_must_have been long mile from_the shore before I caught them the haze was like curtain all round , and there were three in_the middle god , shall I ever forget their faces when_they saw who was in_the boat that was closing upon them ? she screamed out swore like madman and jabbed with oar , for he_must_have seen death eyes I got past and got one with stick that crushed his head like egg i_would_have spared her , perhaps , for all madness , but she threw her arms round him , crying out him , and calling him "Alec " I struck again , and she lay stretched beside him i_was like wild beast then that had tasted blood Sarah had_been there , by_the lord , she should_have joined them I pulled out knife , and -- well , there ! I've said enough gave_me kind savage joy when i_thought how Sarah would feel when she had such signs as_these what her meddling had brought about then I tied the bodies into_the boat , stove plank , and stood until they had sunk I_knew very_well that_the owner would think that_they had lost their bearings in_the haze , and had drifted off out sea I cleaned myself , got back land , and joined ship without soul having suspicion what had passed that night I_made the packet for Sarah Cushing, and next_day I_sent from Belfast

" ' there you_have the whole truth you_can hang , what you like with , but you_cannot punish I_have_been punished already I_cannot shut eyes but I_see those two faces staring -- staring as_they stared when boat broke through_the haze I killed them quick , but they_are killing slow ; and I_have another night I_shall_be either mad dead before morning you won 't put alone into cell , sir ? Por pity 's sake don't, and may you treated your day agony as_you treat now '

" what_is the meaning , Watson ? " said Holmes solemnly als laid down the paper " what object served by_this circle misery and violence and fear ? must tend some end , else our universe ruled chance , which_is unthinkable but what end ? there_is the great standing perennial problem to_which human reason far from answer ever "

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]