Trinity College School - Record Yearbook (Port Hope, Ontario Canada)

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TRINITY tiOl,I.l later, as the curtain rose on the opening number, a musical one. At first. Sholmes paid no attention to the stage, but schooled Jotson in his part, simply that he was to be the ordinary theatre-goer and to keep his eyes on the hypuotist all through his turn. The detective then sank into a reverie and only came to when the card went up announcing: Ilarley, the Hypnotist. The stage then showed a weird assortment of property: an electric chair with all its horrid paraphe1'nalia, a black-velvet covered box, long black curtains in the background, two sable black cats on the box, and three I-Iindus as assist- ants. To the music of In a Persian Market, the principal entered, also clad in black: a tall, thin man, with nothing startling in his appearance, but a tremendous strength of face lit up the most compelling eyes Sholmes had ever seen. He opened with the usual hypnotising of his servants, making them do ridiculous things in their trance. Then with the cats as his genii he caused one of the Hindus to carry the huge chest like a feather which the three together could not lift when free from the spell, and so on. Apparently his tour de force was coming, whatever that was, as the audience was plainly expectant. Everything was cleared from the stage but two Hindus, and Harley turned to the audience to speak. Jotson played his part while Sholmes was watching the floor in another dream. Suddenly the de- tective felt a madman's clutch on his arm, Jotson was on his feet, fighting his way along the passage between chairsg the panic was again in full swing, even the occupants of the stage were terror-stricken, but Sholmes saw no reason for excitement. He was satisfied. Jotson was lost in the mob, but the detective battled his way along the passage he had taken and found him at last a sorry figure, crumpled up in a settee in the foyer. Quick, said Sholmes, pull yourself together: there's work to do. You saw it, eh? Well, come with me. With that he marched Jotson outside, round to the stage-door, and up to the managers room. Poor Flaubert was a terrible spectacle, when they entered. Flanked by two detectives of the Surete, he was crying like a child and bemoaning the ruin of his theatre. Sholmes stopped him short, and asked him to lead the way to Harley's room. 'lt I IC SVIIOUI, ltI'It'0Itll ll They were lltllll' too soon for the hypnotist yta- on tbc point ol' leaving. Well, Klonsiclir llarlcy. tlicrt-'s one man you didn't reckon on in the audience. and bc has come to arrest you. Utliccrs, arrest this man. Ilarley made no resistance, but sat down on tht- nearest chair with the air of a much inalign--d indix idnal. The detectives, however, watched hiin close-ly, while Flaubert was asking Sholmes to explain. I-'irst lct nic use the telephone, said the detectixt- llt- called the l'refecture, got Lecoq at once, and spoke rapidly. asking him to have Count Ladislas Waleski arrested as soon as they could lay hands on him. 'llhen he turned to the anxious manager. Well, Monsieur I laubert. to put it shortly and simply, Ilarley hypnotised the whole house bllt me, because I was prepared. lt's the same trick as I believe responsible for the Indian rope business: you know, where a boy shins up a rope, with a Ilindn at his heels with a knife in his teeth, and up. tip ont ot' sight. until one by one the boys severed limbs come tumbling down, and so forth. It's possible, and tonight rind last night he put the whole house in a momentary trance, even Jotson here. I remained immune because I counted the buttons on the chair in front of me. 'l'hat's the way. isn't it, Harley ? As long as the mind is busily occupied on something totally unrelated to the general situation it cannot be enslaved. The telephone bell rang. and Sholmes took up the receiver and said after a minute: Yes, good, then you'll get him as he comes in. Hanging up, he turned to his amazed listeners. The Comte Waleski will be in Lecoq's hands within half an hour. That's the man, isn't it, Harley 7 The hypnotist merely nodded. I called on you today, by the way. in the Rue d'An,iou where Waleski's man, I think, led me. to solve my simplest case. I only wanted to confirm the relations between you and the Comte. The 'ghost' never gave me any anxiety, as long as a master hypnotist was on the bill. The only thing that still troubles me is why you could have been so foolish to undertake something that was bound to be laid at your door. Harley spoke at last in a mysterious voice: That you will never know, M. Sholmes, clever as you are. Whatever the cost, I had to do it, that's all. .L fliarul Across the seas, across the tossing seas, The echoes of the Xmas bells ring clear, And all the air is full of whispered songs That from cathedral, or from village street, Rise shrill upon the frosty air, to join In one grand anthem, sweetly harmonized, The lowly carol on the doorstep, sung By children's half-starved voices, as they seek The hard-earned penny for the Christmas toy, Yet wakes an echo in the hearer's breast: An echo of a far-off melody, First heard by shepherds in Judaean fields. - As, huddled in their mantles 'gainst the frost, Their eyes were dazzled by the angelic choir, That sang their Gloria to the little Child. And wrote that anthem in the starry skies, That softly, as the falling snow, descends Upon the earth of faith. Sing, children, sing: Sing high, sing low, and with your carolling Encircle all the lands of Christendom With Christmas harmony and Christmas love, That rich and poor, young and old, may be United in the worship of a Babe Whose name to all was Love, whose message Peace! -Feast of St. Nicholas, 1926. -S. S. H. 'llulr Gibr- Haul again the Yule-log, Pray once more for snow, Cut again the holly bough. Anew a-sleighing go. Let hands and feet all tingle Nor care though they are blue. By night lie round the ingle. tAt Yule all tales are true.l In bed recall wild stories Of men their blood-thirst slaking, Of cruel doings 'neath the moon, And loaded gibbets creaking. Watchful wait in darkness For night-stirrings of the dead. For sight of ghostly garments Below a ghostly head. This do as did your forbears. Have every old bell chime. Keep fresh and green and ever-new The joys at Christmas time.

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10 H TRINITY COILIEGE SYCLHOQL RlEQORiDg 1-W Some private grudge has caused the whole thing. It's a long shot. I know. but his manner and that picture con- vince me I ani right. The great singer given to the -. What does that mean but that somebody has suffered by his giving a great singer to the world ? Our next step is to see Lecoq. who has the history of Parisian Theatre- land at his lingers' ends. Lecoq was a sous-prefet who had helped Sholmes on many an occasion in Paris and been assisted by Shohnes in London. They were not disappointed when they arrived at the Surete: Lecoq would see them and they were ushered into the great little man's office. Lecoq greeted Sholmes eifusively and with real sincerity: How do you do, my dear Sholmes? Five years, isn't it? But I've heard of you from month to month. so that we haven't really been strangers all that time. Thank you, my friend, said Sholmes. And I have heard of you, now the peerless Lecoq, prince of detectives. Lecoq beamed but disclaimed such praise: You are a flatterer, Sholmes. But, never mind, what brings you here 'T Need I ask 'F It's the Pantheon case, and, although I'm entirely out of it. command me. As usual. you are right, Lecoq. I want Flaubert's dossier. Sholmes had got to the point quickly. as time was a great factor now. Well, said the Frenchman, I don't know that he has a dossier. but I can tell you something of him from mem- ory. Flaubert was in the Comedie management about twenty years ago. but suddenly shot up in the world by buying out the Pantheon. The venture was ridiculed by most people in the know, but against all expectation, his house was Iilled every night for long enough. You know it's only a high-class music hall. yet it never had, in the iirst year of its new proprietorship. looked back, and this was the reason. On his opening night he introduced to the Parisian public La Polonaisef' and thereby hangs a tale, as you English say. La Polonaise' was a sensation, more than that if you can understand me. All Paris loved her as well as her singing, and it's no wonder. Madame Waleski, or Comtess. as you will, had before her marriage to Count Waleski starred in Warsaw opera, whence she was taken by her wealthy husbandg and the story goes that she had forsworn the stage on his request. A year after the marriage a baby came, and two years later another. To cut a long story short, motherhood palled on the lady, and the old love of the stage obsessed her, so that she deserted husband and children for her old love. Yet there's more than that: how she became connected with Flaubert I don't know, but they say that she had such a conceit of her ability that she had to occupy the stage alone. which was just what Flaubert wanted. Naturally. her husband tried to bring her back, but all his efforts were of no availg she was wedded to the Pantheon and Waleski blamed Flaubert. There was no scandal or anything of that sort, but she had her day and just vanished from theatreland like so many others. Waleski, it is said, used to go night after night to hear her sing, but never again approached her after his first unsuccessful attempts. although he had a house in Paris all the time she sang here, and may have still for all I know. Lecoq was soon made conscious of having helped Sholmes materially. for the latter was all gratitude: Thanks, Lecoq, you've told me what I wanted, just one thing more. could you find out within a minute or two where Waleski used to live in Paris, or whether he happens to be here now and where? Lecoq was up in a moment, called a subordinate, to whom he told the detective's needs. and the procedure he was to follow. You'll have what you want in tive minutes, Sholmesf' said the Frenchman with a laugh: that is news one way or the other. but I doubt if Waleski is in Paris now. The story I've told you takes us back twenty years or so. As he said, his subordinate was back within the p1'escribed time and evidently satisfied. He passed a card to Lecoq, who transferred it to Sholmes without looking at it. But Sholmes was all eagerness. Yes, sure enough, VValeski was in Paris, though in a different home, and he read the address aloud: Baron Ladislas Waleski, 17 Rue St. Claude. Sholmes was eager to pursue this clue and excused him- self and Jotson to Lecoq. who offered them his assistance, if they should need it later. Time was slipping fast, and nothing had yet been done to prevent a recurrence of the panic of the evening before. Sholmes, although high in spirits, was plainly anxious to do something more material. The Rue St. Claude was their objective. On arriving in the old-fashioned, narrow street, they sur- veyed No. 17 from a distance, and saw a mansion of the old regime, now in a sad state of disrepair. Whatever the detectives object was, he concealed it from Jotson, whom he advised to go back to their lodgings, as the vigil was likely to be a long one. Jotson, a little dis- appointed. took his departure, and Sholmes continued on past the house, which seemed deserted. One hour, two hours and three passed before any sign of life was seen about No. 175 then just as the detective's patience was exhausted, the front door swung open to give egress to a well-dressed little man. who at that moment stuffed an envelope into his inside pocket, and hurried on to the street, looking neither right nor left. The chase was a long one, but Sholmes now had inexhaustible patience. The man kept on foot, although plainly in a hurry. Quarry and tracker, with about a hundred yards between, passed along Claude on to the Boulevard St. Germain, which they followed until they struck the Rue du Bac. Here they turned northwards, crossed the Seine at the Pont Royal on to the Quai des Tuileries, then east to the Place de La Concorde along the Rue Royale, which brought them to a little street, Rue d'Anjou, joining Malesherbes and Rue St. Honore. Never once to Sholmes' knowledge had the the little man looked back, but here he showed more caution, by stand- ing at the St. Honore corner for a minute or two. His next move was straight to a door halfway up the street, through which he passed without ceremony, and returned at the end of five minutes. ' Sholmes let his man go, and concentrated on the still open door which seemed to be a court entrance. Such it proved to be as Sholmes ventured in and sought the concierge. That worthy had just come down stone steps leading into the court-yard, when the detective accosted him: Well, my friend, have you any rooms for an actor ? Not immediately, monsieurf' replied the janitor, we have nothing till Monday next, when another actor vacatesf' By the way, said Sholmes, Is M. Harley here? He's an old friend of mine. But, yes, Monsieur, returned the janitor, he's the actor who leaves us Monday, Well, I can't wait now, but you can tell him an old friend is taking his rooms on Monday, said Sholmes, anxious to finish the conversation. The detective was beaming as he turned back to Rue de Rivoli, where he took a taxi to his rooms in the Rue St. Antoine. Jotson was at home, and welcomed the detective with the question: Well, what luck? Great luck, Jotson. replied Sholmes. 'tWe are on the trail, and -I want your help tonight. We are going to the Pantheon to see another appearance of the ghost. At least you are. I want to test a theory. 'Quick, now. it's getting late, and we must have a bite before going out, for Heaven knows when we shall get back. I don't understand you, quite, said the doctor, but I'm game. A cold supper took the place of dinner, and at eight they walked back the way Sholmes' taxi had come. Shortly before half-past they were in the Pantheon foyer while the first house was pouring out. The place was seething, for curiosity had moved the Parisians to the exclusion of all fear of this unknown horror. The two Englishmen went into their seats some fifteen minutes

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TRINITY co1.LEGE SCHOOL 1fgECoP.o Y V Third Team-1928 J. A. Irvine, D. G. Mcffullagh. ESQ.: A. Depencier. M. Sowards, G. Harvey, D. Neville. max: S. H. Ambrose. H. Savage, max: N. Kirk, max. H. M. Johnson, ma.: J. Law, max, H. R. Hees, D. N. Byers. A. C Stone, F. Jemmett. S. Robertson, W. Cory, Lea. J. Gibson, absent. Fifth Team-1928 P. Howard. ma.: C. Goodday, Esq.: K. C. Daivc. Y A. H. Wilkinson, ma.: T. L. Taylor. T. Archibalfl. G. L. Neville, ma ll. W. McLean. H. Paterson. R. F. Choxvn. H. W. Allan, G. B. Savage, ma.: C. B, Ross, I Chxvperthxvaite, ma.: A. R. C3l'l'-H3l'l'lS, C. N. Robson, NY, S Lvggat, W. Crossen.