The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 149
McMurdo was a dangerous suitor, with an Irish tongue and a knack for improvisation and cajoling.He has a wealth of experience, and his body is filled with a kind of mysterious charm, which is deeply loved by women.He told her where he came from--the lovely valleys of Monaghan County, and the far-off islands and the low hills and the lush lands, where the dust and the slushy The beautiful scenery in the description seems to be more fascinating.

Later, he talked about life in the big northern cities.He had been to Detroit, some logging camps and boomtowns in Michigan, and eventually Chicago.He used to work in a sawmill.He hinted at some love affairs, and everything about that metropolis that was queer and secret, strange and extraordinary.He spoke so eloquently that it gave people a sense of being there.Suddenly, he changed the subject and talked about how he had left Chicago, and how he had bid farewell to the old emotions, and finally came to this dreary and desolate valley.Itdie sat beside him and listened quietly, her big black eyes were full of sympathy and pity, these two emotions merged in her heart, and they naturally and quickly turned into deep affection.

McMurdo was well educated, so he quickly found a temporary job as a bookkeeper.This made him busy in and out every day, and for a moment he forgot to report to the leader of the Freedmen's Branch.He was reminded of it one evening when Mike Scanlon came to visit him.Scanlon was the member he had met on the train, a small, thin-faced, dark-eyed member who greeted him with great enthusiasm.After the two drank a few glasses of whiskey, Scanlon made it clear.

"Hey, McMurdo," said Scanlon, "I remember your address, so I took the liberty of calling on you today. I really don't understand why you haven't reported to the owner until now. How about going to see Chief McGinty?"

"Ah, I've got a job, and I can't get away from it."

"If you have nothing else to do, you must find time to visit him. Oh, God! Man, why didn't you report to the union on the first morning when you came here? It's crazy! If you offend him , oh, don't... just tell you this!"

McMurdo said with some surprise: "Scanlon, I have been a member for more than two years, but I have never heard of such an urgent obligation for members."

"Perhaps it was in Chicago."

"But aren't they all the same organization?"

"Really?" Scanlon stared at him for a long time, with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Is not it?"

"You have a month to explain these things to me. However, I heard that you ran into the police after I got out of the car?"

"How did you know?"

"Ah, in this place, good and bad things are quickly spread."

"Well, I just told the guys what I thought of them."

"My God, you're going to be McGinty's confidant!"

"Does he hate these policemen too?"

Scanlon laughed suddenly. "Go and see him, my buddy." He got up and said goodbye, "If you don't go to see him again, then he doesn't hate the police, but hates you. Now, please remember a friend's advice : Go see him right away!"

It so happened that that very night, McMurdo had an emergency which required him to meet the man.

Perhaps it was because he cared more about Ittie than before, or perhaps his well-meaning landlord had finally caught on, but whatever the reason, the landlord approached the young man that night and talked straight to her about it. brought up this topic.

"From what I understand, sir, you seem to be in love with my daughter Etty, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right," replied the young man.

"Okay, then I won't beat around the bush. It's useless for you to do this! Before you, someone has already stalked her."

"She told me that too."

"Well, you should believe she is telling the truth. But do you know who this man is?"

"I don't know. I asked, but she wouldn't tell me."

"I guess she's afraid to tell you, little girl, maybe she's worried that she'll scare you away!"

"Scared away?" McMurdo immediately became angry.

"Oh, yes, my friend! It's no shame in you to be afraid of him. He's Ted Baldwin."

"What's so scary about this guy?"

"He's a leader of the Deathly Cool Party." The landlord instinctively lowered his voice like everyone who talked about the terrorist organization.

"The Cruelty? I've heard of it before. There's a Cruelty here, and a Cruelty there, and people keep whispering, What are you all afraid of? Who are the Cruelty?"

"A member of the Cool Party is a member of the Freemen's Association." The landlord leaned closer to his ear and said.

The young man asked in surprise, "Why? I am also a member of the Freedmen's Association myself."

"You? If I had known, I would never have let you live here, and I wouldn't have given me a hundred dollars a week!"

"Is there any problem with this free man? The purpose of the constitution is kindness and friendship."

"Maybe in other places, but not here at all!"

"So what's it like here?"

"A terrorist organization, absolutely true."

McMurdo smiled in disbelief and said, "Do you have any evidence for that?"

"Evidence? Can't there be fifty assassinations here to prove it? Millman, Van Shorst, and the Nelsons, old Mr. Hiram, Bill James Jr., and many others Isn’t it all evidence? Evidence is needed! Is there anyone in this valley who hasn’t heard of the Death Cool Party?”

"You have to understand," said McMurdo earnestly. "I want you to take back what you just said, or to apologize to me. Before I move from here, you have to do one of these things. Please put yourself in my shoes." , I came here from my hometown, and belonged to a society, but as far as I know it is a pure society, as can be proved in any chapter in the whole country. Now, when I intend to join the chapter here , but you told me it was a terrorist organization called 'Dead Cool Party'. Mr. Sheffert, I think you should apologize to me, otherwise please explain clearly."

"I'm just telling the truth, sir, and it's a fact known to all. The head of the Freedmen is the head of the Diehards. You can't afford to offend either, or they'll get back at you. The matter Doesn't it happen less?"

"This is just a rumor, what I want is evidence!" McMurdo said.

"If you stay here a little longer, you can find the evidence for yourself. But I almost forgot, you are one of them, and you will soon become like them. But before that, please move to go elsewhere, sir, i can't take you here anymore. it's bad enough that i'm pissed off at a die-hard partisan who came to pester my daughter, do i have to take another as my lodger ? No, never! Get out of here early tomorrow morning."

McMurdo suffered a double blow when he was forced not only to leave his comfortable abode, but also to leave the girl he loved.That very night, he saw Itdie sitting alone in the room, and he poured out his troubles to her.

"Of course, your father has issued an eviction order," said McMurdo. "If it's just a matter of where I live, I really don't care. But honestly, Etty, although I don't know you. One week, but I have decided that you are an indispensable person in my life, and I can't live without you!"

"Oh, don't say that, Mr. McMurdo!" said the girl; "didn't I tell you? You're too late. There is a man whom I would It's impossible to marry someone else."

"Etty, if I propose to you first, will you say yes?"

Covering her face with her hands, the girl whimpered, "God, how I wish you were the first to propose!"

Immediately McMurdo knelt down before her, and said, "For God's sake, Etie, do what you just said! Would you let this light promise ruin your life and my life?" Are you happy? My dear, do as you wish! Remember what you said just now, this is more important than any promise."

McMurdo took Itdie's snow-white hands between his own pair of strong brown hands, and said, "Say you will marry me, and let us face everything together."

"Are we getting out of here?"

"Stay here."

"No, no, Jack!" she said, with McMurdo's hands on her shoulders, "we must not stay here. Can you get me out of here?"

McMurdo hesitated for a while, but finally showed a firm and resolute look.

"No, stay here," he said. "Etty, I'll protect you wherever you are."

"Why don't we leave together?"

"No, Edie. We can't leave."

"Why exactly?"

"If I feel driven out, I shall never hold my head up again. Besides, what is there to fear here? Aren't we in a free country? If we love each other, Who dares to intervene?"

"You don't know, Jack, you've only just come here. You don't know this Baldwin, and you don't know McGinty and his gang."

"Yes, I don't know them, but I'm not afraid of them, and I don't trust them!" said McMurdo. Always give me three points, always, Etie. At first glance this thing seems crazy! If these people have committed murders in this valley many times like your father said, and everyone knows their names, then How is it that no one has been brought to justice? Please answer me, Itdie!"

"Because no one dared to testify in court. If anyone dared to testify, he would definitely not live for a month. And they have a lot of party members, someone will always come out and falsely say that the criminal was not at the scene of the crime. Jack, I'm sure you will See it all! I know it's been reported in every paper in America."

"Well, I did read some of it, but I always think it's made up. Maybe they've got something else going on, or they've been wronged, and it's a last resort."

"Oh, Jack, don't let me hear you say that! That's what he said, that man!"

"Baldwin, did he say the same thing?"

"That's why I hate him. Well, Jack, I can tell you the truth now, I hate him with all my heart, but I'm afraid of him. I'm afraid of him for myself, and mostly for My father. I know that if I dare to tell him the truth, then disaster will befall us father and daughter. So I have to perfunctory him with half truth and half lie. In fact, that is all we have left. I hope. As long as you will take me away, Jack, we can take my father away with me, so that we can be free from the entanglement of these demons forever."

McMurdo hesitated again, and then said firmly, "You're not going to be in trouble, Etty. As long as we're both alive, you'll find that I'm worse than any of them."

"No, no, Jack! I have no doubts in you."

McMurdo smiled wryly and said, "God, you don't know me so well! My dear, your soul is so pure that you can't even imagine what I've been through. But hey, who's here?"

At this moment, the door opened suddenly, and a young guy walked in swaggeringly.The man was handsome and richly dressed, about McMurdo's age and build.He wore a wide-brimmed black felt hat, and he didn't even take off the hat when he entered the door. On his handsome face, there were a pair of fierce and domineering eyes, and a curved hooked nose.He stared imperiously at the young couple sitting by the fire.

Itti jumped to her feet, bewildered and terrified.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Baldwin," she said. "You came earlier than I expected. Please come and sit here."

Baldwin stood with his arms akimbo, his eyes fixed on McMurdo.

"Who is he?" he asked rudely.

"Mr. Baldwin, he is my friend, a new lodger. Mr. McMurdo, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Baldwin."

The two young men nodded hostilely at each other.

"Perhaps Miss Etty has told you about our relationship?" said Baldwin.

"I don't know what your relationship is."

"You don't know? Well, you should understand now. I can tell you that this girl belongs to me. The weather is fine tonight. Go out for a walk."

"Thank you, but I'm not in the mood for a walk."

"Aren't you going?" said the man with a fierce look in his eyes. "Perhaps you have the heart to challenge me, Mr. Tenant!"

"You're right," McMurdo yelled, jumping to his feet. "I've been waiting for you to say that!"

"For God's sake, Jack! Oh, for God's sake! Jack, he'll kill you!" cried poor Etty, distraught.

"Ah, call him Jack, eh?" Baldwin swore. "You're so close, aren't you?"

"Oh, Ted, be sensible and have mercy! For my sake, Ted, if you love me, please let him go!"

"I think, Etty, you'd better get out of the way and leave the two of us alone to finish it off," said McMurdo calmly, "or, Mr. Baldwin, why don't we go out into the street, the moonlight tonight Good, there are a few vacant lots in the neighborhood."

"I can kill you easily, without even lifting a little finger of mine," said his opponent. "You will regret coming to this house until I kill you."

"Then waste no more time," cried McMurdo.

"I'll come to you when I think it's right, sir, just wait and see. You see what this is!" Baldwin suddenly rolled up his sleeves, and pointed to a strange mark on his forearm that seemed to be branded on : There is a triangle inside a circle, "Do you understand what this is?"

"I don't understand, and I don't bother to figure it out!"

"Well, you'll see. You won't live long, I promise, and maybe Miss Etty can tell you that. Speaking of you, Etty, you've got to come to me on your knees, you hear me, girl? Both Get on your knees! Then I'll tell you what your punishment is, and you're getting what you want!" He gave them both a furious look, and turned away, with the door slamming shut behind him.

McMurdo and the girl stood for a moment in silence.Then, she opened her arms and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Jack, how brave you were just now! But it's no use, you must run away. Go tonight, Jack, tonight, your only hope. He'll come back for you, his fierce There's a murderous look in the eyes. You can't win them, and they have Chief McGinty and all the chapter power behind them."

McMurdo broke away from her hand, kissed her, and gently helped her into a chair and sat down.

"My dear, please don't be afraid of me. I am also a member of the Freedmen's Branch. I have told your father about this. Maybe I am not much better than them, so don't take me as a Saint. Now that I have told you so much about me, perhaps you will hate me too."

"Hate you? Jack, I'll never hate you as long as I live. How can I hate you for that, I've heard no freedmen anywhere else? But, Jack, If you're a member of the Freedmen, why don't you go to McGinty for help? Quick, Jack, hurry! You've got to sue first, or the mad dog won't let you go."

"I'm planning to do that, too," said McMurdo. "I'll get ready now. You can tell your father that after tonight I'll find another lodging in the morning."

McGinty's tavern was packed as usual, and it was the playground of all the drunks and idlers in the town.McGinty, the proprietor, was beloved because he looked jovial and rough, like a mask that hid his real face.But not to mention his reputation, not only the whole town was afraid of him, but there was no one in the whole valley within thirty miles, including those who lived on both sides of the valley, who was not afraid of him.This alone is enough to make his tavern business flourish, because no one dares to neglect him.

McGinty was well known for manipulating the secret forces with his vicious methods.Besides that, he was an eminent executive, city council member, and highway officer, elected by rogues so that they could do whatever they wanted under his umbrella.Exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes are becoming more and more heavy, social public welfare is neglected, and notorious; countless funds go into the pockets of accountants, and are used to cover up all accounts; .

Year after year, Chief McGinty's diamond brooch grew more dazzling, his gold watch chain gained weight under his expensive waistcoat, and his tavern grew larger and almost took center stage. half of the square.

McMurdo pushed open the revolving door of the tavern and stepped into the smoky, boozy crowd.The tavern was brightly lit, and the large mirrors on the four walls reflected the lights, making the lobby even more dazzling.Waiters in short-sleeved shirts hustled around, mixing drinks for those who sat around the wide metal counters.

At the other end of the counter stood a tall, well-built man, leaning against the counter, with a cigar dangling from his mouth at an acute angle to his face.He was none other than the famous Mr. McGinty.He looked like a black giant, with a full beard and unkempt black hair that fell down to his collar.His complexion was swarthy like that of an Italian, and his eyes were strikingly dark, with a look of contempt that was all the more sinister and cunning.

(End of this chapter)