 The Solitary Cyclist
VIOLET SMITH, a governess, seeks Holmes’ advice. By observing her feet, Holmes deduces that she is a keen cyclist. Violet explains that she and her mother were left poor, without a relation in the world except her uncle RALPH SMITH, who was believed to be in South Africa.
One day, they answered an advertisement in The Times, and were told that Ralph had recently died in poverty in Johannesburg. With his last breath, he had asked his friends MR CARRUTHERS and MR WOODLEY to look up his niece and sister-in-law, and ensure that they were not in want. Woodley was, according to Violet, “a most odious person”, but Carruthers was “much more agreeable”. Carruthers offered Violet a well-paid job as governess, which she eagerly accepted. Every weekend, Violet cycled to the station in order to travel to London to see her mother. One day, she noticed that she was being followed by a mysterious, bearded cyclist as she passed a local house, Charlington Hall. This happened again and again. Holmes sends Watson to investigate but he does a poor job. Mr. Carruthers proposes marriage to Violet. She resolves to leave his service, but is kidnapped as she cycles to the station, and forced into marriage by Woodley and his accomplice, a defrocked priest. Holmes, Watson and Carruthers save her and Carruthers shoots Woodley but does not kill him. Carruthers was the secret cyclist – he followed Violet in order to protect her from Woodley.
When Woodley and Carruthers left Ralph Smith in Johannesburg, he was in fact just on the point of death. He was also extremely rich, and, as he left no will, all his money will go to Violet and her mother. Carruthers and Woodley planned to marry Violet to Woodley and split the money, but Carruthers fell in love with her. They have just heard that Ralph has died, hence the kidnapping. Woodley and his accomplice are jailed for years, Carruthers gets a few months for his assault on Woodley. Violet inherits the money and marries her boyfriend Cyril. |
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