'My father',she began,' was a captain in the army.When I was very young, he was sent to India. When I was seventeen, I received a letter from my father. He said that he was leaving India and coming back to England. He gave me the address of a hotel in London.He asked me to meet him there.
' I was very happy and excited about seeing my dear father again. I went to London and arrived at the hotel. I asked for Captain Morstan, my father. But I was told by the hotel manager that my father was not there. He had gone out the night before and not returned. 'I waited all day and all night, but my father didn't come back to the hotel. Finally, I went to the police. They advertised for Captain Morstan in all the newspaper, but without success.'
Miss Morstan began to cry.
Holmes opened his notebook. 'What was the date that your father disappeared?' he asked.
'It was 3rd December 1878-nearly ten years ago.'
'Did your father have any friends in London?'asked Holmes.
'Only one- Major Sholto. But he didn't know that my father had arrived in England.'
'Your story is very interesting,' said Holmes.
'Four years after my father disappeared,' continued Miss Morstan,'I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. The date was 4th May 1882. To my surprise, the advertisement asked for the address of Miss Mary Morstan. It said that I advertised my address, I would received some very good news.'