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THE WmJNGTON Fit EE PRESS: THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1004. II 'to .mill '( V li M ilr -'l -h' . "I.Wsy an J st T!' Vi.'. :nl i lull Te.ly was IN lid-net ih.it rlv.nv yo d-ty Wr-,"' "I ii ink ; i'H f"f )", , .'mi, o mill consent." replltd A,' i j, ti-fiiily. "1 inn caininj: uti lii 'ii i i r is inon than Mill!' .p.'! IW tw'. , I.' Toll.-, will sny 'jo-' I shall lie tin hnpplos' ninn on earth. Anil now." h added lot's go flslilnir, Facie Terry." "I kuoss It's 'liont time," was tli iuisffT, "for tlrir'H two schools work In' lulu 1 lie cove, an' we'll have sunn f tin. Throe hours nftor, wlion tl.oy landed nt the rnvo fairly sated Willi pullins In tho gamy llitli' mackerel ami Impp.i as two boys, Tolly mot thoin with a Fin'lo ami tin- ni'ws that dinner wu rondy. O'o nr. coxTtNi;KD.) A MILLIONAIRE'S SYMPATHV ItprnPil Old Kill-nil I. nun of lint Mlitl-led Mini Anon In l.lfr. "A luau whom 1 Know well, one who had once been a prosperous business man In St. Louis, but who had met reverses, walked into Hie olllee of one of our western millionaire and asked the loan of s"," sild a Misriiiirl ex congressman. "The man sreklm; the favor had been a close friend of Hie millionaire before he had become Immensely rh h. The unfortunate one went to the other In fear and trenibllim, dreading lo be turned down, for he knew I ha I the news of his taking to drink had reach ed the i.ns el" his old time friend. "lie was greeted with cordiality, however, and plucked up hoarl to nsl; for the money. Inmiedlately the mil lionaire's demeanor changed. 'No,' said h "I can't lei you have ..V " 1 hardly epectcd you would,' re plied the suppllonui, 'but thought that maybe for our former friendship you might do me Hint little favor, llnw eer. It does not matter. When a man's lu k deserts him he can pet no assist anee frrin any iiiarter,' and with an air of ali.olute dejection he turned to leave tt e nlllee. "'i. 1 won't give ynii what you wiiii let u.iil here a few minutes,' and t' i.i'llionaire went into his pel. vate i'.h i.i and held a brl.'f conversa tion w h one of his employees. In a cut ! i- of an hour the clerk returned mid hold out a bin. fat envelope to lh nusi ruble being. The latter, hardly realigns that any one should send him n communication, broke the cover and Insid,-. found five brand new Sinn bill end a railway ticket lo St. Louis, -v!th berth or parlor ear. On seeing these and realizing that the man whom h? supposed would not h t him have had been bis benefactor, the recipient of this unexpected generosity broko down and cried like a child. "There is not much more to the story except tlirit with the money tho man went to Ins old home and started up a small business, out of which he derives a comfortable livins. The moral. If there is one, Is that mil lionaires are often as sympathetic as ordinary mortals. This particular one I know to be the possessor of a bis heart, ,.r i y r he has the best reasons for never lalkln-r about ills acts of olnrliv ' Washington !'ot. VAYS OF FAILURE. The solti-h nioilal who never con elders y r.n. l a' I ieiself. 'I'm your..; man who always spend his ni"iiiv before lie Sols tt. 'liie l.izj per-.on who dNhonestly ap propriates praise or coniiiiPiidatlon be longing lo another. The lazy young man who cots to tho otlloe late, loaves early, grumbles con- i tinually nt the firm that employs him. i The lazy woman who shirks hot . tasks, uln thor as wife, mother or wage i earner and slips through 'if-' "s easily ns possible. Th lazy man who allows his facul ties to rust, doing as little as possible, nllowt,.! nmbltio i. energy and self ro spot' t, go up. hi 'rally and figurative ly n .n.eke. 'I i i lazy yu.i i i'iiv ho arranges her 1. !'. inn f- ii s in-r finger nails gos- , om.nu.i'i . -il. d lakes but a lan.'i d and liiritii': mti rest in the ws i.i' ti.e i list. in, i is l'hiladelphla Til' .: .,,.h. (lie 1'iirmiila. n in ' lllgent and popu il.nf, the cattlemen i i mi, Tex., built a house it. They were rather Ii- told them that the 1 bull'-' it nil pu ! (.iimtiI. t i.n.c' i . .I 1 v fll l li i -lieil I. .. vl ell Ill's ii r i a re Y ( i "Y In di new sab. Kuoi wa i turn Hilt I v. ii -' i le of l.irniture he wanted was . " de.sk. -What can you do with r iiesk. ijuanahV" they paid. ( ,'l't w rib " I vin t 'em," said Quanah. , s. . . I o; n desk, an' I Hit down , 1 nr. a'l I put my feet up on .m' I iii.t my seegnr, an' I hoi" paper up iiuiit o' me, like thla- 1 ben v hue man come In, an' he k nt dii. i . .m' he say,' 'tjuanah, 1 talk i' vat a minute.' And 1 ifiiin' in ,uy chair an' puff lot ' o ii his f u c, an' 1 say. 'fio 'way' v l.i's-y t'i' iy !' " I'tlnie IIItiKIpi-m Mlnlnl.o. T f.-'d .lelin I: issell, when Hiitish pr i i i gni te ny years ngn. made the neniiaiiiii '! . if the lalo Karl of Stair then I.oiil i -.i I inpK". lit a conn try house and r nnii.eimely laker With his :i niliible iii'ii'iK-i-H. "I am vorj pie i oil i i have made yrmr ai nualiit nnce" he said, shaking him warmly h, the hand. "You niii-i come Into tin lioice of commons and support inf then " "I hae been doing that for the last ten years," was the (pilot re Joinder. The I.ntly Ili'ii(li. I do not think I (oiild reconcile iy f-elf to the mlnlstraii'ins of a lady den tlst The extraction of a tooth Is, i lihould say, the job of all others Ihal rc(illres a iwireiilluo touch. Then may be "he females," as Artenius Ward railed them, who possess this (uallflca tlou, hut it will not be acquired bj training. The lady ilenllst mut b( torn, not made. London Truth. Ills I'lirjiii!-. "Mindly told me ho was going out ev cry day this week (o see If he couldn't (Ind work " "Yes and he was siiecuisful." "That sy I'. m'M-i t bud it "- Pldlidei phl.l l'r s. I'tlAl'THH IV. TIIH SIOIiY OK Till': llAl.tl-ltllAtimi MAN. We followed the Indian down tho sordid and common passage, ill lit and worse furnished, until he came to n, door upon the right, which he throw open. A blar.e of yellow liyht streamed nut upon us. and In the center of the glare, there stood a small man with, a very high head, a bristle of red hair all round the frinjfo of it, and a bald shining' scalp, which f.hot out from a iin in;.' it like a mountain peak from llr Iroes. Mo writhed his hands together us he stood, and Ins features were in a perpetual jerk, now smiling, now scowling, hut never' for an instant in repose. Nature had (.riven him a pendulous lip, and a too visible line of yellow and irregular teeth, which ho strove feebly to conceal by constantly passing his hand over the lowc? part of his face. In spite of his obtrusive baldness, lie gave the impres sion of youth. In point of fact he hud Just turned his thirtieth year. "Your servant. Miss Morstan," ho Icept ripont'mg in a thin, high voicu. "Your servant, eentlenieti. I'ray step into my little sanctum. A small place, miss, but furnished to my own liking. An oasis of art in the howling desert of South London " Wo were all astonished by the ap pearance of the apartment into which lie invited us. In that sorry house it. looked as out of plaoe as a diamond of the first, water in a setting of brass. The richest and glossiest of curtains and tapestries draped the walls, looped back here and there to expose some richly mounted painting or Oriental vase. The carpet was of amber and black, so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a bod of moss. Two groat tiger-skins thrown athwart it increased the sug gestion of pastern luxury, as did a huge hookah which stond upon a mat in the corner. A lamp in toe fashion'of a silver dove was hung from an almost invisible golden wire in tin center of Lhe room. As it burned it tilled the air with a subtle and aromatic odor. ".Mr. Thaild-ms Shulto," said the little man. Mill jerking and smiling. "That is my name. You are Miss Morstan, of cour-e. And the-e gentlemen" "This is Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and this Dr. Watson." "A doctor, eh'.'" cried he, much ex cited. "Have you your stethoscope? Might I ask you would you have the kindness? I have grave doubts as to my mitral valve, if you would be so very pood. The aortic I may rely upon, but I should value your opinion upon the mitral." 1 listened to his heart as requested, but was v nable to lind anything amiss, save indeed that lie was in an ecstasy of fear, for ho shivered from head to foot. "It appears to bo normal,' I said. "You have no can so for uneasi ness." "You will excuse my anxiety, Miss Morstan," he remarked, airily. "I am a great sittTnror, and I have long had Mispicious as to that valve. Iam de lighted to hoar that they are unwar ranted. Had your father. Miss Mor stan, refrained from throwing a strain upon his heart he might have been alive now." I could have struck the man across the face, so hot was I at this e-illou and oil-hand reference to so delicate a matter. Misi Morstan tat do. -i ano her faco grew white to tho lips. "I know in my heart that he was dead," ha id she. 'T can give you every information." said he, "and, what is more, I tan do you justice; and I will, too. whatever llrother Bartholomew may say. Iam so glad to have your friends here, not only as an escort to you, but also as witnesses to what I am about to do and say. Tho throe of ns can show a bold front to llrother liartholomew-. Hut let us have no outsiders no police or offi cials. We can settle everything satis factorily among oiirsehos, without any Interference. Nothing would annoy lirolhor liartholomew more than any publicity." He sat down upon a low settee and blinked at us inquiringly with his weak, waters- blue eves. "Tor my part." said Holmes, "what ever you may choose to say will go no further." 1 nodded to show mv agreement. "That is well: That is well!" said he "May I offer you a glass of Chianti, Miss Morstan? Or of Tokay? I keep no other wines, shall I open a flash? No? Well, then, I trust that you have no objection to tobacco smoke, to tho mild balsamic odur of the eastern to bacco, I am a little nervous, and I find my hookah an invaluable, sedative." lie applied a taper to tlio great bowl, and the smoke bubbled merrily through the rose water. Wo sat all three in a semicircle, with our heads advanced, and our chins upon our hands, while the strange, jerky little fellow, with his high, shining head, pulled uneasily ill the center. "When 1 first determined to make this eiiinmiinication to you," said he, "I might have given you my address, but I feared that you might disregard iny rocpiest and bring unpleasant peo ple, with you, I took the liberty, there fore, of making mi appoint ment In such a way that my man illiams might bo able to see you llrst. I have complete conlldenoe in his discretion, and he had orders, If he were dissatisfied, to pro ceed no further in the matter. You will excuse those precautious, but I am a man of somewhat retiring, and I might even say refined, tastes, and there is nothing more uuicMhotie Uidji a policeman, I have a nat ural shrink ing from all forms of rough material ism. I seldom oomu in contaet with the rough crowd. I live, as you see, with some little atmosphere of ele gance around me. I may call luys-df a patron of the arts. It Is my weakness, Tho landscape is a in nuine f'arot, and, though a connoisseur might perhaps throw a doubt upon that Salvator liosa, there cannot be the least question aboul tho Itougiioreau, I am partial to the modern French school " "You will exciisn me, Mr. Sholto," said Miss, Morstan, "hut I am hero at your request to learn something which von desire to tell me. It is very late, ind 1 should desire the interview to be as short aa possible." "At the best it must take some time," lie answered; "for wo shall certainly have to go to Xorwood and see llrother liartholomew. We shall all go and try if wc can get the better of llrother liartholomew. lie is very angry with me for taking the course, which has seemed right to me. I had quite hi,rh words with him hi .t night. You can not imagine what a terrible fellow ho is when he is angry." "If we are to go to Norwood it would perhaps be as well to start at once," I ventured to remark. lie laughed until his ears were quite, rrd. "That would hardly do," he cried. "I don't know what he would say rf I brought you in that sudden way. No, I must prepare you by showing you how we all stand to each other. In the first place, I must tell vou that there are several points in the story of which Iam myself ignorant. lean only lay the facts before you as far as I know them myself. "My father was, as you may have guessed, Maj. .tohn Sholto, once of the Indian army. He retired some eleven years ago, and came to live at I'ondi cherry lodge in I'ppcr Norwood. He had prospered in India, and brought back with him a considerable sum of money, a large collection of valuable curiosities and a staff of native serv ants. With these advantage!, he bought himself a bouse and lived in great lux ury. My twin brother liartholomew and I were the only children. "1 very well remember the sensation which was caused by the disappear ance of ('apt. Morstaii. We read tho details in the papers, and, knowing that he had boon a friend of our fa ther's, we discussed the ease freely in his presence. He used to join in our speculations as to what could have hap pened. Never for an instant did wo suspect that he had the whole secret hidden in his own breast that of all men he alone knew thu fate of Arthur Morstan. "We did know, however, that some mystery some positive danger over hung our father. He was very fearful of going out alone, and he always em ployed two print' fighters to act as por- iers.il . iinicrr.i K.uge. inmms wno drove you to-night, was one of . ..a ,i l!-,. t.i. . . them. He was once light-weight chain pion of Knglan 1 eir father would ver tell u 1 !. .1 what ' ' ; . t h: ' he fen re. men with wooden legs. On one occa sion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-legged man, who proved to be a harmless tradesman canvassing for orders. We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up. My brother and I used to think thi . a mere whim of my father's, but, events have since led ns to change our opinion. "Karly in l'l" ray father received a letter from India which was a great shock to him. lie nearly fainted at the breakfast table when hi' opened it, and ' from that day he sickened to his death What was in the letter we could never discover, but 1 could seo as he held it that it, was short and written in a 1 scrawling hand. He had suffered for , years from an enlarged spleen, but he j now became rapidly worse, and towards i t lie end of April W" -.veru informed that ' he was beyond all hope, and that he wished to ma Ice a last communication , to us. "Wheu we entered his room he was 1 propped up with pillows and breathing I heavily, lie besought us to lock the' door and to come upon either side of tho bod. Then, grasping our hands, he made a remarkable statement to us. in a voice which was broken as much by emotion as by pain. I shall try and give it to you in his own very words. , " 'I have only onu thing,' he said, i 'which weighs upon my mind at this I supreme moment. It is my treatment ' of poor Morstan's orphan, The cursed greed which has been my besetting sin , through life has withheld from her the treasure, half at least of which should have been hers. And yet 1 have made no uso of it myself so blind and 1 foolish a thing is avarice. The mere ' feeling of possession has been so dear to me that I could not bear to share it 1 with illicit her. See that eliaplet tipped , with pearls beside the quinine bottle? liven that I could not boar to part with, although 1 had got it out with the design of sending it to her. You, my sons, will give her a fair share of i the Agra treasure, lint scud her noth- I ing not even the eliaplet until I am gone. After all, men have been as had as this and have recovered. '"I will tell you how Morstan died,' ho continued, 'lie had suffered for years from a weak heart, but ho con cealed it from everyone. I alone knew it. When in India, he and I, through a remarkable chain of circumstances, came into possession of a considerable treasure. I brought it over to Kng land, and on the night of Morstan's ar rival he eaine straight over here to claim his share. He walked over from the station, ami was admitted by my faithful old Lai Chowdar, who is now dead. Morstan mid I had a difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure, and we came to heated words. Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a paroxysm of anger, when ho sudden ly pressed his hand to his side, his face turned a dusky hue, and ho fel back wards, euttlng his head against the corner of the treasure-chest. When I stooped over hlin I found, to my horror, that he was dead "Tor a long time I sat half dis tracted, wondering what I should do. My llrst impulse was, of course, to call for assistance: but I could not but reeognio that there was every chance that I would be accused of his murder, His death at the moment of a quarrel, and the gash In his head, would be black against me. Again, an ofllclal Inquiry could not be made without bringing out some facts about tho treasure, which I was particularly nnxinus to keep score' lie had told me tl,. t no soul upon earth knew where he had gone. There seemed to be. no necessity why any soul ever should know. " I was still pondering over Hie mat ter, when, looking up, 1 saw my serv ant, Iiiil Chowdar, in the doorway. He stole In, and bolted the door behind hlin. "Do not fear, sahib," he said. "No one need know that you have killed him. Let us hide him away, and who is the wiser?" " did not kill him," said I. I.al Chowdar shook his head, and smiled. "I heard it all, sahib," said he. "I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. Hut my lips are sealed. All are asleep in tho house. Let us put him away together." That was enough to decide tne. If my own servant could not believe my inno cence, how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury box? Lai Chowdar and I dis posed of the Ixxly that night, and within a few days the London papers were full of the mysterious disappear ance of ('apt. Morstan. You will no from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter. My fault, lies in the fact that we concealed, not only the body, but also the treasure, and that 1 have clung to Morstan's share aa well as to my own. I wish you, therefore, to make restitution. I'ut your ears down to my mouth. Tho treasure is hidden in ' At this instant a horrible change came over his expression; his eyes stared wildly, his jaw dropped, and he yelled in a voice 1 can never forget; 'Keep him out! 1 or Christ's sake keep I him out'.' Wo both stared round at the 1 window behind us upon which his gao I was fixed. A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could sou the wnitening ot me nose where u was pressed against the ghi'. It, was a bearded, hairy face, with wild, cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence. My brother and I rushed towards the window, but the man was gone. When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat. "We searched the garden that night, but found no sign of the intruder, save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the llower-bed. 3 in t for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had con jured up that wild, tierce face. Wc soon, however, had another and more striking proof that there wore secret agencies at work all around us. The window of my father's room was found open in tho morning, his cupboards and boxes had been titled, and upon his chest, was lixed a torn piece of paper, with 'lie v n-,!s Tie1 sign of (he 'our' sei-"el ,"-( ss ji What the phra - - i i i. ii. ,i e have been, we never knew. As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen, though everything had been turned out. My brother and I naturally nsso riatcd this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life; but it is sill a complete mys tery to nr." The little man stopped to relight his . hookah, and puffed thought full y for a .,.,. ,,, v i,.,.! tii ,., .,,',. i,.i listening to his extraordinary narra tive. At the short account of her fa ther's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white, and for a moment I feared that she was about to faint. She rallied, lunvever, on drinking a glass of water which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian carafe upon the side table. Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair with an abstracted expression and the lids drawn low over his glittering rpes. As I glanced nt him I could not but think how on that Very day he had complained bit terly of the commonplac-noss of life, i Here, nt hast, was a problem which would tax his sagacity to tho utmost. Mr. Thaddeus sholto looked from one to the other of us w ith an obvious pride at the effect which his story had pro duced, and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe. "My brother and I," said he, " were, as you may imagine, much excited as to tho treasure which my father had spoken of. For weeks and for months we dug and delved in every part of the garden, without discovering its where abouts. It was maddening to think that the hiding place was on his very lips at tho moment that he died. We could judge the splendor of the missing riches by the eliaplet which he had taken out. Over this eliaplet my brother ftartholouiew and I hud some little discussion. The pearls were evi dently of groat" value, and ho was averse to part with them, for, bet ween friends, my brother was himself a lit tle inclined to my father's fault, lie thought, too, that if we parted with the eliaplet it might give rise to go'.sip, and finally bring us into trouble. It was alt that I could do to persuade him to let me find out Miss Morstan's ad dress ami send her a detached poarl at fied intervals, so that, at least, she might never feel distitute." "It was a kindly thought," said our companion, earnestly. "It was ex tremely good of you." The littlo man waved his hand dep recatingly. "We wore your trustees," ho said. "That was the view which I took of it, though llrother Dart li'do mpw could not altogether see it in that light. We had plenty of money our si Ives. 1 desired no more. Huskies, it would have been such bad taste to have treated a young lady in so scurvy a fashion, 'Le niiiivais gout mono an crime.' The French have a very neat way of putting these things. Our dif ference of opinion on tills subject went so far that I thought it beM to set up room 4 for myself; to I left Hondiehorry lodge, taking the old lthitmiilgar and Williams with me. Yesterday, how ever, I learned that an event of ex treme importance has occurred. The treasure has been discovered. I in stnutly communicated with Miss Mor stan, and it onlv remains for us to drive out to Norwood and demand our shnre. I explained my views last night to llrother liartholomew; so we shall bo expected, if not welcome, visitors." Mr. Thaddeus Sholto ceased, and fat twitching on his luxurious! settee. Wo all remained silent, with our thonglUs upon the new development which tlio mysterious business had taken. Holmes was the lirst to spring to his feet, "You have done well, sir, from first to last," said he. "It is possible that wo may bo able to mako you jome small return hy throwing some lifh'. upon that which is still dark to you. Hut, as Miss Morstan remarked just now, it is In ti?, and wc had best put the matter through without delay." Our now acquaintance very delib erately coiled up the tube of his hookah, and produced from behind a curtain a very lontf befrogged topcoat with Astrakhan collars and cuffs. This he buttoned tightly up, in spite of the extreme elosolie s (,, the nii'lit, a e llulfihed his attire by putting on a rah bit-skin cap with hanging lappet which covered the ears, so that no pari of him was visible save his mobile and peaky face. "My health is somewhat fragile," ho remarked, as ho led the way down tho passage. "I am com pelled to be a valetudinarian." Our cab was awaiting us outside, and our programme was evidently prear ranged, for the driver started off nt once at a rapid pace. Thadiletis Sholto talked incessantly. In a voice which rose high above the rattle of the wheels. "liartholomew is u clever fellow." said he. "How do you think ho found out where the treasure was? Ho had como to tho conclusion that It was somewhere Indoors', fo he worked nut nil tho cubic space of tho house and made measurements everywhere, so that not one inch should ha unaccount ed for. Among other things, ho found that tho height of the building was seventy-four feet, but on adding' to gether the heights of all the separa'e rooms, and inak'ni: every allowance '..I- I ,e V.-.. iiell , ('!. ul.i'll he ,'t ccrlalned by borings, he could not bring the total to more than seventy ' feet. J hem wore four feet unaccount . cd for. These could only be at tho top I of tin; building. He hooked a IiqIo, I therefore, in the lath-and-plastcr ceil ing of the highest room, and there, ,Mito ( 1'ough, ho came upon another I little garret above it. which had been l icalou up ami was known to no one. In tho center stood tlin treasure-chest, resting upon tw o rafters, lie lowered it through tho hole, and there it lies, lie computes the value of the jewels nt not less than half n million sterling." At the mention of this gigantic sum we all stared at one another open-eyed. Miss Morstan, could we secure box rights, would change from a needy governess to the richer heiress in Kng land. Surely it was tho placo of a loyal friend to rejoice at such news; yet I am ashamed to say that selfish ness took mo by the soul, and that my heart turned as heavy as lead within mo. I stammered on some few halt ing words of congratulation, and then sat downcast, with my head drooped, deaf to the babble of our new ac quaintance. He was clearly a con firmed hypochondriac, and I was dream ily conscious that he was pouring forth interminable trains of symptoms, and imploring information as to the com position and action of innumerable quack nostrums, some of which he bore about in a leather cans in his pocket. 1 trust he may not remember any of the riiswers which I gave him that night. Holmes declares that he overheard me caution him against thu great, danger of talcing more than two drops of cas tor oil, while I recommended .strych nine in large doses as a sedative. How ever that, may be, I was certainly re lieved when our cab pulled up with a jerk and the coachman sprang down to open the door. "This, Miss Morstan, is Pondicherry lodge," said Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, us he handed her out. rilAI'TKU v. Till! Tl'.lOKIiV OK I'ONIUf iii.i:i:v honor.. It was nearly eleven o'clock when we reached this final stage of our night's adventures. We had left the damp fog I of the great city behind us, and the I night was fairly fine. A warm wind blew from tlio westward, aid heavy I clouds moved slowly across the sky, with half a moon pepping occasionally through the rifts. It was clear enough to see for some distance, but Thaddeus Sholto took down one of tho side-lamps i from the carriaj-e to give us u better light upon our way i l'ondiclierry ledge stood in its own grounds, and was girt round with a 1 very high stone wall topped with I broken glass. A single narrow irou ' clamped door forme, 1 the only means of entrance. On th'- our juidc knocked ' with a peculiar postmeii-Iike rat-tat. I "Who is there?' cried a glut" voice from within. I "It is I. MoMurdo. You surely know 1 my knock by this time." There was a grumbling sound and a j clanking and jarring of keys. The i door swuii'r heavily ba -k, and u short, l deep-chest -d man stood in tlio opening I with the yellow light of the lantern shining upon his protrudud face and twinkling, distrustful eyes. "That you, Mr. Thaddeus? Hut who are the others? I had no orders about them from my master." "No, .McMunlo? Yi.u surprise me! I told in v lirother last night that 1 should bring some friends." "He hain't been out o' his room to day, Mr. Thaddeus, and I have no or ders. You know very well that 1 must stick to regulations, lean let you in, but your friends they must just stop where they are." This wa an unexpected obstacle, Thaddeus '-hollo looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner. "This is too bad of you, MeMurdo!" he said. "If I guarantee them, that is enough for you. There is tho young lady, too. She cannot wait on the pub lic road at t Ids hour." "Vety sorry, Mr. Thaddeus," said the pomi, inexorably. "Folk may be friends o' yo.irs, and yet no friends o' the muster's. , He pays me well to do my duty, and iiy duty I'll do. I don't know none o' your friends." "Oil, yes, you do, MoMurdo." cried Sherlock Holmes genially. "I d--'t think you can have forgotten me. Don't you remember the amateur who fought three rounds with you at Alb son'n rooms on the night of your bono lit four years back?" "Not Mr. Sherlock Holmes!' roared the prize fifhtcr. "Hud's truth! how could I have mistook on? If Instead o' .standin' there so quiet you had just stepped up and given me that cross hit of yours under the jw, I'd ha' known you without a question. Ah, you're one, that has wasted your gifts, yon have! You might hi.vu aimed high, if you had joined the fancy." "You see, Watson, if all elve falls me I have still one of the selentitic profes sions open to me," said Holme, laugh ing. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now, I am Mire." "In you conic, sir, in you eoinc you and your friends," he answered. "Very sorry, Mr, Thaddeus, but orders are very strict. Had to be certain of your friends before I let them in," Inside, a gravel path wound through desolate grounds lo a huge clump of a house, square and prosaic, all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner and glimmered in u garret window. The vast size of the building, with its gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart. Kven Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at case, and the lantern quivered and rat tled in his hand "I cannot understand it," ho said. "There must he bomo mistake. I tiU- tlnctly told llartholnmew that wo should bo here, and yet there is no light in his window. I do not know what to make of it." "Does he always guard tho premises In this way?" asked Holmes. "Yes; he has followed my father's custom, lie was the favorite son, you know, and I sometimes think that my father may havo told him more than ho over told me. That Is Harthol otnew's window up there where tho moonshine strike!. It Is quite bright, but tliera Is no light from within, I think." "None," said Holmes. "Hut I spo the (flint of n light In that littlo win dow beside the door." "Ah, that is the housekeeper's room. That is where old Mrs. Hernstono sits. She can tell us all about, it. Hut per haps you would not mind waiting hero for a mltiuto or two, for if we all go In together, ami she has no word of our coming, site may bo alarmed. Hut hiishl What is that?" Ho hohl up the lantern, and his hand shook until the circles of lifht flickered and wavered all round us. Miss Mor stan soloil my wrist, and we all stood with thumping hearts, straining our ears. From tho great black house there Rounded through the silent night the I saddest and most, pitiful of sounds the shrill, broken whimpering of a i frightened woman, "It is Mrs. Hernstono." said Sholto. '"She Is tho only woman m the house. 1 Wait here. 1 shall bo back in a mo- ment." He hurried for the door, and , knocked In his peculiar way. Wo could see a tall old woman admit him and sway with pleasure at the very ! sight of him. "Oh, Mr. Thaddeus, sir, I am so glad : you havo como! I am so glad you have come, Mr. Thaddeus, sirl" Wo heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a mullled monotone, i Our guide had left us the lantern. Holmes swung it slowly round, and I peered keenly at thu houc, and at tlio great rubbish heaps which cumbered I the grounds. Miss Morstan and I stood j together, and her hand was in mine. A wondrous subtle thing is love, for hero i were we two who had never seen each j other before that day, between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed, and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought , for each other. I have marveled at it ' since, but at tho time it seemed tlio most, natural thing that I should go out to her so, and, as she has often told me, there was in her also the instinct i to turn to me for comfort and protec tion. So we stood hand in hand, like . two children, and there was peace m ; our hearts for all tho dark things that 1 Biirroundoil us. ! "What a strange place!'1 she said, looking around, j "It looks as though all the moles in Kngland hail been let loose in it. I have seen something of the sort on the side of a hill near Hallarat, where the prospectors had been at work." "And from the same cause," said Holmes. "These are the traces of treasure-seekers. You must remember that they were six years looking for it. No wonder thai t he ground louks like t a gravelpit." i At that moment the door burst open, I and Thaddeus l-holto came running out, with his hands thrown forward and terror in his eye. "There is something- amiss with liar tholomew!" he cried. "I am fright ened: Aiy nerves cannot smiiu it. no was. Indeed, half-blubbering with fear, and his twitching, feeble face, peeping out from the great Astrakhan collar, had the helpless, appealing expression of a terrified child. "Come into the house," said Holmes, in his crisp, tirm way. "Yes. do"' pleaded Thaddeus sholto. "I really do not feel equal to (.'iving di rections." We all followed him into the house keeper's room, which stood upon tho left-hand side of the passage. The old woman was pacing up and down with a scared look and restless, picking llugers, but the sight of Miss Morstan appeared to have a soothing effect upon her. "God bless your swe-t calm face!" she cried, with a hysterical sob. "It does me good to see you. Oh, but I have boon sorely tired this day!" ( hir companion patted her thin, work worn baud, and murmured some few words of kindly womanly comfort which brought the color back into tho other's bloodless cheeks. "Master has locked h'mself in and will not answer me," she explained, "All day 1 havo waited to hear from him, for he often likes to be alone; but an hour ago 1 feared thatsomethingwas amiss, so I went up and peeped through the keyhole. You must go up, Mr. Thaddeus yon must go up and look for yourself. I have seen Mr. Ilurtlu.il omcw Sholto in joy and In sorrow for ten long years, but 1 never saw him with such a face on him as that." Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and led the. way, for Thaddeus Sholto's teeth were chattering in his head. So shaken was he that I hail to pass my hand iindt r his arm as we went up the stairs, for his knees were trembling under him. Twice as we ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his pocket and carefully examined marks which appearetl to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust, upon the cocoa-nut matting which served as a s'air-oarpet. lie walked slowly from step to step, holding tho la' ip low, and shooting keiii glances to right and left. Miss Morstan had remained be hind with the frightened housekeeper. The third lllght of stairs ended in a straight passage of some length, with a groat picture in Indian tapestry.upon the right of it and three doors upon the left. Holmes advanced along it in the same slow and methodical way, while wo kept close at his heol, with our loag lilaek shadows streaming1 hack wards down the corridor. The third door was that which we were seeking. Holmes knocked without receiving any answer, and then tried to turn the handle and fonsi it open. It was Incited on the Inside, however, and by a broad ami powerful bolt, as we could see when we set our lump up against it, The key being turned, however, the hole was not entirely closed. Sher lock Holmes bent down to it, and in stantly rose again with a sharp iutak ing of the breath. "There is something devilish In this, Watson," said he, more moved than I hail ever before seen him. "What do you make of it"" 1 stooped to the hole, and recoiled in horror. Moonlight was streaming into the room, and it was bright with a vague and shifty radiance. Looking straight at me, and sii poijdod, .is it wore, in the air. tor an In in a.i was in shadow, there hune- a face- the very face of Mir companion Thuddeus. There was the same high, idiining head, the same circular bristle of red hair, the same bloodies countenance. Tho features Were set, however, in n horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin, which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than any scowl or contortion. So like was the face, to that of our littlo friend that I looked round at, him to make sure that he was indeed with us. Then I recalled to mind that, he had men tioned to us that his brother and he were twins. "This is terrible!" I said to Holmes. "What is to be done?" "The door must come down," he an swered, find, springing against it, he put all his weight upon the lock. It creaked and groaned, but did not yield. Together we Hung ourselves upon it once more, and this time it cave way with a sudden snap, and we found our selves within liartholomew Sholto's chamb( r. II appeun d to h;,ilc , ft'. '' up as a chemical laboratory. A double lino of glass-stoppered bottb - wi- drawn up upon tlie wall opposite lie door, and the table was littered mer with Hitmen burners. te--t tul.i s nr.d retorts. In the corners stood carboi of eeiU in wicker baskets. One of these i ppeared to leak or to have been Iroken, for a stream of darlc-eolore.l liquid had trickled out from it. ai d the a.r was heavy with a poettlia.'x pungent tar like odor. A set of st.-p, -tniid atone, side of the room, in the ne'lsi of a lit ter of lath and plaster, and abovo them there was an oj.i 11111'.' in the ceil ing largo enough for a man to pass through. At, the font of the steps a long coil of rope was 1 In-own carelessly together. Hy tho table, in a wooden r in-chair, the master of the h-.n -e w a s seated all in a heap, with his head omk upon his left shoulder, and t hat giia ' iy, inscrut -able smile upon his face, lie was stiff and eold, and' had clearly boon dead many hours. It " mod to me that not onlv his features bu a'l hi-, limbs were twisted and turned in the most fan tastic fashion. I'.y his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar i'itrument, a brown, elose-graiiied stick, with a stone head like a hammer, rudely lashed on with etiar-e tw.ne. Heside it, was a torn sheet of ie'e paper with some words sera wled upon it Holmes glanced at it. and t hen handed it to me. "You fee." he s with a significant raising of the e 'mnvt In the light of 'he lantern I read, with a thrill of 1. .rror- ' The sign of the four." "In ("oil's name, vhat does it all mean?" 1 asked. "It moans murder," said he. stooiin-; over the dead man. "Ah, 1 exneoted it. Look here!'' He pointed to what looked like a long, dark thorn stuck in the skin just above the ear., "It looks like a thorn," said I. ' It is a thorn. You may pick it out. Hut be careful, for it is poisoned "' I took it up between my tinj'r and thumb. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly anv 1 '-ir.c was left behind. One tiny speck ot blood showed were the puncture had been "This is all an insoluble 111 story to me." said I. "It grows darker .'i.-tcad of clearer." "On the contrary," h- answered ' it clears every instant. I 01. h i few missing links to h-n jn connected case." We had almost f .rgotten r, panion's presence since we ei.', chamber, lie was s-'.'l st.m i:. doorway, 'he vi rv pi. , ' wringing his hands ai.d in 1 1 re a '.rely com- ', d th ,'i the 1 rror. to himself. Suddenly, li i.-ecr. he broke out into a sharp, (pier. il- u- . -v. "The treasure is ;. .1.. "' l.e said. "They have r .bbe.l hi-n-f thetrci ,ure! There is the -mIo tbroui;h w, .c'i wo lowered it, I uclpi d loin tod .t. I was tho last person who saw u ml I left him hero .ast in. ! '. ana I leard him lock tho door as 1 eamu down stairs." "What time was that .' "It was ten o'clock. And now he is dead nnd the police u'.il I t- ..ed m and I shall bo susp.- ted of p.av.ng 1 hand in it. Oh, yes. I : 111 1 shitli. Hut you don't think- - . . -u.e-i ' Surely you don't think that it was r Is it likely that I .vmi'.d havo brought, you 'lore if it -vcre I1 iiu. dear! oh. dear! I know .hat I shall go mad!" Ho jerked his arms and stamped he. feet in a kind of convul -ivo frenzy. "You have no reason for fea-, Mr. Sholto," iaid Holmes, k.m!'; . putting his hand upon his shoulder. ' Take 111 , nd ice and drive down to the sta'.on t report tho matter to the police. Offer toassistthemiueveryw.lv. Wc shall wait here until your return " Tho little man obeyid 111 a half stupolled fa-hion, and we heard him stumbling down the stair(s in the dar's. (TO J!U t'UN n.M ULi ) 1 1. iori' 10 'I .11 of I'lol.ab.v ., nn-werisi ; tr.ite w ... v hy he i.i, Amom; oil . clar's In in ..Hid h.ivo t. e 'aa; s r " court . s 01 coal. s 'he bur- p!S -'si-, ,,lesl etl ,1 I'll :'. 1 . bout ;u- olll folkl 'I'" ..nil 'I'M 1 1 1 of 11 I infers p.iofl i j. l. . '.d w boil station It ! ket belief said to havu son tvhed if ihe : oliee usually found m 1 p" 111 cos I as a I tiisiii: n e been hold b :h uly Unions, and it is certainly frequently found In their burial pines converted Into personal ornament", sin ii 11s beads, etc. Heliev ers In dream" maintain that to dream of eoitl is a certain sin of eonilnc rVh-0-1. Thou. tea. there is tho speculum or mirror t ( divination that enusoi5 sin h a seusal'.on in the sixteenth ecu. tury- of Dr D 'o, which subseqiientl.T formed part of the Sttawberry 11 it) collectlnn. It va.s formed of ciuuvji coal, thouch the doctor pretended to have received It from the angels. London chioulele. SI met. 1 1 1 111 I'nfni iirnlily. Mr. (iaswdl. who hud come recently into the pe-session of a cotisidorabln fortune, hud decided to erect a larso ollioe btiililine; and was discussing turn plans with an architect. "As to the flours, now," said the ar chitect, "yon would want them In mo saic patteniK. 1 presume?" "I don't know about ih.it," responded Mr. (liisivell. dubiously scratching his Jaw. "1 hain't got any prejudice. Against Moses as a mini, and he cer tainly kiiiiued 1 eon! deal about law, but when I ''s to laying thiol's It kind 11' so 1 1 ice I'd rut her have 'tin unseclii"i' ' ' o:i't It strtke you Uiilt v