New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-03

The doctors examined her Tor It. ou' without
What do YOU think that this unfortunate
Eft is NV belief that she died of pure fear and
| nervous shock. though what 1t was when lriSh'-
en@l Ter. ] cannot imagine. ., . .,o
| We're there gypsics in the plantation at the
,, Yes. there are nearly always some there
All. and what did You gather from this allnSioh
| TO banda speckled band"
| Sometimes ! have thought that IT was merely
| the wild talk of dcrium, sometimes that III may
have referred To some band Of people, perhaps 10
these very gypsics III the planta'loh 10 ny
| know whether the spotted handkerchlels Which
so many of them wear over their heads might haVe
suggested the strange adjective which she usci.
Holmes shook his head like man who IS FAR
! from being satisfied.
" These are very deep waters, slld me- pray
90 on with your narrative
1.-Two years have passed since then, and my
| life has been until lately lOnclicr than ever:
month ago. however dear friend, whom have
| known for many years. has done me the honor
to ask my hand in marriage lbs name Is =, ARM
| tage-Percy ArnitaCc-thc second son OF Mt Ar
miiage, of Crane Water, near Reading. MY step,
| father has offered no opposition ~ the match, ana
we arc 10 he married in the course OF the spring.
! Two days ago some repairs were started III the
west wing Of the building, and my bedroom wall
has been pierced. so that have had to move INTO
the chamber in which my sister died. ana 10 steep
| in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine
| then. my thrill Of terror when last night, as l
| lay awake thinking over her terrible iltc. SUD
J denly heard in the silence of the night the low
whistle which had been the herald Of her own
death ! sprang mp ard lii the lamp, but nothing
was TO he seen in the room. was 100 shaken
| 10 30 to bed again. however, so | dressed, ana as
soon as il daylight slipped down, got dog,
cart AT the Crown inn, which is opposite, and
drove 10 Lcatherhcad, from whence have come
on this morning with the one object OF seeing you
| and asking Your advice.
You have done wisely said my friend. But
have yOs told me all?
Miss Roylott. you have not You are screen.
! ing your stcpfathcr.'
why. what do YOU mean
| For answer Holmes pushed back the friH OF
black lace which iringed the hand that lay upon
our visitors knee Five little livid spots the
marks OF four fingers and a thumb were printed
You have been cruelty used" said Holmes.
The lazy colorcd deeply, and covered over me
injured wrist lie is a hard man, she SAD
There was a long silence, during which Holmes
leaned his chin upon his hands and stared INTO
the cracking lire.
This i a very deep business he said at last
There thousand details which | should
desire TO know before decide upon our course
of action. Yet we have not a moment TO lose
| If L. come to Stoke Moran to-day. would
il he possible for us 10 see over these rooms with
ont the knowledge Of your stcpiather?"
As il happens, he spoke of coming into town
| to-day upon some most important business II Is
probable that hr Will be away all day. and that
there would be nothing to disturb you. We have
p haueckccper now. but she is old and foolish, and
! could easily get her ont of the way
Excellent. lou are not avcrsc TO this twp,
Watson"
Then We shall both come. What arc you GO
ing 10 do yOurscf|
I" have one or two things which ] would wish
10 do now that am in town. But shall return
by the Il o'clock train so as 10 he there in time
for yCur coming
Ana you may expect us early in the afternoon.
have myself some small business matters a. al.
tend TO- VIII you not wait and break fast >"
No, must 90. Ny heart is lghtcnci already
since have coniidcd my trouble to You. shall
look forward 10 seeing You again this afternoon
She dropped her thick black veil over her face,
and eidcd from The room.
And what do you think Of il all. Watson ~
asked Sherlock Holmes leaning back in his chair
" II seems 10 me a most dark ana sinister bust
| ness
Dark enough and sinister enough
Vet. il the lady Is correct In saving that the
hoorlngs and walls ar. sound, aud that the door.
window and chimney impossible, then her
sister must have been undoubtedly alone when
she met her mysterious end
What becomes, then, Of these nocturnal
whistles. and what Of the very peculiar words OF
The dying woman
q" cannot think
When you combine the idea Of whistles al
night, the presence of gylrlcs who are on intimate
every reason 10 believe that the doctor has an
interest in preventing his s'ePanghtcr's mar
ragc, the dying allnsion 10 a band and finally.
| the fact that Miss Helen Stoncr heard "A metallic
| cang. which might have hrrn caused by one of
those metal bars which srcurrd IN" shutters falling
back into their place, think that there i good
|
along those lines"
" l}n, what then, dill the gypsic5 do'7
Il cannot imagine.
d" / see many objections 70 any such theory
And 30 dol II is precisely for that raspn that
We are going 20 stoke Moran this day. ! Want
10 see whether Tie objections are fatal. or II they
may be- explained away But what. in the name
of the devil"
Tie ejaculation had been drawn from my com
panion by the fact that orr door Lad been sud
denly dashed open, and that huge man hal
framed himself IN the aperture. HIS costume WAS
peculiar mixture of tle professional and # the
agricultural. having black top hat. u long frocS
| coat, and a PAIR of high gaii"rs. with a hunting
| crop swinging in his hand So tall was he that
his bat actually brushed the crossbar, Of the door
way, and his breadth seemed 10 span IL across
from side 10 side \ large face. scared with
thousand wrinkles burned yellow with the sun.
| and marked with every evil passion. was turned
from one To the other Of u.s. while his deepSet.
bile shot eyes. and his high. thin, ilcShcsS nose,
gave him somewhat the resemblance 10 a fierce old
Which Of You is Holiness asked this appari-
| ton.
Ny name Sir but 20" h1yf advantage Of
| d. | am Dr. Grimcshy Roylott OF Stoke Moran"
Indeed, Doctor said lIomcs, blandly Pray
| take tcat
II will do nothing of the kind Ny, step
daughter has been here. have traced her.
What has shc been saving TO youY
Il; is a little cold for The time of the year,
said Holmes
What has she been saying 10 yon p screamed
the old man furousv.
we'll " continued my companion, imnertnrbahly
IIa! You put me of, do YOU = SAD our new
visitor taking a step forward and shaking his
hunting crop. al know you, yon scoundrrl
have heard Of you before. You are Holmes, the
meddlcr'
| My friend smiled
| Holmes, the busybody!'
| His smile broadencd.
Holmes, the Scotland-yard Jack-in-oiicr!
| IIolmc, chucklcd heartily. " Your conversation
! is most entertaining" said he. When YOU 20 ont
closc the door, for there is n decided dranght'
! 81 will go when | have said my say. Don't
Won dare 10 mcddc with my affairs | know that
| Miss Stoncr has been here traced her. ] am
a dangerous man 10 fail loul Of See here.
He stepped swiftly forward, SeHed the poker ana
bent it into curve with his huge brown hands.