The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-19

| eyes and was able with little manage
ment to see ali that there was behind me.
| confess that was disappointed There
| was nothing.
at least. that was my first impression
| At the second glance. however, perceived
| that there was man standing IN the
| Southampton road, small. bearded man
| in a gray suit, who seemed TO be looking
| in my direction. The road is an import
ant highway. and there are usually people
| there. This man, however, was leaning
| against the ratings which bordered our
| field and was looking earnestly up.
| lowered my handkerchief and glanced az
| Mrs. Rucastle 10 find her eyes nxed upon
| me with a most searching glance she
| said nothing, but am conyincet that she
| had OWNED that | had mirror In my
| hand and had seen what was behind me.
| She rose az once.
'"Jephro' said she, there is an inaperti-
| nent fellow upon the road there who stares
/ up ar Miss Hunter
:" No friend of yours, Miss Hunter?' he
| asked.
".No, know no one in these parts
Dear met How very Impairment
| Kindly turn round and motion him to go
away
surely it would be better to take no
| notice
".No, no, we should have him lettering
| here always. Kindly turn round and
wave him away like that
Il did as I was told and at the same in
slant Mrs Rucastle drew down the blind.
| That was week ago and from that time
1 have not sat again in the window, nor
| have worn the blue dress. nor seen the
| man in the road"
Pray continue" said Holmes. "Your
narrative promises to be most interest
ing one"
"You will find it rather disconnected. l
| fear, and there may prove TO De little re-
lation between the different incidents Of
| which l speak. On the very first day that
l was at the Copper Beeches Mr.. Rucastle
took me 10 small clubhouse which stands
near the kitchen door. As he approached
| it | heard the sharp rafting OF chain and
/ the sound as of large animal owing
| about
"'Look in here said Mr. Rucastle, show
ing me slit between two pianAs. Is he
| not a beauty?
Il looked through and was conscious of
| two glowing eyes and OF vague Inquire
huddIed up in the darkness.
Don't be frightened said my en-
ployer, laughing at the start had given.
It's only Carlo, my mastiif l call him
mine, but really old TolIer, my groom, is
the only man who can do anything with
him. We only teed him once day and
| not too much then, so that be is always rs
keen as mustard. ToIler lets him loose
every night and God help the trespasser
whom ne lays his fangs upon. For good
ness sake don't you ever on any pretext set
| your foot over the threshold at night, for
it is rs much as your life IS worth.
THE warning was no idle one. for two
nights later I happened TO look out of my
bedroom window about O'Clock n the
morning. It was a beautiful moonlight
| night, and the lawn in front Of the house
was silvered over and almost as bright as
day. I was standing, rapt in the peaceful
| beauty of the scene, when / was aware
that something was moving under the
| shadow of the copper beeches. As /.
| emerged into the moonshine / saw what
| it was 1t was giant dog, as large as a
| calf. tawny tinted. with hanging jowl,
black nuzZIe and huge projecting bones.
| Il walked slowly across the lawn and van
| ished into the shadow upon the other
| side. That dreadful silent sentinel sent a
chill to my heart which | do not think any
burglar could have done.
And now have a very strange expert
| ence to tell you. had. as you know. cut
| OF my hair in London and had placed It
| in great coil at the bottom OF my trunk.
| One evening after the child was in bed /
| began TO amuse myself by examining the
| furniture of my room and by rearrangIng
| my own little things. There was an old
| chest of drawers in the room, the two up
per ones empty and open. the lower one
| locked. had filed the two first with my
| linen and. as | had still much to pack
| away, / was naturally annoyed at not hay-
/ ing the use OF the third drawer. II struck
| me that it might have been fastened by
/ mere oversight. so | took out my bunch OF
/ keys and tried 10 open il. The very first
/ KEY fitted to perfection and | drew the
| drawer open. There was only one thing
| in it, but | am sure that you would never
| guess what it was. II was my coil Of hair.
AT least that was my first impression.
| took il up and examined II. Il was Of
| the same peculiar tint and the same thick
/ ness, but then the impossibility of the
| thing obtruded Itself upon me. How
| could my hair have been locked in the
| drawer? With trembling hands l undid
| my trunk. turned out the contents and
| drew from the bottom my own hair l
| laid the two tresses together. and l assure
| you that they were identical. Was it not
| extraordinary
| puzzle as I would l could make moth
| ing az all of what it meant. Ireturned the
| strange hair to the drawer and / said
| nothing of the matter to the Rucastles, as
| | felt that had put myself in the wrong
| by opening a drawer which they had
| locked.
Il am naturally observant, as you may
! have remarked, Mr.. Holmes. and l soon
| had a pretty good plan of the whole house
/ in my head. There was one wing. how
| ever, which appeared not 10 be inhabited
| az all. 4 door which faced that which led
| into the quarters of the Tollers opened
| into this suite, but it was invariably
! Locked one day. however. as assembled
/ the stair I met Mr.. RucastIe coming out
/ through this door. his keys in his hand,
/ and q look on mis- face which made him Z
/ very different person 10 the round iovial
| man to whom | was accustomed. His
| cheeks were red, his brow all crinkIed with
/ anger and the veins stood out a. his tenn
| pies with passion. He locked the door
/ and hurried past me without word Or a
| look.
| This aroused my curiosity, so when I
/ went out for q walk in the grounds with
nv charge | strolled round 70 the side
/ from which | could see the windows OF
/ this part of the house. There were four
/ Of them in q row, three of which were
| simply dirty. while the fourth was shut
/ tered up. They were evidently oil desert
! ed As strolled up and down. glancing
! I'D occasionally, Mr.. Rucastle came ont 20
/ me, looking as merry and jovial as ever.
/ "'Ahr said ne. You must not think
/ me rude if I passed you without word.
/ nv dear young lady. l was preoccupiei
! with business matters
! Il assured MIN that l was not offended
/ BY the way said l, you seem 10 have
| quite suite OF spare rooms up there, and
/ one of them has the shutters up
! He looked surprised and. as il seemed
| to me. little startled 81 my remark.
Photography is one OF my hobbies
/ said he i have made my dark room M
/ there. But dear me, what an observant
Young lady we have come upoa. Who
| ever believed it? He spoke in q testing
/ he looked at NE. / read suspicion there,
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