Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-03-21


out to her so, and, as she has often told
me, there was in her also the instinct
to turn TO me for comfort and protec-
ton. So we stood hand in hand, like
two children, and there was peace IN
our hearts for all the dark things that
surrounded US.
What a strange place!" she said,
looking around.
ut looks as though all the moles in
England had been let loose In it.
have seen something of the sort on the
side Of hill near Ballarat. where the
prospectors had been at work"
And from the same cause" said
Holmes. 'These are the traces of
treasure-seel5crs. You must remember
that they were SIX years looking for it.
No wonder that the ground looks like
a gravelpit."
At that moment the door burst open,
and Thaddeus Sholto came running
out, with his hands thrown forward
and terror in his eyes.
There is some thing amiss with Bar
tholomewl' he cried. 81 am fright
ened! My nerves cannot stand it." He
was, indeed half-blubbering w d fear,
and his twitching, feeble face, peeping
out from the great Astrakhan collar,
; had the helpless, appealing expression
! of terrified child.
! Come into the house." said Holmes,
in his crisp, firm way.
! Yes. do!' pleaded Thaddeus Sholto.
| 81 really do not feel equal to giving di-
/ rections."
( We all followed him into the house
keepers room, which stood upon the
left-hand side Of the passage. The old
woman was pacing up and down with
I a scared look and restless, picking
fingers, but the sight of Miss Morstan
appeared to have a soothing effect upon
her.
} God bless your sweet calm face"
she cried, with a hysterical sob. 1T
does me good to see you. Oh, but /
have been sorely tired this day!'
Our companion patted her thin, work
worn hand, and murmured some few
words of kindly womanly comfort
which brought the color back into the
others bloodless checks.
Master has locked himself in and
will not answer me-" she explained.
IAN day | have waited to hear from
him, for he often likes to be a one; but
an hour ago feared that something was
amiss, so l went up and peeped through
the keyhole. You must 90 up, Mr..
Thaddeus-you must go up and look
for Yourself | have seen Mr.. Barthol-
omew Sholto in joy and in sorrow for
ten long years, but 1 never saw him
with such 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 had to pass my
hand under 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 appeared to me to be mere
shapeless smudges Of dust upon the
cocoa-nut mating which served as a
stair-carpet. He walked slowly from
step to step, holding the lamp low, and
shooting keen glances to right and
left. Miss Morstan had remained be-
hind with the frightened housekeeper.
The third flight of stairs ended in
straight passage of some length, with
great picture in Indian tapestry -pon
the right of it and three doors upon the
left Holmes advanced along it in the
same slow and mcthodical way, while
we kept close at his heels, with our
long black shadows streaming back
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 force it open. 1t was
locked on the inside, however, and by
broad and powerful bolt, as we could
see when we set our lamp up against
It. The key being turned, however,
the hole was not entirely closed. Shcr-
lock Holmes bent down to it, and in
stantly rose again with a sharp intak
ing Of the breath.
There is something devilish In this,
Watson" said he, more moved than !
had ever before seen him. What do
you make Of it?''
stopped TO the hole, and recoiled in
horror. Moonlight was streaming into
the room, and It was bright with IA
vague and shifty radiance. Looking
straight at me. and suspended, as it
were, in the air. for all beneath was in
shadow, there hung a face-the very
face of our companion Thaddeus.
There was the same high, shining
head, the same circular bristle of red
hair, the same bloodlCss countenance.
The 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 little friend
that | looked round at him to make
sure that he was indeed with us. Then
recalled TO mind that he had men
toned TO us that his brother and he
We're twins.
This is terrible!' / said to Holmes.
"What is 10 be done?'
The door must come down" he an
swcred, and, springing against it, he
put all his weight upon the lock. 1t
crealted and groaned. but did not yield.
Together we flung ourselves upon it
once more. and this time il gave way
with a sudden snap and we found our
selves within Bartholomew Sholto's
chamber.
1t appeared to have been Cited up as
chemical laboratory A double line
of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn
up upon the wall opposite the door,
and the table was Uttered over with
Buuscn burners. test tubes and retorts
In the corners stood carboys Of acid in
wicker baskets. One of these appeared
60 leak or to have been broken, for a
stream Of dark-colorcd liquid had
tricllcd out from it, and the air was
heavy with a peculiarly pungent tar
like odor 4 set of steps stood at one
side of the room, in the midst Of a lit
ter of lath and plaster, and above
them there was an opening in the cell
ing large enough for Il man to pass
through. At the foot OF the steps u
long coil of rope was thrown carelessly
together.
by the table, in "a wooden armchair,
the master Of the house was seated all
in a heap, with his head sunk upon his
left shoulder, and that ghastly, iuscrut-
able smile upon his face. He was stiff
and cold, and had clearly been dead
many hours 1t seemed to me that not
only his features but all his limbs were
twisted and turned in the most fan
tastic fashion BY his hand upon the
table there lay peculiar instrument,
"a brown, close-graincd stick, with
stone head like a hammer, rude,y
lashed on with coarse twinc. Beside It
was n torn sheet of note paper with
l.. -13.I III