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

| OF the great city behind us ana tnt
night was fairly fine. \ warm winC
blew from the westward, and heavy
clouds moved slowly across the sky
| with half moon peeping occasionally
! through the riffs. It was clear enough
to see for some distance, but Thaddeus
| Sholto took down one Of the side-lamp;
from the carriage to give us better
| light upon our way.
Pondicherry lodge stood in its OWL
| grounds, and was girt round with q
very high stone wall topped with
broken glass. 4 single narrow iron
clamped door formed the only means
| of entrance. On this our guide knocked
with a peculiar postman-like rat-tat
''Who is there?" cried 4 gruff voice
from within.
''It is /, McMurdo. You surely know
my knock by this time"
There was Q grumbling sound and a
clanking and jarring of keys The
door swung heavily back, and a short,
deep-chested man stood in the opening
with the yellow light of the lantern
shining upon his protruded face and
twinkling, distrustful eyes.
"That you, Mr.. Thaddeus? But who
are the others? | had no orders about
them from my master"
"No, McMurdo? You surprise me.
told my brother last night that I
should bring some friends"
"He hain't been out o. his room to-
day, Mr.. Thaddeus, and have no or
ders You know very well that | must
stick to regulations. can let you in.
but your friends they must just stop
where they are"
This was an unexpected obstacle.
Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in
a perplexed and helpless manner
''This is too bad of you, McMurdor' he
said. "lf | guarantee them, that is
enough for you. There is the young
lady, too. She cannot wait on the pub
lie road at this hour"
''Very sorry, Mr.. Thaddeus,' said the
porter, inexorably. Folk may be
friends o. yours, and yet no friends O
the masters. He pays me well to do
my duty, and my duty I'll do. / don't
know none o yOur friends"
''Oh, yes, you do, McMurdo," cried
Sherlock Holmes, genially. Il don't
think you can have forgotten me.
Don't you remember the amateur who
fought three rounds with you at Ali
sons rooms on the night of your bene-
fit four wears baclx?''
Not Mr. Sherlock Holmes!' roared
the prize fighter. Gods truth how
could I have mistook you? If instead
o standin' there so quiet you had just
stepped up and given me that cross hit
of yours under the jaw, I'd ha' known
you without question. All, you're
one that has wasted your gifts, you
havel You might have aimed high, if
you had joined the fancy"
You see, Watson, if all else fails me
have still one of the scientific profess
sions open to me, ;" said Holmes, laugh
ing. Our friend won't keep us out in
the cold now, am sure"
I'm you come, sir, in you come-you
and your friends y he answered. very
sorry, Mr.. Thaddeus, but orders are
very strict. Had TO be certain of your
friends before let them in"
Inside, a gravel path wound through
desolate grounds to huge clump of
house, square and prosaic, all plunged
in shadow save where moonbeam
struck one corner and glimmered in a
garret window. The vast size of the
building, withits gloom and its deathly
silence, struck a chill 10 the heart.
Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed i'll at
ease, and the lantern quivered and rat
tied in his hand.
81 cannot understand it." he said.
'"There must be some mistake. dis
tinctly told Bartholomew that we
should be here, and yet there is no
light in his window. do not know
what TO make of it,"
'Does he always guard the premises
in this way?" asked HOLMES
''Yes; he has followed my fathers
custom. He was the favorite son, you
know, and | sometimes think that my
father may have told him more than
he ever told me. That is Bartho.-
omcw's window up there where the
moonshir2 strikes It is quite bright.
but there is no light from within,
think"
None said Holmes. "But l see
the CLINT of light in that little win
dow beside the door"
''Ah, that is the houseleeper's room.
That is where old Mrs. Bernstone sits.
She can tell us all about il. But per-
haps you would not mind waiting here
for minute or two, for if we all go in
together, and she has no word Of our
coming, she may be alarmed But
hush What is that?"
He held up the lantern, and his hand
shook until the circles of light fiicllered
and wavered all round us. Miss Nor
stan seized my wrist, and we all stood
with humping hearts, straiuing our
ears. From the great black house there
sounded through the silent night the
saddest and most pitiful of sounds
the shrill, broken whimpering of a
frightened woman.
''It is Mrs. Bernstone," said Sholto.
''She is the only woman IN the house
Wait here. / shall be back in n mo-
ment." He hurried for the door, and
knocked In his peculiar way. We
could see a tall old woman admit him
and sway with pleasure at the very
sight of him
"Oh, Mr.. Ihaddeus, sir, | am 50 glad
you have come! ] am so glad you
have come, Mr. Thaddeus, sir!'' We
heard her reiterated rejoicings until
the door was closed and her voice died
away into a muffled monotone.
Our guide had left us the lantern
Holmes swung it slowly round, and
peered keenly at the house, and at the
-, l-8.zr s,p%Y NJ LSS5e-.
H.M@,4IJ1g5y =
5.#sEtAl[.'3'ssk44s. VI " q AZ y % 81 az q