The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-06-12
You VIII find US there on cur way to

lou WILL uIU US LueTe VI OuA "oy w
the station"
They landed me at Vauxhall with
my heavy iron box and with a bluff,
genial inspector as my companion. A
quarter of an hours drive brought US
to Mrs. Cecil Forrester's. The servant
seemed surprised at SO late visitor.
Mrs. Cecil FORESTER was out for the
evening". she explained, and likely to
be very late. Miss Morstan, however,
was in the drawing-roem; SO to the
drawing-room I went. box in hand,
leaving the obliging inspector in the
cab.
She was seated by the open window,
dressed in some sort of white diaphan-
Gus material, with a little touch of
scarlet at the neck and waist. The soft
light of shaded lamp fell upon her as
she leaned back in the basket chair,
playing over her sweet, grave face. and
tinting with a dull metallic sparkle
the rich coils Of her luxuriant hair, one
white arm and hand dropped over the
side of the chair, and her whole pose
and figure spoke of an absorbing
melancholy. At the sound Of my foot
fall she sprang to her feet, however.
and bright fash of surprise and Of
pleasure colored her pale cheeks.
II heard q cab drive up" she said. 81
thought that Mrs. Forester had come
back very early, but I never dreamed
that it might be you. What news have
you brought me?'
~ have brought something better
than news said 1, putting down the
box upon the table and speaking jov-
tally and boisterously, though my
heart was heavy within me. II have
brought you something which is worth
all the news in the world. l have
brought you fortune
She glanced at the iron box. rs
that the treasure, then?" she asked,
coony enough
"Yes, this is the great Agra treasure.
Half of it isyours and half is Thaddeus
Sholto's. You will have couple Of
hundred thousand each. Think Of
that! Al annuity Of ten thousand
pounds. There will be few richer
young ladies in England. Is it not
glorious?"
think that must have been rather
overacting my delight, and that she
detected hollow ring in my congratu-
lations, for I saw her eyebrows rise a
little, and she glanced at me curiously.
"If have it." said she, II owe it to
you"
"No, no." answered, mot to me,
but to my friend Sherlock Holmes
With all the will in the world, I could
never have followed up clew which
has taxed even his analytical genius
AS it was, we very nearly lost it at the
last moment"
'Pray sit down and tell me all about
it, DR.. Watson" said she.
NARRATED briefly what had occurred
since l had seen her last-Holmes new
method of search, the discovery of the
Aurora, the appearance Of Ataelney
Jones, our expedition in the evening,
and the wild chase down the Thames.
She listened with parted lips an3 shin
ing eyes to my recital of our adventures
When 1 spoke of the dart which had so
narrowly missed us, she turned so
white that feared she was about to
faint
''It is nothing" she said, as I
hastened to pour her some water. II
am all right again. It was a shock to
me to hear that had placed my friends
in such horrible peril"
'That is all over, answered. "1t was
nothing. Twill tell you no more gloomy
details Let US turn to something
brighter. There is the treasure. What
could be brighter than that? J. got
leave to bring it with me, thinking
that it would interest you to be the
first to see it..
ut would be of the greatest interest
to me-" she said. There was nc eager
ness in her voice, however. 1t struck
her, doubtless. that it might seem un-
gracious upon her part to be indifer-
ent to prize which had cost so much
to win.
What pretty box" she said, stoop-
ing over it. This is Indian work, I
suppose?"
'.Ycs; it is Benares metal-work.
"And so heavy!'' she exclaimed, try
ing to raise it. The box alone must
be of some value. Where is the key?"
Small threw it into the Thames" l
answered. II must borrow Mrs. For
rester's poker" There was in the front
a thick and broad hasp, wrought in the
image of sitting Buddha. Under this
/ thrust the end of the poker and
twisted it outward as lever. The hasp
sprang open with loud snap. With
trembling fingers I flung back the lid.
We both stood gazing in establishment.
The box was empty!
No wonder that it was heavy. The
iron work was two-thirds of an inch
thick all round. 1t was massiTe, well
made and solid, like chest constructed
to carry things of great price, but not
one shred or crumb Of metal or jewelry
lay within it. 1t was absolutely and
completely empty.