The Irish standard., 1895-05-04

SRIuesS1QT HLS1ss aht ssNssNM l1&s3t
We Kept close at His heels, fth onrS5
long black shadows streal ting M
wards down the corrido he tlEifd
door was that which we were seeking,
Holmes knocked without receiving any
answer. and then tried tor turn the I
handle and force. it open. IT was
locked on the inside, however, and by ass
broad and powerful bolt, as we could Z
see when we set our, lamp up against Y
it. The key being turned, however. Y
the hole was not entirely closed. sher~sg
lock Holmes bent down to it, and ms
stantly rose again with a sharp ;ntak.
ing of the breath. .& s1as II
ssThere is something devilish in this,
Watson, y said he, more moved than u
had ever before seen him. 'What do
you make Of it?'' A.si S
stopped to the hole, and recoiled Ia
horror. Moonlight streaming into
the room, and it was bright with q
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 ThaddeuH
There was the same high, shining
head, the same circular bristlc OF red
hair the same bloodless counter aDce.
The features were set, however, in q
horrible smile, {. fixed and unnatural
grin, which in that still and lnoonait 9
room was more jarring to the nerves
than any scowl or c,ntortion. So like
WAS the face to that of our little friend
that looked round at him to make
sure that ne was indeed with us. Then
recalled to mind that he had mems
toned to us that his brother and he
were twins.
ssThis is serrih1eH' said to Holiness
stWhat is to be done?'' @s".
t'tThe door must come down. he ,eyt1-t
swerea, and, springing against it, he.
put all his sveiEht upon the lock- It
crea4sea and groaned,. bat did not yield.I
Together we AHnpg ourselves upon il
ones more, and this time it gave way
With q sudden snap. and we found orr
selves within bartholomew Sholto's
chamber. &.. Z
1T appeared to have E'esa E ttea u,p aa .
a chemical laboratory. a souhse sIna
OF glass-stoppered BEETLES was {esasyrfa
up upon the we'll Opposite the door,
and the table YVES ltttared oyer Nsig it'll,
Bursen burners, test tubes and rstprts1
In the corners stood earboys Of acid in
wicker baskets. One ofthese appeazeH
TO leak or to have been hpekeri, Fer u !.
stream of dsrk-colared Liquid tsad
triclzied out from it, and the airswas !.
heavy with peculiarly pungent tar
like odor. A set OF steps stdpod ntone.
side Of the room, in the midst Of d lit
ter of Latin and plaster, and above,
them there was an opening in the Cell
ing large enough for man 10 pass
through. At the foot Of the steps u
long coil Of rope was thrown carelesslyi
I together. > IL
by the table, in wooden armchair.
the master Of the house was seated all
in a heap, with his head sunk upon hia
left shoulder, and that ghastly. inscrut- F.
able smile upon his face. He was STIFF
and cold, andt had clearly been dead
many hours. It seemed to ,ne that not
only his features but all his limbs we're
twisted and turned in tho most fam.
tastic fashion. BY his hand upon, tho Z
table there lay a peculiar instrument,
"a brown, elese-grained stick with . h
stone head like 81 hammer, rudy s
dashed on with coarse Irvine. Beside H.
was torn sheet Of note paper with
some words scrawled upon it. HolEnes
glanced at it, and then handed it to nc.
"You see,' he said, with a significant
raising of the eyebrows. .t,
" In the Light of the lantern read,
with q thrill of horror: ,t"Ehe sign OF
the four" = =.
Sin Gods name, what does 1t all
mean?" asked, 49, *
SIT means murder" said he, STOPPING
over the dead man. "Ah, expected IL