Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-16
CHAPTER VII.

The police had brought cab with them, | and In this l escorted Miss Morstan back | to her home After the angelic fashion of | women she had borne trouble with n calm face us long as there was some one weaker than herself to support, and l had found her bright and placid by the side of the l frightened housCkceper. In the cab, how | ever, she first turned faint and then burst | into passion of weeping, so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant upon that | journey. She little guessed the struggle | within my breast or the effort of self re- straint which held me back. My sympa- l thies and my love went out to her. even as my hand had in the garden. felt that 1 years of the conventionalitieS of life could not teach me to know her sweet, brave nature as had this one day of strange cx- periences Yet there were two thoughts which sealed tho words of affection upon my lips. She was weak and helpless, i shaken in mind and nerve. It was to take | her at disadvantage to obtrude love upon ! her at such time. Worse still she was | rich. If Holmes researches were success ful, she would be an heiresS Was it fair, | was it honorable, that a half pay surgeon should take such advantage of an intimacy which chance had brought about? Might | she not look upon me q mere vulgar fortune seeker? could not bear to risk that such n thought should cross her mind. | This Agra treasure intcrvencd like m i'm | passable barrier between us.
 It was nearly ? o'clock when we reached | Mrs. Cecil forrcster's The servants had retired hours ago, but Mrs. Forester had l been so interested by the strange message | which Miss MOrStan had received that she | sat up in the hope of her return. She | opened the door herself, middle aged, graceful woman, and 1t gave me joy to l see how tcnderly her arm stole round the | others waist nnd how mutherly was the voice in which sho greeted her She was clearly no mere paid dependent but an ! honored friend. l was introduced, and Mrs Forester earnestly begged mo to step in and to tell her our adventures. ex- plained, however, the importance of my errand and promised faithfully to call and | report any progress which we might make | with the case As we drove away l stulc n | glance back, and I still seem to sec that little group on the step, the two graceful, clinglng figures, the half open door, the hall light shining through stained glass, the barometer and the bright stair rods. It was soothing to catch even that passing glimpse of Il tranquil English home in the n'idst of tho wild, dark business which had absorbed Us
 And the moro thought of what had happened the wilder and darker it grew. l reviewed the whole extraordinary se- quence of events as rattlcd on through the silent Gaslit streets. There was the original problem That at least was pret- ty clear now The death of Captain Nor stan, the sending of the pearls, the adver- tisement tie let;er-we had had light upon all those events They kc-2 only led us, however, 10 Q deeper and fur more tragic mystery The Indian treasure, the curious plan found among MOrstan's bag gage, the strange scene at Major Sholto's death, tho rcdiscovcry of tho treasure, i'm mediately followed by the murder of the discovcrcr, the very singular accompani- ments to the crime, tho footsteps, the re markahle weapons, tho words upon the card, corresponding with those upon Cap tain Morstan's chart-hcrc was indeed q labyrinth in which a man less singularly endowed than my fclloY lodgor might we'll despair of ever finding the clow
 Pinchin lane was a row of shabby two storicd brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. I had to knock for some time at No, 8 before could make any i'm preston &t last, however, there was a glint of n candle behind the blind, and a face looked out at tho upper window.
 "Go on. you drunken vagabond," :" said the facc. ." If you kick up any moro row I'll open the kennels and let out 43 dogs upon you.
 If you'll let one out, it's just what have come for, said l.
 Go On!" yelled tho voice. So help uo gracious, have wiper in this bag, and I'll drop it on your cad if you don't hook l It."
 But l wnnt n dos, ." 1 cried.
 | ''I won't bN aruup1 Nyithlp Shnufc6 Nr Sherman. Now stand clear. for when I say three down goes the wiper.
 MT. Sherlock Holmes, 1 began, but the words had most magical effect, for the window instantly slammed dowr, and within a minute the door was unbarrod and open. MT. sherman was a lanky, lean old m8n, with stepping shoulders, a striney neck and blue tinted glasses.
 A friend of Mir. Sherlock is always welcome, said he. Step in, sir. Keep clear of the badger, for he bites. An, naughty, naughty, would you take a nip at tho gentleman" This to stoat which thrust its wicked head and rcd eyes be- tween tho bars of its cage. Don't mind that, sir. It's only slow worm. It hain t got no fangs, so l gives it the run O the room, for 1t keeps the beetles down. You must not mind my bcin just little short wi you at first, for I'm guyed at by the children, and there's many one just comes down this lane to knock me up What was it that Mir. Sherlock Holmes wanted, sirf''
 He wanted a dog of yours"
 "Ah! that would be Toby"
 Yes Toby was the name"
 Toby lives at No. :, on the left here " He moved slowly forward with his can 3le among tho queer animal family which ! ka1 1.al l. certain, shadowy light I could sec dimly that there were glancing, glimmering eyes peeping down at us from every cranny and corner. Even tho rafters above our heads were lined by solemn fowls, who lazily shifted their weight from one leg to the other as our voices disturbed their slum. bers.
 Toby proved to be an ugly, long haired, lop cared creature, half spaniel and half lurcher, brown and white in color, with a very clumsy, waddling gait. It accepted Ifter some hesitation a lump of sugar which the naturalist handed to me- and having thus sealed an alliance it followed me to the cab and made no difficulties about accompanying me It had just struck on the palace clock when found myself back once more at Pondicherry Lodge. The ex- prizefighter McMurdo had, l found, been arrested as an accessory, and both he and MT. Sholto had been marched of to the station. Two constablcs guarded tho narrow gate, but they allowed me to pass with the dog on my mentioning the detcctive's name.
 Holmes was standing on tho doorstep, with his hands in his pockets, smoking his pipe.
 "Ah, you have him thcrel" said he. Good dog, then. Athelney Jones has gone. We have had an immense display of energy since you left. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus, but the gate keeper, the housekeeper and the Indian servant. We have the plRce to ourselves | but for a garnaank m gfaira Iaava fha