The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-05-31
CHAPTER Y.-cnnrrruzn

1t 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-seelIers. 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 something amiss with Bar
tholomewl" he cried. Il am fright
ened! NY nerves cannot stand it." He
was, indeed, half-blubbering with 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.
Eyes, dol" 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
Ieft-hand side of the passage The old
woman was pacing up and down with
a scared look and restless, picking
fingers, but the sight of Miss Morstan
appeared to have soothing effect upon
her.
God bless your sweet calm facet"
she cried, with historical sob. 1T
does me good to see you. Oh, but |
have been sorely tired this dayr'
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.
"All day l have waited to hear from
him. for he often likes to be alone; but
an hour ago feared that something was
amiss, so went up and peeped through
the keyhole- You must go up, MIR.
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 never saw him
with such a 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 ne 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 assembled
Holmes whipped his lens out of his
pocket and carefully examined marks
which appeared TO me to be mere
shapcless 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 chances to right and
left. Miss Morstan had remained be-
hind with the frightened housekeeper.
The third fight of stairs ended in a
straight passage of some length, with
a great picture in Indian tapestry'upon
the right of it and three doors upon the
left. Holmes advanced along it in the
same slow and methodical 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. Sher-
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 l
had ever before seen him. What do
you make of ftp"
stopped to the hole, and recoiled in
horror. Moonlight was streaming into
the room, and it was bright with
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 bloodless countenance.
The features were set, however, in a
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
I recalled to mind that he had men
toned to US that his brother and he
were twins.
This is terrible'' said to Holmes.
t'What is to be done?"
THE door must come down." he an
swered, and, springing against it, he
put all his weight upon the lock. 1t
creaked and groaned, but did not yield.
Together we flung ourselves upon it
once more, and this time it gave way
with a sudden snap, and we found our
selves within bartholomew SholtO's
chamber.
1t appeared TO have been fitted up as
a 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
Bunsen burners. test tubes and retOrts.
In the corners stood carbcys of acid in
wicker baskets. One of these appeared
TO leak or TO naye been broken, for 4
stream of dark-colored liquid had
triezieG ont from it, and the air was
heavy with a peculiarly pungent tar
Ike odor. A set of steps stood at one
side of the room, in the midst of lit
ter of lath and plaster, and above
them there was an opening in the cell
ing large enough for a man to pass
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