Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-05-12

where he had gone. There seemed TO
be no necessity why any soul ever
should know.
"'I was still bordering over the mat
ter, when, looking up, | saw my serv-
ant, Lal Chowdar, in the doorway.
He stole in, and bolted the door behind
him. "Do not fear, sahib," he said.
mo one need know that Won have
killed him. Let us hide him away,
and who is the wser?' II did not
kill him." said |. I.al Chowdar shook
his head, and smiled. 81 heard it all,
sahib," said he. ~ heard you quarrel.
and heard the blow. But nv lips
are sealed. All are asleep in the house.
Let us put him away together" That
was enough TO decide the. II my own
servant could not believe my inno-
cencc. how could I hope to make it
good before twelve foolish tradesmen in
Jury box? Lal Chowdar and dis
posed OF the body that night, and
within few days the London papers
were full OF the mysterious disappear
ancc OF Capt. Morstan. You will see
from what say that can hardly be
blamed in the matter. My fault lies in
only the body. but also the
treasure, and that | have chung
to Morstans share as we'll as TO
my own. wish you, therefore. To
make restitution. Put your ears down
to my mouth. The treasure is hidden
in At this instant horrible change
came over his expressions; his eyes
stared wildly, his jaw dropped, and he
yelled in voice can never forget:
Keep him out For Christ's sake keep
him OUT We both stared round at the
window behind us upon which his gaze
was fixed. A face was looking in at us
out of the darkness. We could see the
whitening Of the nose where il was
pressed against the glass. II was a
bearded, hairy face. with wild, cruel
eyes and an expression of concentrated
inalevolcnce. Ny brother and rushed
towards the window, but the man was
gone. When we returned TO my father
his head had dropped and his pulse ha d
ceased to beat.
"Wc searched the garden that night.
but found no sign of the intruder, save
that Just under the window single
footmarll was visible in the tlowcr-bcd.
But for that one trace. we might have
thought that our aCinations had con
jured up that wild, fierce face. We
soon, however, had another and more
striking proof that there were secret
agencies at work all around us. The
IL. IS, s.
open in the morning, his cupb0ards and
boxes had been rt!cd. and upon his
chest was fixed torn piece Of paper,
with 'hc words Tho sign Of the four
SCREWED a""o>~ II VIVA. the phra >
.--"' vi.i'o, -.
have been, we never knew. As far as
we can Judge, none of my father s
property had been actually stolen,
though everything had been turned
I out My brother and naturally asso-
! rated this peculiar incident with the
fear which haunted my father during
his life; hnt it is X i'll Il complete mys-
terry to us"
The little man stopped 70 rclight his
/ hookah, and pulled thonghttully for a
/ few moments. We had I'll sat absorbed.
listening to his extraordinary nara
tive. At the short account of her IA
theirs death Miss Morstan had turned
deadly white. and for Il moment
feared that she was about TO faint. She
rallied, however. on drinking glass OF
water which quietly poured out for
her from Venetian carafe upon the
side table. Sherlock Holmes LEANED
back in his chair with an abstractcd
expression and the lids drawn low
over his glittcring cpcs. AS | glancct
at him could not but think how OF
that very day he had complained bit
tcrlv of the commonplac-ness of life
: Here, at least, was n problem Whicl
would TAX his sagacitY to the utmost
Mr.. Thaddous Sholto looked from one t.
the other OF us with an obvious pride
az the effect which his story had pro
duccd, and then continued between
the puffs of his ovcrgrown pipe.
"My brother and H. said he, were
as You may imagine, much excited a.
to the treasure which my father la,
spoken of. For weeks and for months
we dug and delved in every part Of the
garden, without discovering its where
abouts. 1t was maddeuing to thinl
that the hiding place was on his very
lips at the moment that he died ",
could Judge the splendor of the miSsiu
riches by the chaplet which he ha'
taken ont. Over this chaplet M
brother bartholomew and had som,
little discussion. The pearls wore evi