Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
CHAPTER ".


sordid and common passage, ill lit and
worse furnished, until he came to a
door upon the right, which he threw
open a blaze of yellow light streamed
out upon us, and in the center of the
glare there stood a small man with
O very high head, bristle of red
hair all round the fringe of it, and
q bald shining scalp, which shot
out from among it like a mountain
peak from fir trees. He writhed his
hands together as he stood, and his
features were in perpetual jerk, now
smiling, now scowling, but never for
an instant in repose. Nature had given
him pendulous lip, and too visible
line of yellow and irregular teeth,
which he strove feebly to conceal by
constantly passing his hand over the
lower part of his face. In spite of his
obtrusive badness, he gave the impress
sion of youth. In point of fact he had
just turned his thirtieth year.
Your servant, Miss Morstan," he
kept repeating in thin, high voice.
our servant, gentlemen. PRAY step
into my little sanctum A small place.
miss, but furnished to my own liking.
An oasis of art in the howlingdesert of
South London"
We were all astoniShed by the ap-
pearance of the apartment into which
he invited us. In that sorry house it
looked as out of place as a diamond of
the first water in a setting of brass.
The richest and glossiest of curtains
and tapestries draped the walls, looped
back here and there to expose some
richly mounted painting or Oriental
vase. The carpet was of amber and
black, so soft and so thick that the
foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a
bed Of moss. Two great tger-slxins
thrown athwart it increased the sur-
geston of eastern luxury, as Gid a
huge hookah which stood upon a mat
IN the corner A lamp in the fashion of
a silver dove was hung from an almost
invisible golden wire in the center of
the room. As it burned il filed the air
with subtle and aromatic odor
Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, said the little
man, still jerking and smiling. That
is my name. You are Miss Morstan, of
course. And these gentlemen"
This is Mr.. Sherlock Holmes, and
this Or. Watson"
"a doctor, eh?" cried he much ex-
cited. Have you your stethoscope?
Might | ask you-would YOU have the
kindness? | have grave doubts as to
my mitral valve, if you would be so very
good The aortic may rely upon, but
! should value your opinion upon the
mitral"
listened TO his heart as requested.
but was Unable to find anything amiss,
save indeed that he was in an ecstasy
OF fear, for he shivered from head 60
foot. 1T appears to be normal, |
said lyon have no cause for uneasi-
ness"
You will excuse my anxiety, Miss
Morstan," he remarked, airiv ~ am
great sufferer, and have long had
suspicious as TO that valve. | am de-
lighted TO hear that they are unwar-
ranted- Had your father, Miss Nor
STAN RETAINED from throwing a strain
upon his heart he might have been
alive now"
] could have struck the man across
the face, so hot was | at this callous
and off-hand reference to so delicate n
matter Miss Morstan sat down ano
her face grew white to the lips. ~
knew in my heart that he was dead"
said she.
81 can give you every information"
said ne, land, what is more, ] can do
you justice; and | will. too, whatever
Brother bartholomew may say. am
so glad to have your friends here, not
only as an escort to you, but also as
witnesses to what am about TO do and
say. The three of us can show a bold
front to Brother bartholomew. But let
US have no outsiders-no police or Off
Gals We can settle everything salts
factorily among ourselves, without any
interference. Nothing would annoy
Brother Bartholomew more than anv
publicity" He sat down upon low
settee and blinked at us inquiringly
with his weak, watery blue eyes.
"For my part" said Holmes, what
ever you may choose to say will go no
further"
nodded to show my agreement.
That is well! That is WE'LL" said he
MAY ! offer you a glass of Chianti,
Miss Morstan? Or of Tokay? / keep
no other wines Shall open a flask?
No? Well, then, trust that you have
no objection to tobacco smoke, to the
mild balsamic odor of the eastern to-
bacco. | am little nervous, and find
my hool<ah an Invaluable sedative. >
He applied taper to the great bowl,
and the smoke bubbled merrily through
the rose water. We sat all three in a
semicircle, with our heads advanced,
and our chins upon our hands, while
the strange, jerky little fellow, with
his high, shining head, pulled uneasily
IN the center.
When | first determined to make
this communication to you," said he,
i might have given you my address.
out feared that you might disregard
my request and bring unpleasant peo-
pie with you. | took the liberty, there
fore Of making an appointment in such
way that my man Williams might be
able 20 see you first. | have complete
confidence in his discretion, and he had
orders, if he were dissatisfied, to pro-
ceed no further in the matter. You
viii excuse these precautions, but am
man of somewhat retiring, and /