Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-09-30

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be necessary for me to go over so pain
full story again"
'.Any questions, Mr.. Holmes?s asked
Hopkins.
81 will not impose any further tax
upon Lady Brackenstalrs patience and
time" said Holmes. Before go into
the dining room should like to hear
your experience" He looked at the
maid.
81 saw the men before ever they
came into the house," said she. Gas
sat by my bedroom window ] saw
three men in the moonlight down by
the lodge gate yonder, but thought
nothing Of 1t at the time. 1t was more
than an hour after that I heard my
mistress scream, and down I ran to
flnd her, poor lamb, just as she says.
and him ON. the floor, with his blood
and brains over the room. It was
enough to drive q woman out Of her
wits, tied there and her very dress spot
ted with him; but she never wanted
courage, did Miss Mary Fraser Of AIDE
laide, and Lady Brackenstall Of Abbey
Grange hasn't learned new ways.
You've questioned her long enough,
you gentlemen, and now she is coming
to her own room just with her old
Theresa to get the rest that she badly
needs"
With a motherly tenderness the
gaunt woman put her arm round her
S.x,.o~e. ~ l<<l bov Fv.~,1r, tho ysooyvO
''She has been with her all her life"
said Hopkins. 'Nursed her as baby
and came with her to England when
they first left Australia eighteen
months ago. Theresa Wright is her
name, and the kind of maid you don't
pick up nowadays. This way, Mr..
Holmes, IL you please"
The keen interest had passed out Of
Holmes expressive face, and I knew
that with the mystery all the charm Of
the case had departed. There still re-
manned an arrest to be effected, but
what were these commonplace rogues
that he should soil his hands with
them? An abstruse and learned spe-
cia.sst who finds that he has been call
ed in for a case of measles would ex-
perience something of the annoyance
which read in my friends eyes. Yet
the scene in the dining room Of the Alb
hey Grange was sufficiently strange to
arrest his attention and to recall his
waning interest.
1t was very large and high cham
Der, with carved oak ceiling, oaken
paneling and a fine array of deer's
heads and ancient weapons around the
walls At the farther end from the
door was the high French window of
which we had heard. Three smaller
windows on the right hand side filled
the apartment with cold winter sun
fireplace, with massive, overhanging
oak mantelpiece. Beside the fireplace
was heavy oaken chair with arms
and crossbars at the bottom. In and
out through the open woodwork was
woven a crimson cord, which was Sc
cured at each side to tn crosspiece be-
low. In releasing thWlady the cord
had been slipped off her, but the knots
with which it had been secured still re-
NAMED These "details Only struck our
attention afterward, for our thoughts
were entirely absorbed by the terrible
object which lay upon the tiger skin
hearth rug in front of the fire.
1t was the body Of tall, well made
man about forty years Of age. He
lay upon his back, his face upturned,
with his white teeth grinning through
his short black beard. His two
clinched hands were raised above his
head, and a heavy blackthorn stick
lay across them. His dark, handsome,
aquiline features were convulsed into
a spasm of vindictive hatred, which
had set bis dead face in a terribly
iendish expression. He had evidently
been in his bed when the alarm had
broken out, for he wore foppish, en-
orOidered nightshirt, and his bare feet
projected from his trousers. His head
was horribly injured, and the whole
room bore witness to the savage feroc-
ty Of the blow which had struck him
AOWA. DCSAOS AlLA lay tAC hOONy pOAOlS
bent into curve by the conclusion.
Holmes examined both it and the indie
,cribable wreck which it had wrought.
'He must be powerful man, this
elder Randall" he remarked.
"Yes,' said Hopkins. Il have some
'ecord Of the fellow, and he is rough
customer"
"You should have no difficulty in get
ing him"
''Not the slightest. We have been on
he lookout for him, and there was
'ome idea that he had got away to
Now that we know that the
gang are here I don't see how they
IAN escape We have the news at
avery seaport already, and reward
will be offered before evening. What
,eats me is how they could have done
70 mad a thing knowing that the lady
.ouid describe them and that we could
lot fail to recognize the description"
Exactly. One would have expected
hat they would have silenced Lady
3rackenstall as WE'LL
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