The Washington times., 1905-06-04

open the door and rushed in. but he
was out again in an instant. with his
hand to his throat.
tits charcoal" he cried. "Giye it
time It win clear
peering in, we could see that the
only light in the room came from a.
duh blue fame which fickered from
small brass tripod in the center It
threw a 1fvid, unnatural circle upon the
floor, while in the shadows beyond We
saw the vague loom of two figures
which crouched against the wall. From
the open door there reeked a horrible
poisonous exhalation which set US
gasping and coughing. Holmes rushed
TO the top of the stairs to draw in the
fresh air. and then. dashing into the
room, he threw up the window-and
hurled the brazen tripod out into the
garden.
1--WE can enter in a minute. he
| gasped, darting out again. Where is
a candle? l doubt If we could strike
a match in that atmosphere. Hold the
light at the door and we shall get them
out, Mycroft, now!''
With a rush we got to the poisoned
men and dragged them out into the
weIi-lit hall. Both Of them were blue
| Tipped and insensible, with swollen,
| congested faces and protruding eyes.
Indeed. so distorted were their features
| that. save for his black beard and stout
! figure, we might have failed to recog-
nize in one of them the Greek inter
prefer who had parted from us only a
! few hours before at Diogenes Club.
| His hands and feet were securely
| strapped together, and he bore over one
| eve the marks of a violent blow. The
other, who was secured in similar
fashion, was a tall man in the last
| stage of emaciation, with several strips
! Of sticking plaster arranged in gro
tesoue pattern over his face, He had
| ceased TO moan as I'VE laid hi1a down.
| and a glance showgd me that for him
at least our aid had come too late. Mr.
/ AIelas, however, still lived, ana IN less
than an hour, with the aid OF ammonia
| and brandy. 1 had the satisfaction OF
/ seeing him open his eyes, and of know
| ing that my hand had drawn him back
from that dark valley in which all
paths meet
It was a simple story which he had to
tell. and one which did but confirm our
own deductions. His visitor. on enter
ing his rooms, had drawn life pre-
server from his sleeve. and had so i'm
pressed him with the fear OF instant
and inevitable death that he had kid
naped MIN for the second time. Indeed.
1T was almost mesmeric, the effect
which this giggling ruft1an had produced
upon the unfortunate lnguist. for he
could not speak of hf-n save with
trembling hands and a blanched cheek.
He had been taken swiftly to Becken-
ham. and had acted as interpreter in a
second interview, even more dramatic
than the first, in which the two Eng
ilishnen had menaced their prisoner
with instant death if he did not comply
with their demands Finally. finding
him proof against every threat. they
had hurled him back into his prison
and after reproaching Melas with his
treachery. which appeared from the
newspaper advertisement. they had
stunned him with blow from stick
and he remembered nothing more until
he found us bending over him.
4 And this was the singular case of the
Grecian interpreter, the explanation ot
which is still involved in some mystery
We were able to find out. by commu.
nicatng with the gentleman who ha6
answered the advertisement. that the
unfortunate young lady came of {
wealthy Grecian family, and that she
had been on q visit to some friends II
England. While there she had met {
!, young man named Harold Latimer. who