The citizen., 1905-08-04

III LAD1 LA1 BACK EN-
I tainted onca more but again it
could only have reen for a very few
minutes during which l was insensi.
be. When l opened my eyes l found
that they had collected the silver from
the >iaeboarl ana they had drawn a
bottle Of wine which stood there. Each
OF them had a glass in his hand. l
have already told you. have | not. that
one was elderly, with beard ana the
others young. hairless lads? They
might have been a father with his two
sons. They talked together in whis-
perS. Then they came over and made
sure that | was securely bound. FL
nallr they withdrew closing the win
dow after them. 1t was quite quar-
Ter Of an hour before | got my mouth
free. When I did so my screams
brought the maid to my assistance.
The other servants were soon alarmed.
and we sent for the local police. who
instantly communicated with London.
That is really all that | can tell you.
gentlemen, and l trust that it will not
he necessary for me to 20 over so pain.
tul story again"
ANY questions. Mr.. Holmes:" asked
Hopkins.
Il will not impose any further tux
upon Lady BrackonStalls patience and
time said Holmes. before | 20 into
the di9in- room | should Ike to hear
your experience" He looked ut tie
maid
Il saw the men before ever they
came into the house." said she. "As
l sat hy my bedroom window | saw
three men in the MOONLIGHT down by
the lodge gate yOudor. but l thought
nothing of it at the time. Ii was more
than an hour after thar | heard u.y
mistress scream and down I rln 10
find her poor lamb, just as she says.
ana him on the floor with his blood
and brains over the room. II was
enough to drive a woman out Of her
wits. tied there and her very dr. : spoi-
ted with him: bur she never vented
courage. did Miss Mary Fraser of Ado
laide. and Lady Brachenstall 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 motherly tenderness the
gunt woman put her arm round her
mistress and led her from the room.
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, if You please
The keen interest had passed out of
Holmes expressive face. and l knew
that with the mystery all the charm Of
the case had den1rted There still &c
manned an arrest TO be effected. but
what We're these commonplace rogueS
that he should soil his hands with
them? An abstruse and learned spe-
cialiSt who finds that he has been call
ed i'll for case of Iaeasles 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
ber, with carved oak ceiling. oaken
paneling and 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
shine. On the left was large, deep
fireplace. with massive. overhanging
oak mantelpiece. Beside the fireplace
was a 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 the crosspiece be-
low. In releasing the lady the cord
had been slipped of her, but the knots
with which it had been secured still re-
mained. 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, we'll 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 vindictiye hatred, which
had set his dead face in terribly
fiendish expression. He had evidently
been in his bed when the alarm had
broken out for he wore foppish, EN-
broidered nightshirt, and his bare feet
projected from his trousers. Ills head
was horribly injured, and the whole
room bore witness to the savage feroc-
ity of the blow which had struck him
down. Beside him lay the heavy poker,