Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-09-23

Theresa Wright. her oII maid. She
told me ala about her. about him. about
everything 4 tell you. gentlemen, il
nearly drove mc mad. This drunken
houud-that De should dare to raise bis
hand 90 her whose boots he was not
worthy 10 uck. ] met Theresa again.
Then 1 met Mary herself. and met her
again. Then she would meet me no
more. But the other day I had a no
ticc that ] was Co start on my voyage
within q week. aud 1 determined that
] would see her once before I left
Theresa was always nay friend. for she
loved Mary and hated this villain al
most as much as 1 did From her I
learned the ways OF the house. Mary
used 20 sit up reading ga her own little
room downstairs. i crept round there
last night and scratched at the win
dow. AT drst she would not open TO
me. but ia her heart know that now
she loves me, and she could not leave
me In the frosty night She whispered
10 me 70 come round 10 the big front
window. and I found IL open before
me. 50 as 10 let me into the dining
room. Again ! heard from her own
lips things that made my blood boil,
and again / cursed this brute who mis-
handled the woman ! loved. Well.
gentlemen. I was standing with her
just inside the window, in all inno-
cence, as God is my judge. when he
rushed like a mailman into the room,
called her the West name that a man
could use 10 a woman and welted her
across the face with the stick he had
IN his hand. I had sprung for the
poker, and it was a fair fight between
Us. See here on my arm where his first
blow fell. Then it was my turn, and
I went through him as If he had been
rotten pumpkin.
"She had screamed when he struck
her. and that brought old Theresa
down from the room above. There
was bottle Of wine on the sideboard,
and I opened it and poured a little be-
tween Mary's lips, for she was half
dead with shock. Then / took a drop
myself. Theresa was as cool as ice.
and IL was her plot as much as mine
We must make IL appear that burglars
had done the thing. Theresa kept on
repeating our story 10 her mistress
NAtAt 4 SM al A4Nl Up anu cut The rope
OF the bell. Then / dashed her in her
chair and frayed out the end OF the
rope 10 make 10 look natural, else they
would wonder how in the world bur
glar could have got up there to cut it.
Then ! gathered up a few plates and
pots OF silver TO carry out the idea Of
the robbery, and there I left them,
with orders TO give the alarm when
had a quarter OF an hours start. ]
dropped the silver into the pond and
made for Sydenham. And that's the
truth and the whole truth, Mr.. Holmes.
II It costs me my neck"
Holmes smoked for some time in ST
lence; then he crossed the room and
shook our visitor by the hand.
That's what I think" said he. 81
know that every word IS true for you
have hardly said a word which ! did
not know. No one but an acrobat or
a sailor could have got up to that bell
rope from the bracket, and no one but
q sailor could have made the knots
with which the cord was fastened to
the chair Only once had this lady
been brought into contact with sailors.
/ and that was on her voyage, and IL was
some one OF her own class OF life, since
she was trying hard to shield him and