The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

CUSTOM 10 smoke. Sne lett HSF TOO1H
therefore. and came into mine, where
she sat for some time, chatting about
her approaching wedding. At eleven
o'clock she rose to leave me but she
paused at the door and looked back.
Tell me, Helen said she, have
you ever heard any one whistle in the
dead of the night?
Never, said l.
L suppose that you could not pos
sibly whistle, yourself, in your sleep?'
Certainly not. But Why?'
Because during the last few nights
l have always about three in the
morning, heard a low, clear whistle.
/ am light sleeper, and it has aWak
ened me. | cannot tell where it came
from-perhaps from the next room
perhaps from the lawn. L thought
that l would just ask you whether you
had heard it,
Wretched gypsies in the plantation
Very likely. And yet if it were
on the lawn, [ wonder that you did
not hear it also.
"'Ah, but 1 sleep more heavily than
YOU
Well, it is of no great conse-
quence, at any rate She smiled back
at me, closed my door. and a few mo-
ments later l heard her key turn in
the lock-"
Indeed" said Holmes. "Was it
your custom always to lock yourselves
in at night?"
Always"
and why?"
81 think that l mentioned to you
that the doctor kept a cheetah and
a baboon. We had no feeling of Sc
curity unless our doors were locked"
Quite so. Pray proceed with your
statement"
II could not sleep that night. A
vague feeling of impending misfor-
tune impressed me. My sister and ],
you will recollect, were twins, and you
know how subtle are the links which
bind two souls which are so closely
allied. 1t was a wild night. The wind
was bowling outside, and the rain was
beating and splashing against the win
dows. Suddenly, amid all the hubbub
of the gale, there burst forth the wild
scream of terrified woman. l knew
that it was my sisters voice. | Sprang
from my bed, wrapped a shawl round
me, and rushed into the corridor. AS
| opened my door | seemed to hear 4
low whistle, such as my sister de-
scribed, and a few moments later a
changing sound, as if a mass of metal
had fallen. AS / ran down the pas
sage, my sisters door was unlocked.
and revolved slowly upon it's hinges.
| stared at it horror-stricken, not
knowing what was about to issue from
it. BY the light of the corridor lamp
| saw my sister appear at the open
ing, her face blanched with terror, her
hands cropping for help, her whole
figure swaying to and fro like that of
a drunkard. / ran to her and threw
my arms round her but at that mo.
ment her knees seemed to give way
and she fell to the ground. She
writhed as one who is in terrible pain,
and her limbs were dreadfully con-
vulsed. At first l thought that she
had not recognized me. but as | bent
over her she suddenly shrieked out in
a voice which shall never forget 90,
my God, Helen! 1t was the band!
The speckled band!' There was
something else which she would fain
have said, and she stabbed with her
finger into the air in the direction
of the doctors room, but fresh con-
vulsion seized her and choked her
words. | rushed out, calling loudly
for my step-father, and | met him
Fastening from his room in his dress
ing gown. When he reached my SIS
ter's side she was unconscious, and
though he poured brandy down her
throat and sent for medical aid from
the village, all efforts were in vain
for, she slowly sank and died without
having recovered her consciousness.
Such was the dreadful end of my be-
loved sister,
Zone moment" said Holmes; "are
you sure about this whistle and me-
tallic sound? Could you swear 10
it?"
THAT was what the county coroner
asked me at the inquiry. 1t is my
strong impression that / heard it.
and yet, among the crash of the gale
and the creaking of an old house. l.
may possibly have been deceived"
WAS your sister dressed?"
mo, she was in her night dress. IN
her right hand was found the charrad
stump of a match, and in her left a
match box"
Showing that she had struck a
light and looked about her when the
alarm took place. That is important.
And what conclusions did the coroner
come to?''
He investigated the case with great
care, for DIR. Roylott's conduct had
long been notorious in the county, but
he was unable to find any satisfactory
cause of death My evidence showed
that the door had been fastened upon
the inner side, and the windows were
blocked by old-faShioned shutters with
broad iron bars, which were secured
every night. The walls were carefully
sounded. and were shown to he quite
solid all round. and the flooring was
also thoroughly examined, with the
same result. The chimney is wide, but
is barred up by four large staples. 1t
is certain therefore. that my sister
was quite alone when she met her end.
Besides, there were no marks of any
violence upon her"
"How about poiSon?"
"The doctors examined her for it.
but without success"
''What do you think that this unfor-
tunate lady died of, then?"
ut is my belief that she died of pure
fear and nervous shock, thOU"h what !
1t was that frightened her I cannot
imagine"
"Were there gypsies in the planta-
ton at the time?''
eyes, there are nearly always some |
there
"Ah. and what did you gather from
this allusion to a banda speckled |
band ?"
Sometimes l have thought that il
vas merely the wild talk of delirium, |
that it may have referred |
10 some band of people, perhaps 10
.hese very gypsies in the plantation. 1 |
10 not know whether the spotted |
ndkerChiefS which so MANY of them |