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

Il knew that we should find Venti.
lator before ever We came to Stoke
| Moran"
my dear Holmes!"
"Oh yes, | did You remember in
her statement she said that her sister
could smell DR.. Roylott's cigar. Now
of course that suggested at once that
| there must be communication be-
tween the two rooms 1t could only
be a small one, or it would have been
remarked upon at the coroner's in
quiry / deduced a ventilator."
but what harm can there be in
that?''
well. there is at least a curious co
incidence of dates. A ventilator is
made, a cord is hung, and a lady who
sleeps in the bed dies. Does not that
strike you?"
II cannot as yet see any connec
tion.''
Did you observe anything very pc
culiar about that bed?"
No"
ct was clamped to the floor. Did
you ever see a bed fastened like that
before %
II cannot say that 1 have"
THE lady could not move her bed.
1t must always be in the same rela-
tive position to the ventilator and to
| the rope-for so we may call 1T, since
| it was clearly never meant for a bell
pull"
Holmes" / cried, 81 seem to see
dimly what you are limiting at. We.
| are only just in time to prevent some
subtle and horrible crime"
Subtle enough and horrible enough.
When a doctor does go wrong, he is
| the first of criminals. He has nerve
and he has knowledge. Palmer and
Pritchard were among the heads OF
! their profession. This man strikes
even deeper, but / think. Watson that
we shall be able to strike even deeper
still. But we shall have horrors
enough before the night is over; for
goodness sake let us have a quiet
pipe, and turn our minds for a few
hours to something more cheerful
About nine o'clock the light among
| the trees WAS extinguished, and all
was dark in the direction of the
| Manor House. Two hours passed SOW
away, and then. suddenly, just at the
stroke of eleven, q single bright light
shone out right in front Of us.
THAT is our signal" said Holmes,
springing to his feet; sit comes from
| the middle window
| As We passed out he exchanged q
few words with the landlord, explain.
! ing that we were g Sing on a late visit
| to All acquaintance, and that it was
possible that We might spend the night
| there. A moment later we were out
On the dark road, a chill wind blow
| ing in our faces. and one yellow light
| tWinkling i'll front of us through the
| gloom to guide us on our sombre err
| rand.
There was little difficulty in enter
| ing the grounds, for unrepaired
breaches gaped in the old park wall
Making our way among the trees, we
reached the lawn, crossed it, and were
fA.4 1Icrla fhn vinr ny
when out from a c'ump of Laurel
bushes there darted what seemed TO
be hideous and distorted child who
threw itself upon the grass with with
ing limbs. and then ran swiftly across
| the lawn into the darkness.
My God" l whispered; did you
| see it,"
startled as l. His hand closed like
vice upon my wrist i'm his agitation.
| Then he broke into a low laugh, and
put his lips TO my ear.
1T is a nice household" he muir
| INJURED. THAT is the babOon."
l had forgotten the strange pets
which the .loctor affected. There was
| cheetah, too; perhaps we might fino
| it upon our shoulders at any moment.
| l confess that 1 felt easier in my mine
when, after following Holiness eX
ample and slipping off my shoes
| found myself inside the bedroom.
My companion noiselessy closed the
| shutters, moved the lamp onto the
/ table, and cast his eyes round the
| room. All was as we had seen 1T In
| the daytime. Then creeping up to ms
and making a trumpet of his hand, he
| whispered into my ear again so gently
| that it was all that | could do to dis
| tinguish the words:
1.-The least sound would be fatal t.
our plans"
1 nodded to show that had heard.
I'VE must sit without light. He
would see it through the ventilator.
l nodded again.
| do not go asleep; your very life
may depend upon it. Have your pis-
tol ready in case We should need it,
will sit on the side of the bed, and
you in that chair"
| l took out my revolver and laid il
on the corner of the table.
| Holmes had brought up a long, thiE
cane, and this he placed upon the bee
beside him. BY it ne laid the box OF
matches and the stump of a candle
| Then he turned down the lamp, ant
we were left in darkness.
| How shall / ever forget that dread.
| tul vigil? l could not hear a sound
not even the drawing of breath, and
| yet | knew that my companion ga
| open-eyed, within a few feet of me, IL
| the same state of nervous tension il
which l was myself. The shutters cut
off the least ray of light, and we waited
in absolute darkness. From the out
! side came the occasional cry of
night bird, end once at our very win.
dow a long drawn cat-like whine
which told us that the cheetah was In
deed at liberty. Far away we could
hear the deep tones of the parish
clock, which doomed out every quar-
ter of an hour. How long they seem.
| ed, those duartersi Twelve struck
| and one and two and three and still
| we sat waiting silently for whatevci
might befall.
Suddenly there was the momentary
CLEAN of light up in the direction
of the ventilator, which vanished i'm.
mediately, but was succeeded by
strong smell of burning oil and heated
metal. Some one il. the next room
lad lit a lantern. l heard
gentle sound of movement, and thel
all was silent once more, though the
| smell grew stronger. For half al
hour / sat with straining ears Thel
suddenly another sound became audi