The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20
New Sherlock Holmes Series

You have done wisely saia sal, my ifie'.e. But have you told me HI
 "Yes. all
 riss Rovlott you have not. You are
 ming your stepfather
 .why. what do you meanY
 For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace winch fringed the hand that lay upon our visitors Knee. flVe little Iivid spots. the marks Of Tour m gers and thumb, were printed upon the
 You have been cruelty used, said Holmes.
 The ladp colored deeply and covered over her injured wrist He is q hard man." she said. and perhaps he hardly knows his own strength.
 There was a long silence. during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the cracking fire.
 This is a very deep business. he said at last. "rhere are thousand details which I should desire to know before l decide upon our course of actloh. let We have not A moment to lose. If we were to come To Stoke Moran today would 1t be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your step father?"
 "As it happens, he spoke of coming into town today upon some important business. It Is probable that he Will De away all day and that there would be nothing to disturb you We have house. keeper now. but she Is old and foolish and l could easily get her out or the way
 "sxcellent You are not averse to this trip. Watson?''
 By no means"
 "Then w- shall both come What are you going 10 do yourseif?''
 "I have one or two things which would wish to do now that am in town. But I shall return by the 12 o'clock train, so as to be there in time for your com ing
 And von may expect ns early in the afternoon. I myself have some small busi- ness matters to attend to. Will you not wait and breakfast?'
 "No, l must go My heart is frightened already since l have eonfided my trou- be to you. I shall look forward to see ing you again this afternoon" She drop ped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room.
 And what do you think of it all, Wat son?" asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair
 "It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business"
 "Datk enough and sinister enough.
 Yet if the lady is correct in saying that. the flooring and walls are sound. and that the door. window and chimney are impossible. then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end
 What becomes. then. of these noctur- nal whistles and what of the very pe- euiar words of the dying woman?'
 "I cannot think"
 4tNNbat, tso,ta aon1hina tho idaac nf mhie- ties at night the presence of a band of gypsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has an interest in preventing his step daughters marriage. the dying allusion to band, and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard metallic elang. which ought to have been caused by one of the metal bars which secured the shut ters falling Into their place, l think that there is good ground to think that the mystery may be cleared along those lines"
 But what. then, did the gypsies do?'
 "I cannot imegine."
 ''I see many objections 10 any such the ory."
 And so do I. It is precisely for that reason that we are going to Stoke Moran this day. l want to see whether the ob- jectons are fatal, or If they may be explained away But what in the name of the devl!"
 The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open, r1d that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture. His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the az rcultural having a black top hat a long frock coat and a pair of high gaiters. with a hunting crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross-bar of the doorway. and his breadth seemed to span 1t across from side to side. A large face, scared with a thousand wrinkles. burned yellow with the sun and marked with every evil pas sion, was turned from one to the other of us. while his deep-set bile-shot eyes. and his high, thin. heshless nose gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey.
 (Which of you is Holmes?'' asked the apparition.
 vantage of me-" said my companion. quietly.
 ''I am pr. Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran"
 Indeed. doctor" said Holmes. blandy. "Pray take a seat"
 'I will do nothing of the kind My step- daughter has been here l have traced her What has she been saving to you?"
 'It is little cold for the time oI the year" said Holmes.
 What has she been saying to you?' screamed the old man. furiously
 But I have heard that the crocuses promise we'll. continued my companion mperturbably.