The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-19

of one of the Oldest Saxon families IN EnS1ahu'
the Roylotts OF Stoke Moran, on the western
border Of Surrey"
Holmes nodded his head ''The name is Ia
| miliar to me- said he.
."The family was at one time among the
richest in England, and the estates extended
over the borders into Berkshire In the north,
and Hampshire in the west. In the last CEN
fury, however, four successive heirs were of
dissolute and wasteful disposition, and the
family ruin was eventually completed by
gambler in tho days Of the regency. Nothing
was left save, few acres Of ground, and the
2OO-year-old house. which is itself crushed un-
der heavy mortgage The last squire dragged
out his existence there, living the horrible
life of an aristocratic pauper; but his only
| son, my stepfather, seeing that he must adapt
himself to the new conditions, obtained an
| advance from relative, which enabled him
to take medical degree, and went out to
Calcutta, where, by his professional skill and
his force Of character he established large
practice. In At Of anger, however, caused
| by some robberies which had been perpetrated
in the house, he beat his native butler to death,
and narrowly escaped capital sentence. AS
1t was, he suffered long term of imprison-
!
morose and disappointed g.
'When DR.. Roylott was in India he mar
ried my mother, Mrs. stoner, the young widow
of Major General Stoner of the Bengal ar
tillery. My sister Julia and were twins, and
we were only years old at the time of my
mothers remarriage. She had considerable
sum of money-not less than G1,000 a year
and this she bequeathed to DR.. Roylott entirely
1
that certain annual sum should be allowed
to each of US in the event of our marriage.
Shortly after our return to England my mother
died-she killed eight years ago in a
railroad accident near Crewe. DR.. Roylott then
abandoned his attempts to establish himself in
practice in London, and took us to live with
him in the old ancestral house at Stoke Moran.
The money which my mother had left was
enough for all our wants, and there seemed to
be no obstacle to our happiness
but terrible change came over our step
father about this time Instead of making
friends and exchanging visits with our neigh
bors, who had at first been overjoyed to see
Roylott Of Stoke Moran back in the old
family seat he shut himself up in his. house,
and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious
quarrels with whoever might cross his path.
Violence Of temper approaching to mania has
been hereditary in the men Of the family, and
in my stepfather's case it had, believe,
been intensified by his long residence in the
tropics. A series Of disgraceful braws took
place, two Of which ended in the police court
until at last he became the terror of the vii
lage, and the folks would fly at his approach
for he Is a man Of immense strength, and alb
solutey uncomfortable in his anger. -.
last week he hurled the local blacksmith
over parapet into a stream and it was only
: by paying over all the money which I couli
gather together that able to avert an
other public exposure. He had no friends
at all save the wandering gypsies, and he woult
give these vagabonds leave to encamp upol
, the few acres Of bramble- covered land which
represent the family estate and would accept il
return the hospitality of their tents, wander
Ing away with them sometimes for weeks O,
, end. He has passion also for Indian animals
:, which are sent over to him by correspondent
and he has at this moment cheetah and .
baboon' which wander freely over his grounds
= and are feared by the villagers almost as mucl
, as their master. ...7 tl.,-., .-.,-J: .
r ''You can imagine from what / say that m,
: poor sister Julia and had no great pleasur
< in our lives. No servant would stay with us
: and for long time we did all the work of tn
house. She was but\30 at the time of lie
death, and yet her hair had already begun t
G whtten, even mine has,
{. "Your sister Is dead, them"
I ''She died just two years ago, and it /
of her death that I wish to speak to you
You can understand that, living the life whic
a I have described, we were little likely to sc
!. anyone of our own age and position. We had
d however, an aunt, my mothers maiden sister
, Miss Honoria Westphail, who lives near Hal
row, and we were occasionally allowed to pa
d short visits at this lady's house. Julia wen
there at Christmas two years ago, and met Their
d a half-pay major Of Marines to whom she BIZ
Is came engaged. My stepfather learned of til
n engagement when my sister returned, and Of
q fered no objection to the marriage; but With
% q fortnight of the day which had been fixed &c
1t the wedding the terrible event occurred whic
has deprived of, my only companion
q Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back !
N his chair with his eyes closed and his hea
y sunk in a cushion, but he half-opened his lie
r. now apd glanced across at his visitor.
:: Pray be precise as to details,'' said he.
o | - II is easy lot me TO ne SO, Tor every ever
,r OF that dreadful time is scared into my men
!. DRY. The house is as I have alread
d said, very old, and only one wing is now i,
ID habited. The bedrooms in this wing are c
N the ground floor, the sitting rooms being
III the central block of the buildings. OF thes
d bedrooms the first is DR.. Roylott's, the secon
70 my sisters, and the third my own. There
1t no communication between them, but they a
If open out into the same corridor. Do NAL
II myself plan?'
>, ! Perfectly so.''
l. 1.-THE windows of the three rooms open OF
upon the lawn. That fatal night DIR. Roylo
t, had gone to his room early, tho we kne
l. that he had not retired to rest, for my siste
Y was troubled by the smell of the strong Il
IL dian cigars which it was his custom to smok,
/. She left her room, therefore,, and came I'M
mine, where she sat for some time, chattin
y about her approaching wedding. At II o cloc
I she rose to leave me, but she paused at Il
/, door and looked back.
:e '''Tell me, Helen said she, have you ey,
" heard anyone whistle in the dead of the night
t. Never said I.
is suppose that you could not possibl
IN whistle, yourself, in your sleep?'
Certainly not. But why7'
r Because during the last few nights
" have always, about 8 in the morning, hea,
id a low, clear whistle. I am light sleepe
At and it has awakened me. / cannot tell whe
N 1t came from-nerhaps from the next roon
lp perhaps from the lawn. thought that wou
N just ask you whether you had heard 1T.
a. - No; I have not. It must be tho
N wretched gypsies in the plantation