Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
Copyright by Harper & Bros.)

| VI my mOtner 3 reIndrTldBe. Sne naO d COLI
| siderable sum of money-nOt less than f1OO0
! a year-and this she beQueathed to DR.. Roy
| lott entirely while we resided with him,
| with a provision 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 was
killed eight years ago In railway accl-
dent near Crewe DIR. Roylott then aban-
| doned 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 hap
! piness.
| But a terrible change came over my
| stepfather about this time. Instead OF
| making friends and exchanging visits with
| our nelghbors. who had at first been over
| joyed to see a Roylett of Stoke Moran back
| in the old family seat he shut himself UP IN
| his house and seldom came out. save 10
! 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 step
| fathers case it had. believe. been intensl-
| fled by his long residence in the tropics
| series of disgraceful brawls took place. two
| of which ended in the police court, until at
| last he became the terror of the village,
| and the folks would fly at his approach, for
| he Is a man of immense strength and abso-
lutely uncomfortable in his anger.
Last week he hurled the local black
, smith over parapet into a stream, and 1t
I was OnIy DS paying ONeI ali tIit
| which l could gather together that 1 was
! able to avert another public exposure. He
| had no friends at all save the wandering
| gypsies. and he would give these vagabonds
| leave TO encamp upon the few acres of
| bramble-c covered land which represent the
| family estate, and would accept In return
| the hospitality of their tents. wandering
| away with them sometimes for weeks on
end. He has passion also for Indian ami
mails. which are sent over to him by cor
| respondent. and he has at this moment a
! cheetah and balloon, which wander freely
| over his grounds and are feared by the
| villagers almost much as their master.
| You can imagine from what l say that
my poor sister Julia and 1 had no great
pleasure in our lives. No servant would
| stay with us. and for long time We did
| all the work of the house. She was but
| thirty at the time of her death, and yet
| her hair had already begun to whiten, even
| mine has"
| Your sister Is dead, them"
| 'She died just two years ago, and it Is of
| her death that 1 wish to speak TO you. You
| can understand that, living the life which
| I have described. we were little likely to
! see any one of our own age and position.
| We had however. an aunt, my mothers
| maiden sister Miss Honora Westphail,
| who lives near Harrow and we We're occa-
| sonally allowed to pay short visits at this
| lady's house. Julia went there at Chr1st-
mas two years ago and met there a half
pay major of marines. to whom she became
| engaged. My stepfather learned of the en-
| gagement when my sister returned ana
| offered objection to the marriage; but
| within a fortnight of the day which had
| been fixed for the wedding the terrible
| event occurred which has deprived me OF
my only companion
| Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back
| In his chair with his eyes closed and his
! head sunk in a cushion. but he half opened
| his lids now and glanced across at ms
| visitor.
| Pray be precise as to Details" said he
10
| event OF that dreadful time Is scared into
| my memory. The manor-house Is, as i
| have already said, very old. and only one
| wing is now inhabited The bedrooms IN
| this wing on the ground floor. the SIT.
ting rooms being in the central block OF
| the buildings OF these bedrooms the first
| is Dr. Roylott's, the second my sisters and
| the third my own There is no commuhica.
| ton between them. but they all open out
| into the same corridor Do 1 make myself
Dlain?"
Perfectly So"
| "The windows of the three rooms open
out upon the lawn. That fatal night Dr.
| Roylott had gone to his room early. though
| we knew that he had not retired to rest.
for my sister was troubled by the smell of
! the strong Indian cigars which it was his
| custom to smoke She left her room.
| therefore, and came into mine. where she
| sat for some time. chatting about her ap-
preaching wedding. At II 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 |.
81 suppose that you could not possibly
| whistle. yourself, in your sleep?
| " Certainly not. But why?'
| Because during the last few nights l
! have always. about 3 in the morning. heard
low, clear whistle. l light sleeper,
! and it has awakened me. l cannot tell
| where it came fropl-perhaps from the next
| room, perhaps from the lawn. L thought
| that | would just ask you whether you mad
| heard IT.
| No, l have not. 1t must be those
| wretched gypsies in the plantation
| Very likely. And yet ii it were on the
lawn l wonder that you did not hear. 1t
| also
! All. but 1 sleep more heavily than you?
| Well, it is of no great consequence, at
any rate She smiled back at me- closed
! my door. and few moments later 1 heard
| her key turn in the lock"
| Indeed said Holmes WAS 1t your
| custom always to lock yourselves In at
nIght?'
Always"
| Ana why?"
! Il think that l mentioned to you that the
! doctor kept cheetah and baboon. We
, had no feeling of security unless our doors
| were locked"
quite so. Pray proceed with your state
| ment"
y
feeling OF impending misfortune impressed
me. My sister and l. you will recoIlect,
| were twins. and you know how subtle are
the links which bind two souls which are
| so closely allied. 1t was wild night. The
| wind was bowling outside. and the rain was
| beating and spashing against the windows.
| Suddenly. amid all the hubbub of the gale,
| there burst forth the wild scream of a ter
rlned woman. | knew that 1t was my SIS
| ters voice. l sprang from my bed wrap
| ped a shawl around me and rushed into
| the corridor. AS l opened my door |
| seemed TO hear low whistle such as my
| sister described, and a few moments later
| changing sound. II mass of metal
| had fallen AS / ran down the passage
| my sisters door was unlocked and revoIved
slowly upon its hinges. l stared at 1t hor-
| ror-stricken, not knowing what was about
| to issue from it. BY the light of the CORR
| dor lamp ! saw my sister appear at the
| opening, Ler race blanched with terror her
! hands sropiug for help, her whole figure
| swayins 10 and fro like that of a drunkard.
| l RAJ to her and threw my arms around
| her. but at that moment 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 convused
| At first l thought that she had not recog-