Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-09-17

business there DO you see? He was still
smiling in the most amiable manner.
! am sure If had known
Well. then. you know now. And II
you ever put your foot over that thres-
hold again'-here in an instant the smile
hardened into grin Of rage and he glared
down at me with the face OF a demon
ri throw you to the mastiff
Il was so terrified that l do not know
what | did. l suppose that 1 must have
rushed past him into my room. l remem-
Der nothing until l found myself lying on
my bed trembling all over. Then 1 thought
OF you Mr.. Holmes. I could not live there
longer without some advice. was fright
ened OF the house, OF the man, of the
woman. Of the servants, even of the child
They were all horrible to me. II I could
only bring you down all would be we'll
OF course, might have fed from the
house, but my curiosity was almost as
strong as my fears. My mind was soon
made up l would send you wire. I put
on my hat and cloak. went down TO the
office, which Is about half a mile from the
house, and then returned, feeling very
much easier. A horrible doubt came into
my mind as l approached the door lest the
dog might be loose, but 1 remembered
that Toler had trunk himself into a state
Of insensibil!ty that evening, and l knew
that Toller had drunk himself into state
hold who had any influence with the savage
creature or who would venture to set him
free. I slipped in I'm safety, and lay awake
half the night in my JOY at the thought Of
seeing you l had no difficulty in getting
leave to come into winchester this morn
ing, but I must be back before 3 o'clock,
for Mr.. and Mrs Rucastle are going on
Inc un
that must look after the child. Now Ihave
told you all my adventures, Mr. Holmes,
and I should be very glad If you could tell
me what II all means, and, above all, what
I should do"
Holmes and I had listened spellbound to
this extraordinary story. My friend rose
now and paced up and down the room, his
hands in his pockets and an expression Of
the most profound gravity upon his face.
us Toller still drunk" he asked.
yes 1 heard his wife tell Mrs. Ru-
castle that she could do nothing with him"
THAT is we'll. And the Rucastles go out
tonight?"
Yes"
as there a cellar with a good strong
iocl?'
YES the wine cellar"
you seem to have acted all through this
matter like a very brave and sensible girl,
Miss Hunter. Do you think that you could
perform one more feat? I should not ask
It of you If l did not think you quite ex-
ceptional woman"
81 will try. What is it?"
1--WE shall be at the Copper Beeches by
o'clock, my friend and l. The Rucastles
will be gone by that time, and Toller will,
we hope be incapable. There only re-
MIR civ
alarm. If you could send her into the cellar
on some errand and then turn the key
upon her you would facilitate matters i'm
mensely."
IT will do It."
Excellent! We shall then look thor
oughly into the affair. OF course, there is
only one feasible explanation. You have
been brought there to personate some one,
and the real person is imprisoned in this
chamber. That is obvious. AS to who this
prisoner is l have no doubt that 1t is the
daughter, Miss Alice Rucastle, If 1 remem-
Der right, who was said to have gone to
America. You were chosen, doubtless, as
resembling her in height, figure and the
color OF your hair. Hers had been cut of
very possibly in some illness through which
she had passed, and so, of course, yours
had to be sacrificed Salso. BY a curious
chance you came upon her tresses. The
man in the road was, undoubtedly. some
friend of hers-possbly her f1ance-and no
doubt, as you wore the girls dress and
was so like her, he was convinced from
your laughter, whenever he saw you, and
afterward from your gesture, that Miss Ru-
castle was perfectly happy and that she no
longer desired his attentions. The dog is
let loose at night to prevent him from en-
deaVnTiDR n "a yvffh har So
much is fairly clear. The most serious
point in the case is the disposition of the
child"
What on earth has that TO do with it?''
1 calculated.
my dear Watson, you as medical man
are continually gaining light as to the ten
denotes OF a child by the study OF the par
ents. Don't you see that the converse is
equally valid? 1 have frequently gained
my first real insight into the character of
parents by studying their children. This
child's disposition is abnormally cruel,
merely for cruelty's sake, and whether he
derives this from his smiling father, as l
should suspect, or from the mother, It
bodies evil for the poor girl who is in their
power"
II am sure that you are right, Mr.
Holmes" cried our client. "A thousand
certain that you hit 1t. Oh, let us lose not
an instant in bringing help to this poor
creature"
I'VE must be circumspect, for we are deal
ing with very cunning man. We can do
nothing until o'clock. At that hour we
shall be with you. and 1t will not be long
before We solve the mystery"
We were as good as our word, for II was
just o'clock when we reached the Copper
Beeches, having put up our trap at a way
side public house. The group of trees, with
their dark leaves shining like FURNISHED
metal in the light of the setting sun. were
sufficient to mark the house even had Miss
Hunter not been standing smiling on the
doorstep.
Have you managed it?" asked Holmes.
loud thudding noise came from some
where downstairs. That is Mrs. Toller in
the cellar" said she. Her husband lies
snoring on the kitchen rug. Here are the
keys which are the duplicates of Mr..
RucastIe's."
You have done we'll, indeedl" cried
Holmes with enthusiasm. Now lead the
way and we shall soon see the end OF this
black business"
We passed up the stair, unlocked the
door, followed on down a passage and
found ourselves in front Of the barricade
which Miss Hunter had described Holmes