The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-17


go over them. II was not mere cilri-
osity, though | have my share Of tHIt.
/ II was more a feeling of duty-a feel
| ing that some good might come from
my penetrating TO this place. They
talk OF Womans instinct; perhaps il
! was wOman's instinct which gave me
that feeling. At any rate. it was there
and T was keenly on the lookout for
any chance TO pass the forbidden door
1T was only yesterday that the
chance came. 1 may tell you that. be
sides Mr.. Rucastle, both TOller and his
| wife find something to do in these de-
serted rooms, and l once saw him car
rying a large black linen bag with him
| through the door. Recently he has been
| drinking hard, and yesterday evening
4 ne was very drunk; and, when l came
upstairs, there was the key in the door.
! have no doubt at all that he had left
/ it there Mr.. and Mrs. Rucastle were
both down stairs, and the child was
with them, so that had an admirable
opportunity ] turned the key gently
| in the lock, opened the door and slipped
/ through.
There was a little passage in front
/ of me, unpapared and uncarpeted,
which turned at a right angle at the
farther end. Round this corner were
| three doors in q line, the first and third
/ Oh WHICH were ODEn 4DCg EdCA AG1
into an empty room, dusty and cheer
less. with two windows in the one and
one in the other, so thick with dirt that
the evening light glimmered dimly
through them. The center door was
closed, and across the outside of il
had been fastened one of the broad
bars of an iron bed, padlocked at one
end to a ring in the wall, and fastened
at the other with stout cords. The door
itself was locked as well, and the key
was not there. This barricaded door
correspondent clearly with the shut
tered window outside. and yet I could
see by the glimmer from beneath it
that the room was not in darkness
Evidently there was a skylight which
let in light from above. As l stood IN
the passage gazing at the sinister door.
and wondering what secret it might
veil, / suddenly heard the sound OF
steps within the room, and saw a
shadow pass backward and forward
against the little slit of dim light which
shone out from under the door. A mad,
unreasoning terror rose up in me at
the sight Mr. Holmes. My OVerstrung
nerves failed me suddenly, and
turned and ran-ran as though some
dreadful hand were behind me clutch
ing at the skirt of my dress. / rushed
down the passage, through the door
and straight into the arms of Mr. Ru-
castle, who was waiting outside.
So said ne, smiling, il was you
then. 1 thought that it must be when
l saw the door OPEN
oh, 1 am so frightened. ] painted.
My dear young lady! my dear
young iady!'-yOu cannot think how
caressing and soothing his manner
was-'and what has frightened you, my
dear young lady"
But his voice was just d little TOO
coaxing. He overdid il. 1 was keenly
on my guard against him.
." I was foolish enough to go into
the empty wing [ answered. But il
is so lonely and eerie III this dim light
that l was frightened and ran out
again. Oh, it is so dreadfully still IN
there!'
Only that?' said he, looking at me
keenly.
Why. what did you Think I
asked.
why do you think that lock this
door?
I am sure that 1 do not know.
1t to keep out people who have no
business there. Do you see" He was
still smiling in the most amiable man
ner.
I am sure if I had known
Well. then, you know now. And
if you ever put your foot over that
threshold again'-here i'm an instant the
smile hardened into d grin Of rage ana
he glared down at me with the face of
a demon-I'H throw you to the mas
tiff
Il was So terrified that l do not know
what I did. / suppose that 1 must
have rusned past him into my room. ]
remember nothing until I found myself
On NV he'd fpAp1 bliuar all nUAF
Then I thought of you, Mr.. Holmes.
could not live there longer without
some advice. I was frightened of the
house, of the man, of the woman, OF
the servants, even of the child They
were all horrible to me. IF / could
only bring you down all would be well.
OF course. / might have fed from the
house, but my curiosity was almost as
strong as my fears. Ny mind was soon
made up. / would send you WiFe. I
put on my hat and cloak. went down
to the Office which is about half a
mile from the house, and then re
turned, feeling very much easier. \
horrible doubt came into my mind as
I approached the door lest the dog
might be loose, but 7 remembered thar
Toller had drunk himself into a state
of insensibility that evening, and 1
knew that he was the only one in the
household who had any influence with
the savage creature or who would ven
ture to set him free / slipped in in
safely, and lay awake half the night
in my joy at the thought of seeing you
| had no difficulty in getting leave to
come into Winchester this morning,
but I must be back before O'Clock,
for Mr.. and Mrs. Rucastle are going
on a visit and will be away all evening,
so that ! must look after the child.
Now have told you all my adventure.
Mr. Holmes, and / should be very glad
if you could tell me what it all means,
and, above all what I should do"
Holmes and l had listened spellbound
to this extraordinary story. Ny friend
rose now and paced up and down the
room. his hands in his pockets and an
expression of the most profound graV-
ity upon his face.
rs Toller still drunk" he asked
Yes. | heard his wife tell Mrs. Ru-
castle that she could do nothing with
him."
''That is well. And the Rucasties go
out tonight"
Yes"
rs there a cellar with good strong
locke"
Yes, the wine cellar"
You seem to have acted all through
this matter like a very brave and SEN
sible girl, Miss Hunter. Do you think
that you could perform one more feat
/ should not ask it Of you if / did not
think you a quite exceptional woman"
IT will try What is it?''
I'VE shall be at the Copper Beeches
by : o'clock, my friend and l. The Ru-
castles will be gone by that time, and
Toller will, We hope, be incapable
There only remains Mrs. Toller, who
might give the alarm If you could
rnra In. into fha cellar ON some era nd