Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-20

excuse to move me from my room"
"Ah. that is suggestive. Now, on the
other side of this narrow wing runs the
corridor from which these three rooms
open. There are windows in 1t, of course?"
Yes. but very small ones. Too narrow
for anyone to pass through"
las you both locked your doors at night.
your rooms were unapproachable from that
side. Now, would you have the kindness
to go into your room and bar your shut
ters?"
Miss stoner did so, and Holmes. after a
careful examination through the open win
dow, endeavored in every way to force the
shutter open, but without success. There
was no slit through which knife could be
passed to raise the bar. Then with his lens
he tested the hinges. but they were of solid
iron, built firmly into the massive masonry.
Hunt" said he, scratching his chin in
some perplexity; my theory certainly pre-
sents some difficulties. No one could pass
these shutters II they were bottled. Well,
we shall see If the inside throws any light
upon the matter"
A small sidedoor led into the white
washed corridor from which the three bed
rooms opened. Holmes refused to examine
the third chamber, so we passed at once
to the second, that in which Miss Stoner
was now sleeping. and in which her sister
had met her fate. II was a homely little
room. with a low ceiling and a gaping fire.
place, after the fashion of old country
houses. A brown chest OF drawers stood In
one corner, a narrow white-counterpaned
bed in another, and a dressing table on
the ieft-hand side OF the window These
articles, with two small wicker-work
chairs, made up all the furniture in the
fpr Of
in the center The boards round and the
pareiling OF the walls were of brown,
worm-eaten oak. so old and discolored that
IT may have dated from the original build
ing Of the house. Holmes drew one Of the
chairs into a corner and sat silent, while
his eyes travelled round and round and up
and down, taking in every detail OF the
apartment
Where does that bell communicate
with?" he asked. at last, pointing to a
thick bell-rope which hung down beside the
bed the tassel actually lying upon the
pillow.
1T goes to the housekeeper's room"
'Tt looks newer than the other things"
Yes, It was only put there a couple Of
years ago.
Your sister asked for It. I suppose2"
mo. never heard OF her using it, We
always used TO get what we wanted for
ourselves"
Indeed. 1t seemed unnecessary to put
so nice bell-pull there You will excuse
me for a few minutes while 1 satisfy my
self as 70 this hoor."> He threw himself
down upon his face with his lens in his
hand. and crawled swiftly backward and
forward, examining infinitely the cracks
between the boards. Then he did the same
with the woodwork with which the cham
Der was panelled Finally he walked over
to the bed, and spent some time In staring
at II, and IN running his eye up and down
the wall. Finally he took the bell-rope In
his hand and gave II a brisk tug
Why It's a dummy" said he.
Wont It ringY"
mo, II is not even attached 10 a wire
This is very interesting You can see now
that It Is fastened to a hook just above
where the little opening for the ventilator
is"
How very absurd! I never noticed that
before"
Very stranger muttered Holmes, pull
ing at the rope. There are one or two
very singular points about this room. For
example what fool builder must be 10
open ventilator into another room, when
with the same trouble, he might have COM
munieated with the outside air.
That is also quite modern" said the lady
Done about the same time as the bell
roper" remarked Holmes.
Yes there were several little changes
carried out about that time"
They seem to have been OF a most inter
esting charaeter-dummy bell-ropes, and
ventilators which do not ventilate. With
your permission. Miss stoner, We shall
carry our researches into the inner apart
ment."
DR.. Grimesby Roylotts chamber was
larger than that OF his stepdaughter. but