Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17


again I mt IN the window. and again
laughed very heartily at tho funny stories
OF which my employer had an Immense
repertoire. and which he told inirnitabay.
Then he handed me yeiiow-backed novel.
and, moving my chair a little sideways.
that my own shadow might not TALL upon
the page. he begged me to read aloud TO
him. read for about ten minutes. begin
ming IN the heart OF q chapter. ana then
suddenly, IN the middle of a sentence. he
ordered me to cease and TO change my
dress.
you can easily imagine, Mr.. Holmes how
curious became TO what the meaning
Of this extraordinary performances could
possibly be. They were always very care
ful, ptserved. to turn my face away from
the window. SO that / became consumed
with the desire to see what was going on
behind my back. AT first 1t seemed to he
Impossible. but / soon devised a means
My hand-mirror had been broken. SO a
happy thought seized me. and concealed a
piece of the glass in my handkerchief. On
the next occasion, in the midst of my
laughter. I<put the handkerchief up to my
/ eyes. and was able with little manage
ment to see all that there was behind me.
I confess that / was disappointed. There
was nothing At least that was my frst I'M
preston. At the second glance, however.
I perceived that there was man standing
| In the Southampton road, a small. bearded
man. in a gray suit. who seemed To be
| looking in my direction. The road is an
important highway, and there usually
people there This man. however. was lean
Ing against Inc TaAflnSS winch BOTuefeu OtiI
field and was looking earnestly up. low
cred my handkerchief and glanced at Mrs.
Rucastie, to find her eyes fixed upon me
with n most searching axe. She said moth
ing, but j am convinced that she had d.
vined that had mirror in my hand, and
had seen what was behind me. She rose at
once.
".Jephro.' said she. there is an imperti-
nent fellow upon the road there who stares
up at Miss Hunter
mo friend of yours, Miss Hunter he
asked.
- No: know no one in these parts
Dear me! How very fmpertinent. Kindly
turn round and motion him to go away
Surely. it would be better to take no
notice
mo, no, we should have him lettering
here always. Kindly turn round. and wave
him away, like that
II did as was told. and at the same mo-
ment Mrs Rucastle drew down the blind.
That was a week ago, and from that time /
have not sat atgain.in the window. nor have
worn the blue dress. nor seen the man in
the road"
Pray continue said Holmes. your
narrative promises to be most interesting
one"
You will find 1t rather disconnected
fear, and there may prove to be little
lation between the different Incidents Of
which 1 speak. On the very first day that
was at the Copper Beeehes Mr.. Rucastle
took me to small clubhouse which stands
near the kitchen door. As we approached
it I heard the sharp rafting of chain
and the sound as of large animal moving
about.
Look in here said Mr.. Rucastle, show
ing me a slit between two planks Is he
not beauty?'
Il looked through, and was conscious of
TWO glowing eyes, and of a vague figure
huddled up in the darkness
Don't be frightened said my employer,
laughing at the start which had given.
1t only Carlo, my maStiff. 1 call him
mine. but really old Toller. my groom, is
U-h IN I1 <l,.. L,
him We feed him once a day, and not too
much then, so that he is always keen as
mustard Toller let's him loose every night
and God help the trespasser whom he LAYS
his fangs upon. For goodness sake don't
you ever on any pretext set your foot
over the threshold at night. for 1t is as
much as your life Is worth
The warning was no idle one for two
nights later l happened to look out of nv
BED room window about two o'clock in the
morning. 1t was beautiful moonlight
nlgnt. and the lawn In front of the house
was silvered over and almost as bright
as day. / was standing wrapt in the
peaceful beauty Of the scene when was
aware that something was moving under
emerged into the moonshine I saw what It
was 1t was giant dog. as large as o.
can, tawny tinted. with hanging jowl.
PACK muzzie and huge projecting bones.
lshed into the shadow upon the other side
That dreadful silent sentinel sent chill to
my heart which I do not think that any
burglar could have done.
And now / have very strange expe-
rience 10 tell you. / had, as you know cut
on my hair In London. and had placed It
IN great coil at the bottom of my trunk
one evening, after the child was In bed I
began to amuse myself by examining the
furniture of my room and by rearrangfnR
my own little things. There was an old
ehest or drawers In the room. the two up
per ones empty and open. the lower one
locked. had filed the first two with my
linen. and. as l had still much to pack
away, l was naturally annoyed at not hay
ing the use OF the third drawer. It struck
me that it might have been fastened by a
mere oversight. SO 1 took out my buncA
OF keys and tried to open it. The very first
Key htfed to perfection. and 1 drew the
drawer open. There was only one thing in
1t. but l am sure Lat you would never
guess what 1t was. 1t was my coil of hair,
Il took 1t up and examined it. It was
81 the same peculiar tint and the same
thickness. But then the impossibility of
the thing obtruded itself upon me. How
could my hair have been locked in the
drawer? With trembling hands 1 undld
my trunk, turned out the contents and
drew from the bottom my own hair. 7 laid
the TWO tresses together, and l assure Won
that they were identical Was il not ex-
traordinary! Puzzle as l would, 1 could
make nothing at all Of what il meant
l returned the strange hair to tie drawer
and said nothing Of the matter to the Ru-
castles as l felt that I had put myself
INC "AoHS ny opening a drawer which
they had locked
am naturally observant. as you NAV
have remarked. Mr. Holmes, and / soon ba 4
pretty good plan of the whole house in
my head. There was one wing however.
Whieh appeared not to be inhabited at all.
A door which faced that which led into
the quarters Of the Tollers opened into this
suite, but 1t was invariably locked One
day, however. as / assembled the stair r
met Mr.: Rucastle coming UP through this
door, his keys in his hand and a look ON
his face which made him very different
person TO the round. jovial man to whom
l was accustomed. His cheeks were red
his brow was all crink.ed with anger. and
the veins stood out at his temples with pas-
sion. He locked the door and hurried mast
me without word or a look
This aroused my curiosity; So when 7
went out for walk IN the grounds with
my charge strolIed round to the side
from which I could see the windows ~
his part Of the house. There were four of |
them In row. three of which were sim.
ply dirty, while the fourth was shutterea
up. They were evidently all deserted As
l strolled UP and down. glancfng at them
occasionally, Mr.. Rucastle came out to me,
looking merry and ioyiaI a,,o- 1872