Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
1]Ee1ANEtNNT VRES%S HERL @@K H@LMESS=
SIR ARTHUR CONAN
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.
THE SPECKLED BAND.

OF a match and In her left a match box"
Showing that she had struck light and
looked about her when the alarm took
place That is important. And what con-
clusfons did the coroner come toy"
He investigated the case with great
care, for DIR. Roylott's conduct had long
been notorious in the county. but he was
unable to find any satisfactory cause of
death My evidence showed that the door
mad been fastened upon the inner side. and
the windows were blocked by old-fashioned
shutters, with broad iron bars. which were
secured every night. The walls were care
fully sounded. and were shown to be quite
SOLD all round, and the flooring was also
thoroughly examined, with the same result
The Chimney is wide, but it is barred up
by four large staples. 1t is certain, there
1ofe' that my sister was quite alone when
she met her end Besides. there were no
marks of any violence uron her.
how about poson?"
The doctors examined her for it. but
without success
What do you think that this unfortunate
lady died of. them
1T is my belief that she died of pure fear
ana nervous shock though what it was
that frightened her l cannot ina CINE"
were there gypSieS in the plantation at
the time?"
there" ''ii'
All. and what did you gather from this
aiuson to a banda speckled hand?''
sometimes | have thought that IT was
merely the wild talk of deiri4Im sonetfmes
tid' II may nave referred to some band of
people. perhaps to these very pynsies in
the plantation. l do not know whether the
spotted handkerchiefs which so MANY of
them wear over their heads might have
suggested the strange adjective which she
Holmes shook his head. like a man who
Is FAR, from being satisfied. 0
~ lhese are very deep waters" said be
frsy, go on with your narrative
Two years have passed since then and
my life has been until lately loneIjer than
ever month ago. however, a dear friend
H Hoii nave known for many years has
upne me the honor to ask my hand in mar
rage. Ills name is Percy Armita ee-second
son OF Mr.. Armitage of Crane Water naar
heaoinS My stepfather has offered no on
position TO the match, and we are to he,
a ,lai ieu III the course Of the spring. Two
Gays ago some repairs were starred In nc
west wing of the building and INV bed
room wall has been pierced. so that / have
mao 10 move into the chamber in which INV
sia,er oled ana to sleep in the very bed in
winch she slept Imagine then nv thriII
OF terror when, last night as Law awake
thinking over her terrible fate | suddenly
hedrd IN the silence of the night the low
Whlstie which had been the herald of her
own death l sprang up and lit the lamn
out nothing was to be seen in the room
was 100 shaken to go to bed again. how
ever, SO l dressed. and as soon as il was
oayiight L slipped down, got dogcart at
the crown inn, which is opDoste and
orove to Leatherhead, whence I have come
on this morning with the one object of see
ing you and asking your advice"
you have done wisely said my friend
But have you told me alp"
Yes, an
MISS Roylott. you have not. You are
screening your stepfather"
why, what do you mean?''
For answer Holmes pushed back the frii
or black lace which fringed the hand that
lay u'on our visitors knee. Five little Ifyld
Spots; the marks of four fingers and a
thuInp were printed upon the white wrist
You have been cruelty used" said
Holmes.
The lady colored deeply and covered over
her injured wrist. He is a hard man." she
SAID and perhaps he hardly knows his
own strength"
There was a long silence, during which
Hoimes leaned his chin upon his hands and
stared into the cracking fire.
rms Is very deep business he said at
last. There are a thousand details which
l should desire to know before l decide
upon our course of action. Yet we have not
a moment to lose. If we were to come to
stoke Moran today, would it be possible
Tor US to see over these rooms without the
knowledge of your stepfather?'
AS 1t happens, he spoke of coming into
town today upon some important business
1t Is probable that he will be away all day.
and that there would be nothing to disturb
you. We have housekeeper now, but she
Is old and foolish. and 1 could easily get her
out of the way"
Excellent You are not averse m this
trip, Watson?"
by no means"
Then we shall both come What are you
going to do yourself?"
II have one or two things which 1 would
wish to do now that 1 am in town. But l
shall return by the y O'Clock train so as to
be there in time for your coming"
And you may expect us early in the af-
ternoon. l myself have some small BUSH
ness matters to attend to- VIII you not
wall and breakfast
No must 80. Ny heart is lightened al
ready since | have confided my troubles TO
you; l shall look forward to seeing you
again this afternoon She dropped her
thick black veil over her face and glded
from the room.
And what do you think of it ALL Wat
SOM asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back
in his chair.
1T seems to me to be a most dark and
sinister business"
Dark enough and sinister enough"
Yet if the lady is correct in saying that
the flooring and walls sound, and that
the door, window and chimney are impas-
sable, then her sister must have been I'M
doubtedly alone when she met her mysteri-
Gus end
What becomes, then, of these nocturnal
whistles and what of the very peculiar
words of the dying woman
Il cannot think"
when you combine the ideas of whistles
at night, the presence of band of gypsies
who are on intimate terms with this old
doctor. the fact that we have every reason
to believe that the doctor has an interest
in preventing his stepdaughter's marriage,
the dying allusion to band. and, finally,
the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard a
metallic clang, which might have been
caused by one OF those metal bars which
secured the shutters falling into their place
l think that there Is good ground to think
that the mystery may be cleared along
those lines
But what. then. did the gypsies do?"
Il cannot imagine"
II see many objections to any such
theory
And so do I. 1t is precisely for that rea-
son that We are going to Stoke Moran this
day. l want to see whether the objections
are fatal. or If they may be explained away
But what in the name of the DEVIL"
The ejaculation had been drawn from my
companion by the fact that our door had
been suddenly dashed open, and that a
huge man had framed himself in the aper-
ture. His costume was a peculiar mixture
of the professional and of the agricultural
having a black top-hat. long frock-coat
and a pair of high CATERS, with d hunting
crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he
that his hat actually brushed the cross-bar
of the doorway, and his breadth seemed to
span 1t across from side to side. A large
face, scared with a thousand wrinkles