Evening star., 1905-10-08

abound in the neighborhood, and was lying
senseless with a shattered skull. hurried
to him, but he passed away without having
recovered his consciousness. He had, as 1t
appears been returning from Fareham In
the twilight, and as the country was un-
known to him, and the chalk pit unfeneed.
the jury had no hesitation in bringing in a
verdict of Death from accidental causes.
Carefully as I examined every fact con-
nected with his death, | was unable TO nnd
anything which could suggest the idea of
murder. There were no signs of violence,
no fOotmarkS, robbery, no record or
strangers having been seen upon the roads.
And yet l need not tell you that my mind
was far from at ease, and that l was well
nigh certain that some foul plot had been
woven around him.
In this sinister way l came into my In
heritance. You will ask me why l did not
dispose of it? / answer, because l was
well convinced that our troubles We're In
some way dependent upon an incident IN
my uncles life, and that the danger would
be as pressing In one house as in another.
'It was in January, 'S5, that my poor
father met his end, and two years and eight
months have elapsed since then. During
that time l have lived happily at Horsham,
and 1 had begun to hope that this curse
had passed away from the family, and that
It had ended with the last generation l
had begun to take comfort too soon, how
ever; yesterday morning the blow fell in
the very shape in which 1t had come upon
my father"
Inc young man look ITOIH HIS WdlStCodl d
crumpled envelope, and, turning to the ta-
bic, he shook out upon 1t five little dried
orange pips.
This is the envelope" he continued.
The postmark is London-Eastern division.
Within are the very words which were
upon my fathers last message: X. *. H.,
and then Put the papers on the sun dial.
What have you done?" asked Holmes.
Nothing"
"Nothing?'
"To tell the truth''-he sank his face into
his thin, white hands-'I have felt helpless.
l have felt like one of those poor rabbits
when the snake is writhfng toward it.
seem to be in the grasp OF some resistless.
inexorable evil, which no foresight and no
precautions can guard against!
Tut tutr' cried Sherlock Holmes You
must act, man, or you are lost. Nothing
but energy can save you. This is no time
for DESPAIR.
ct have seen the police
"Ahr'
But they listened to my story with a
smile. 1 am convinced that the inspector
has formed the opinion that the letters are
all practical jokes, and that the deaths of
nay relations were really accidents, as the
jury stated, and were not to De connected
with the warnings"
Holmes shook his clenched fist in the air.
Incredible imbecility!" he cried.
'They have. however, allowed me a po-
liceman, who may remain In the house with
me-"
HAS he come with you tonight?''
mo. His orders were to stay In the
house."
1-gain Holmes raved in the air.
'Why did you come to me?" he said.
And above all, why did you not come at
once?"
II did not know. 1t was only today that
I spoke to Major Prendergast about my
troubles. and was advised by him to come
to YOU"
1T rs really two days since you had the
letter. We should have acted before s4ds.
You have no further evidence, 1 suppose,
than that which you have placed before US
no suggestive detail which might help
us?''
'Inere is one thing" said John Open
shaw. He rummaged in his coat pocket,
and, drawing out piece of discolored, blue
tinted paper, he laid 1t out upon the table.
II have some remembrance" said he that
on the day when my uncle burned the pa
pers I observed that the small unburned
this particular color. I found this single
sheet upon the floor of his room, and I am
inclined TO think that 1t may be one of the
papers which has, perhaps, huttered out
from among the others, and in that way
have escaped destruction. Beyond the men,
ton OF pips, do not see tnat II helps US
much. I think myself that 1t Is a page
from some private diary. The writing Is
undoubtedly my uncle's."
Holmes moved the lamp, ana we both
bent over the sheet OF paper, which showed
by its ragged edge that 1t had indeed been
torn from a book. It was headed March,
nat.cal notes.
"4th. Hudson came. Same old platform.
18th. Set the pdps on McCauiey. Rara-