The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-30


down | will tell you all J an.
Il am the wife Of Sir tustace
Brackenstall. | have been mafried
about year. l suppose there Is 20
use my attempting to conceal that our
marriage has not been a happy one.
l fear that all our neiglb9-s would
tell you that, even If we're - at
tempt to deny it. Perhars the fault
may be partly mine. 1 was brought
up In the freer, less conventional at
mosphere of South Australia, and this
English life, with Its ;.r1p-istles and
It's primness. Is not c5ngenial 10 me.
BUT the main reason liss IN the enc
fact, which is notorious t. ev,ryone,
and that is that Sir sustaee was "A
confirmed drunkard. To - afth si!cn
man for an hour is 0nncaasft Can
sou imagine what 1t means f1r a
sensitive and high-spirited woman 10
be tied to him for day and night? 1t
IS saerilege, crime, a villainy to
mold that such a marriage is binding.
| say that these monstrous laws of
yours will bring a curse upon the land
God will not let such wickedness en-
dure." For an instant she sat up. her
cheeks flushed. and her eyes blazing
from under the terrible mark upon
her brow. Then the strong soothing
hand of the austere maid drew her
wild anger died away Into passionate
sobbins. At last she continued:
II will tell you about last night You
are aware, perhaps. that in this house
all the servants sleep In the modern
wing. This central block is made up
of the dwelling rooms, with the kitch-
en- behind and our bedroom above
My maid, Theresa, sleeps above my
room. There is no one else and no
sound could alarm those who are in
the farther wing. This must have
been well known to the robbers, or
they would not have acted as they
did.
Sir Eustace retired about half-past
ten. The servants had alrea<ly gone
to their quarters. Only my maid was
UP, and she had remained in her room
at the top of the house until | needed
her services. | sat until after eleven
In this room. absorbed in a book. Then
| walked round to see that all was
right before | went upstairs. 1t was
my custom to do this myself, for, as l
have explained. Sir Eustace was not
always to De trusted. | went into the
kitchen, the buffers pantry, the gum
room, the biliard-room. the drawing
room, and finally the dining room.
AS l approached the window, which
is covered with thick curtains. | sud
denly felt the wind blow upon my
face, and realized that 1t was open.
| flung the curtain aside. and found
myself face to face with a broad
shouldered, elderly man, who had just
stepped into the room. The window Is
a long French one, which really forms
a door leading to the lawn. l held
my bedroom candle lit in my hand,
and, by its light, behind the first man
l saw two others. who were in the act
of entering. | stepped beck but the
fellow was on me In an instant. lie
caught me first by the wrist, and
then by the throat. l opened my
mouth to scream, but he struck me
savage blow with his fist over the
eye and feled me to the ground /
must have been unconscious for few
minutes, for when l came to myself.
l found that they had torn down the
bell-rope, and had secured me tightly
to the oaken chair which stands at the
head of the dining table l was so
firmly bound that | could not move,
and a handkerchief round my mouth
prevented me from uttering a sound.
1t was at this instant that my unfor-
tunate husband entered the room. He
had evidently heard some suspicious
sounds, and he came prepared for
such a scene as he found. He was
dressed in his shirt and trousers, with
his favourite backthorn cudgel in his
hand. He rushed at the burglars. but
another-it was an elderly man,
stopped picked the poker out of the
CRATE, and struck him a horrible
blow as he passed. He fell with a
groan, and never moved again. l
tainted once more, but again 1t could
only have been for very few min
utes during which l was insensible.
When | opened my eyes ! found that
they had collected the silver from
the sideboard, and they had drawn a
bottle of wine which stood there.
Each of them had a glass in his hand.
] have already told you, have l not,
that one was elderly, with n beard,
and the others young, hairless lads.
They might have been a father with
his two sons. They talked together in
whispers Then they came over and
made sure that | was securely bound.
Finally they withdrew, closing the
window after them. 1t was quite
quarter of an hour before l got my
mouth free. When l did so, my
screams brought the maid to my as
sstance The other servants were
soon alarmed and we sent for the
local police. who instantly commune
Gated with London. That is really all
that I can tell you. gentlemen and I
trust II will not be necessary for me
to go over so painful story again.
''Any questions, Mr.. Holmes?" asked
Hopkins.
81 will not impose any further tax
upon Lady Brackenstall's patience
and time said Holmes. Before l
go into the dining-room I should like
to hear your experience" He looked
at the maid"
81 saw the men before ever they
came into the house" said she. LAS
] sat by my bedroom window | saw
three men in the moonlight down by
the lodge gate yonder, but l thought
nothing of it at the time. 1t was
more than an hour after that l heard
my mistress scream, and down | ran,
to find her. poor lamb, just as she
says, and him on the floor, with his
blood and brains over the room. 1t
was enough to drive woman out of
her wits tied there. and her very
dress spotted with him, but she never
wanted courage. did Miss Mary
Fraser of Adelaide. and Lady Braek-
enstall OF Abbey Grange hasn't learned
new ways. You've questioned her
long enough, you gentlemen, and now
she is coming to her own room, Just
with her old Theresa, to get the rest
that she badly needs.
With a motherly tenderness the
gaunt woman put her arm round her
mistress and led her from the room.
''She has been with her all her life"
said Hopkins "Nursed her as baby,
and came with her to England when
they first leTt Australia, eighteen
months ago. Theresa Wright is her
name. and the kind of maid You don't
nick up nowadays. This way Mr..
Holmes. If you please!
The keen interest mad passed out OF
Holmes expressive face, and l knew