The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-10
Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes.
Continued from Page Two.)

Tended. 'By-the-way, said /, you
seem to have quite suite of spare
rooms up there, and one of them has
the shutters up.
He looked surprised, and, as it
seemed to me, a little startled at my
remark
Photography is one of my hob
bies,' said he. L have made my dark
room up there. But. dear me. what
an obServant young lady we have
come upon. Who would have believ-
ed it? Who would have ever believed
ft?' He spoke in a jesting tone, but
there was no jest in his eyes as ne
looked at me. | read suspicion there
and annoyance. but no jest.
Well, Mr.. Holmes, from the mo-
ment that l understood that there
was something about that suite of
rooms which / was not to know,
was all ON fire to go over them. 1t
was not mere curiosity, though | have
my share of that. 1t was more feel
ing of duty--a feeling that some good
might come from my penetrating to
this place. They talk of womans in
stinct; perhaps it was woman's in
stinct which gave me that feeling. AT
any rate, it was there, and / was
keenly on the lookout for any chance
to nass the forbidden door.
1T was only yesterday that the
chance came. | may tell you that.
besides Mr.. Rucastle, both Toller and
his wife find something to do in these
deserted rooms, and | once saw him
carrying a large black linen bag with
him through the door. Recently he
has been drinking hard and yester-
day evening he was very drunk; and,
when l came upstairs, there was the
key in the door. l have no doubt at
all that he had left it there. Mr.. and
Mrs. Rucastle were both down stairs.
and the child was with them, SO that
l had an admirable opportunity.
turned the key gently in the lock,
opened the door, and slipped through.
There was a little passage in front
of me, unpapered and uncarpeted
which turned at a right angle at the
farther end. Round this corner were
three doors in line. the first and
third Of which were open. They each
led into an empty room, dusty and
cherries, with two windows in the
one and one in the other, SO thick with
dirt that the evening light glimmered
dimly through them. The centre doc"
was closed: and across the outside of
it had been fastened one of the broad
bars of an iron bed, padlocked at one
end to a ring in the wall, and fasten-
ed at the other with stout cord. The
door itself was locked as we'll, and the
door correspondent clearly with the
suffered window outside, and yet |
could see by the glimmer from beneath
it that the room was not liz darkness
Evidently there was a skylight which
let in light from above. As I stood
in the passage gazing at the sinister
door, and wondering what secret it
might veil. / suddenly heard the
sound of steps within the room, and
4
ward against the little slit of dim light
which shone out from under the door.
A mad, unreasoning terror rose up in
me at the sight, Mr.. Holmes. My
everstrung nerves failed me suddenly,
and l turned and ran--ran as though
some dreadful hand were behind me
clutching ut the skirt of my dress.
rushed down the passage, through the
door, and straight into the arms o.
Mr.. RucaStle, who was waiting out
side.
So said he. smiling, it was you,
then. | thought that it must be when
1 saw the door open
oh, l am so frightencd!' l pant
cd.
my dear young lady. my dear
young lady!'-you cannot think how
caressng { I'D soothing his manner
was-'and4. what has frightened you,
my dear young lady?'
But his voice was just a little to-
coaxing. He overdid it. | was keeniy
on my guard against him.
Il was foolish enough to go into
the empty wing / answered -But il
is so lonely and eerie in this dim ligh5
that l was frightened and ran out
again. Oh it is SO dreadfully still in
therei
"'Only that said he. looking at me
kcCnIV
why what did you Think
asked
why do you think that | lock this
door,
Il am sure that I do not know
1T is to keep people out who have
not business there. Do you see?' he
was still smiling in the most amiable
manner.
i am sure if l had known
We'll, then, you know now. And
if you ever put your foot over that
threshold again here in an instant
the smile hardened into a grin of rage
and he glared down at me with the
face of a demon-'Ill throw you 20
the mastif.'
Il was so terrified that I do not
know what / did. | suppose that /
must have rushed past him into my
room. / remember nothing until
found myself lying on my bed
trembling all over Then ! thought Of
you. Mr.. Holmes. | could not live
there longer without some advice. l
was frightened of the house, of the
man, of the woman, of the servants,
even of the child. They were all hor-
rible to me. If | could only bring
you down all would be well. OF course
| might have fled from the house but
my curiosity was almost as strong as
my fears. My mind was soon made
UP. l would send you wire. | put
on my hat and cloak, went down TO
the Office which is about half a mile
from the house. and then returned,
feeling very much easier. A horrible
doubt came into my mind as | APP
preached the door lest the dog might
be loose, but | remembered that Toll
er had drunk himself into a state Of
lnsensibility that evening, and / knew
that he was the only one in the
household who had any influence with
the savage creature or who would
venture to set him free. / slipped in
in safety, and lay awake half the
night IN my JOY at the thought of see
ing you. l had no difficulty in getting
leave 70 come into Winchester this
morning, but l must be back before
thrce O'clock. for Mr.. and Mrs. Ru-
1oct1l oyo rrOi,, =.