The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-12

Nothing of the kind
You have nothing 10 add. then.
which could assist me
Mortimer Tregennis considered
earnestly for a moment.
There is one thing occurs To me-
said he at last. AS We sat at tho
table my back was TO the window.
and my brother George. he being my
partner at cards. was facing il. /
saw him once look hard over my
shoulder, so l turned round and look
ed also. The blind was up and the
window shut. but could just max.
out the bushes on the lawn. and Il
seemed TO me for a momen that /
saw something moving among them. I
couldn't even say if II were man or
animal, but / just thought there was
something there. When / asked him
what he was looking al. he old me
that he had the same feeling. That is
all that / can say" =
Did you not investigate ."
NO: the matter passed as unim-
portant."
You left them, then. without any
premonition Of evil?"
None at all
Il am not clear how you came 10
hear the news so early this morning"
Il am an early riser, and generally
take a walk before breakfast This
morning ] had hardly started when
the doctor in his carriage overlook
me. He told me that old Mrs. Porter
had sent a boy down with an urgent
message. ] sprang in beside him and
We drove on. When we got there We
look ed into that dreadful room. The
candles and the fire must have burn
ed out hours before, and they had
been sitting there in the dark until
dawn had broken. The doctor said
Brenda must have been dead at least
six hours. There were no signs OF
violence. She just lay across the arm
of the chair with that look on her
face. George and owen were singing
snatches of songs and gibbering like
two great apes. Oh. it was awful to
see! / couldn't stand it. and the doc
tor was as white as a sheet. Indeed, he
fell into a hair in a sort of faint. n
we nearly had him on our hands as
! WE'LL
Remark abie-most remarkab1e."
rather a villa than a cottage, with a
hat. Il think perhaps we had better
said Holmes, rising and taking his
go down to T~redannick Wartha with
out further delay. l confess that I
have seldom known a case which at
first sight presented a more singular
problem"
Our proceedings of that first morn
ing did little to advance the investiga-
ifoA - dS IA"A hSAs IT tBo
outset by an incident which left III
most sinister impression upon my
mind. The approach to The spot at
which the tragedy occurred is down a
narrow winding country lane. While
we made our way along it we heard
the rattle Of a carriage coming to-
| ward US. and stood aside to let is
pass. As it drove by is / caught a
glimpse through the closed window
of a horribly-contorted grinning
face glaring out at US. Those
staring eyes and gnashing teeth flash
ed past US like a dreadful vision.
My brothers." cried Mortimer Ire
gennis. white TO his lips. They are
wards this ili-oplened house in which
| they had met their strange fate.
| 1t was a large and bright dwelling,
taking them to Helston.
We looked with horror after the
black carriage, numbering upon it's
way. Then we turned our steps to-
considerable garden which was al
ready. in that Cornish air. we'll filed
with flowers. Towards this garden
the window Of the sitting-room front
| ed, and from it. according TO Morti-
mer Tregennis. must have come that
thing of evil which had by sheer hor-
ror in d single instant blasted their
minds. Holme walked slowly ana
thoughfuliy among the iower-pots
and along the path before we entered
fthe porch. So absorbed was he in his
thoughts. ! remember. that ne STUN
bled over the watering-p pot. upset its
contents, and deluged both our feet
and the garden path Inside he
house we were met by the elderly
Cornish h~ousekeeper. Mrs. Porter. VINO
with the aid of a young girl locke
after the wants Of the family n
readily answered all Holmes cues
tons. She had heard nothing III the
night. Her employers had all been IN
excellent spirits and sde bad never
known them more cheerful and
prosperous. She had tainted with
horror upon entering the room IN to
morning and seeing hat dreadful
~ror.narv Eourd r. lilo 81 Nra
when she recovered. thrown open the
window 10 let the MOI ming air - aai
had run down IL the Lcne. 1he 2 sh"
sent a farm lad 10. the doctor The
Ia;x va ~ her Inl nn@sI4-- 49, go -