The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-05-09

The Lamp, Which Was an Ordinary
Standard, He Examined With Min.
ute Care.
TO spring out upon my appalled, senses,
lurked all that was vaguely horrible.
all mat was monstrous and %inconceiy-
ably wicked in the universe. Vague
shapes swirled and swan amid the
dark clOud-3ank, each a monac and
a warning of something coming, the
advent Of some ~unspoakablc dweller
upon the threshold, whose very shad-
ow would blast my soul. A freezing
horror took possession Of me. | felt
that my hair was rising, and that my
eyes were protruding, that my mouth
was opened, and my tongue like
leather. The turmoil within my brain
was such hat something must surely
snap. tried to scream, and was
vaguely aware Of some hoarse croak
which was my own voice, but distant
ald detached from myself. AT the
same moment, in some effort of es-
cape, l broke through that cloud Of
despair, and had a glimpse of Holmes
face, white, rigid and drawn with hor-
ror-the very look which had een
upon the features Of the dead. 1t was
that vision which gave me an instant
Of sanity and of strength. | dashed
from my chair, threw my arms round
Holmes, and together We lurched
through the door, and an instant aft
erWards had thrown ourselves down
upon the grass plot and We're lying
side by side, conscious only Of the
glorious sunshine which was bursting
it's way through the hellish cloud Of
terror which had grit us in. Slowly
it Tose from our souls like the mists
from a landscape, until peace and rea-
sOr had returned, and we were sitting
up on the grass, wiplng our clammy
foreheads, and looking with apprehen-
sion at each other to mark the last
traces Of that terrific experience which
We had undergone.
Upon my word, Watson!" said
Holmes at last, with an unsteady
voice, Il owe you both my thanks and
an apology. 1t was an unjustihable
experiment even for oneself, and
doubly so for a friend. l am really
very sorry"
you know" answered, with some
emotion, for / had never seen so
much of Holmes heart before, that
it is my greatest Joy and privilege to
help you"
IL ra1aV-LI % oman intA 4InI hale
humorous, half-cynical vein which was
his habitual attitude to those about
him. 1T would be superfuous to drive
us mad. my dear Watson" said he.
"a candid observer would certainly
declare that we We're so already be-
fore we embarked upon so wild an
experiment. | confess that / never
imagined that the effect could be so
sudden and so severe" He dashed
into the cottage, and, r~eappearing
with the burning lamp held at full
arms length, he threw 1t among a
bank of brambles. 1--WE must give the
room a little time to clear. take Il,
Watson, that you have nc longer a
shadow of a doubt as to how these
tragedies were produced?'
None whatever"
"But the cause remains as obscure
as before. Come into the arbor here,
and let US discuss 1t together. That
Yillainous stuff seems still to linger
round my throat. think we must adj
NIT that all the evidence points to
this man, Mortimer T~regennis, having
been the criminal in the first tragedy.
though he was tho victim In the sec
ond one"
Then his own death was suicide!"
well, Watson, 1t is on the face Of
1t a not impossible supposition. The
mar who had the guilt upon his soul
Of having brought such a fate upon
his own family might we'll be driven
by remorse to inflict II upon himself.
There r however, some cogent rea.
sons against it. Fortunately, there is
one man in England who knows all
about It, and l have made arrange
ments by which we shall hear the
facts this afternoon from his own lips.
Ali he is q little before his time.
Perhaps you would kindly step this
way, DR.. Leon Sterndale. We have
been conducting a chemical expert
ment indoors which has left u little
room hardly At for the reception OF
80 distinguished a visitor"