The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-03-01
TODAY'S INSTAINIENT.

TODAY'S INSTALdENT.
 The young man went on with his story:
 "well, it was the Beginning of 's4 Iwhen my father came to live at Hors- ham, and all went as well as possible with us until the January of 1855. On 1.-the fourth day after the new year l heard my father give a sharp cry of Hsurprise as we sat together at the [tbreakfast table. There he was, sitting |Iwith a newly opened envelope in one Ehand and five dried orange pips in Xthe outstretched palm of the other lone. He had always laughed at what nthe called my cock-and-bul story Babout the Colonel, but he looked very Ilscared and puzzled now that the same lining had come upon him.
 tt why, what on earth does this mean, John ?" he stammered-
 "My heart had turned to lead. Tt is K K K-,' said I.
 s.He looked inside the envelope So it is,' he cried. Here are the very let Iters. But what is this written above them 9
 Put the papers on the sundial,' Tread, peeping over his shoulder.
 "fWhat papers? What Sund1al!' Inc asked.
 HThe sundiaI in the garden There lis no other said I; but the papers must be those that are destroyed'
 
 This courage. We are in Q clvlllzed |Aand here, and we can't have tomfool- ery of this kind Where does the thing |come from?'
 g" From Dundee answered, glanc- Ing at the post-mark.
 ss Some preposterouS practical ioke,' said he. What have I to do with sundials and papers? l shall take no notice of such nonsense:
 CT should certainly speak to the Epolice,' said.
 ".And be laughed at for my pains Nothing of the sort.
 Then let me do So?
 ssNo, forbid you. I won't have a fuss made about such nonsense-'
 eIt was in vain to argue with him, Tor he was a very obstinate man. l went about, however, with heart which was full of forebod1ngs.
 sOn the third day after the coLnlns Hof the letter my father went rom lbome to visit an old friend Of ms, RHajor Freebody, who is in commano of one of the forts upon PortSdoWn BF4ill I was glad that he should So' |for- it seemed to me that he was bfarther from danger when he was 'away from home In that, however, was in error. Upon the second oay ,f his absence I received a telegram ifron the Major. implorlng me to lcome at once. My father had falien over one of the deep chalkplts whlch sbound in the neighborhood, ana was SGnSelGSS, Wllh d SiAe@NNNAS VI slxuT. I hurried to him, but he pass ed away without having ever recover ed his consciousness. He hao' as Il hppears been returning rom fdre e. ham in the twilight, ana as lne co 4IIc trv was unknown to him, ana lhe ehalkpit unfenced, the jury had ne lhesitatton in bringing in a. verdict oi Death from accidental causes. Care snllv as I examined every fact con ,acfed with his deaEn, was unapIe o ind anything which could suggest he idea. of murder There were so siens of violence, no footmarks; nc robbery, no record of strangers nav. ene- been seen upon the roads. Ano iN3 nead not tell YOU that my mind was far from at ease, and that Was welI-nieh certain that some foul pIo' lad been woven round nm.
 S.sIn this sinister way came into my beritance. You will ask me why l s;d Dot dispose of it? I answer, be- ss3,se I was well convinced that our troubles were in some way depenuen' hpon an incident in my uncle ne End that the danger would be as sressinE in one house as in another
 s.It was in January, 'S5, that my ,oor father met his end, ana two Fears and eight months nave eIapseu since then During that time nave ;vel- happily at Horsham, and mac szrTn 10 hope that this curse hao Rassed away from the family, and hat if had ended with the last genera iou. II had begun to tdAe SOAAOA oo soon, however; yesterday morn 1e the blow fell in the very shape IT kghich it had come upon my father:
 The young man took rom ms sraist-coat a crumpIed envelope, and nrniner to the table, he shook out ,nor it five little dried orange plps
 ..rThis is the envelope he continued :srbe post-marll is London-easterr 5ivision. Within are the very words EEhich were upon my fathers las ,essase: K. K. K. and then Put be papers on the sundiaI.'
 ssWhat have you done ?" asked Holmes
 ..Nothing-"
 ssNothing?"
 gro tell the truth'-he sank his sce into this thin, white hands, Ave felt helpless. I have felt like me of those poor rabbits when tht nalxe is writhing towards it. l seen .o be in the grasp of some resistless 1exorable evil which no foresigh Ind no precautions can guard feainst.''
 7aTutl tut." cried Sherlock Holmes <You must act, man, or you are lost Fothing but energy can save you chis is no time for despair"
 .-I have seen the police-'
 .sAh."
 ss3ut they listened to my story witt
 smile. I am convinced that the in oectors has formed the opinion tha he letters are all practical jokes, an' hat the deaths of my relations wer eAlIy accidents, as the jury stated rld were not to be connected wit he warnings"
 Holmes shook his clenched hands il