The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-31
with The Mcclure Newspaper Synd.cat

know how subtle are the links that !
bind two souls which are SO closely !
allied. 1t was a wild night. The wind
was bowling outside, and the rain was
beating and splashing against the
windows. Suddenly, amid all the hub /
bub of the gale, there burst forth thel
wild scream Of a terrified woman. i
knew that it was my sisters voice.
sprang from my bed, wrapped a shawl
around me, and rushed into the cor
ridor. AS 1 opened my door l
seemed to hear a low whistle, such as
my sister described. and a few mo-
ments later a changing sound. as if a
mass of metal had fallen. AS l ran
down the passage, my sisters door
was unlocked and revolved slowly
upon it's hinges. l stared at it horror
stricken not knowing what was about
to issue from it. BY the light of the
corridor lamp l saw my sister appear
at the opening her face blanched with
terror, her hands cropping for help. her
, whole figure swaying to and fro like
that of drunkard. l ran to her and
threw my arms round her, but at that
moment her knees seemed to give way
and she fell to the ground. She
writhed as one who is in terrible pain,
and her limbs were dreadfully con-
! vulsed. At first / thought that she
/ had not recognized me, but as / bent
over her she suddenly shrieked out in
a voice which l shall never forget, oh
| my God! Helen! 1t was the band! The
| speckled bandn There was something
else which she would fain have said,
and she stabbed with her finger into
the air in the direction of the doctors
room, but a fresh CONFUSION seized
her and choked her words. | rushed
out, calling loudly for my stepfather,
and l met him Fastening from his
room in his dressing gown. When he
reached my sisters side she was I'M
conscious, and though he poured
brandy down her throat and sent for
medical aid from the village, all ef-
forts were in vain for she slowly sank
and died without having recovered her
consciousness. Such was the dread
full end of my beloved sister"
"One moment" said Holmes; ARE
you sure about this whistle and me-
tallic sound? Could you swear to it?"
THAT was what the county coroner
asked me at the inquiry. 1t is my
strong impression that l heard it, and
yet, among the crash of the gale and
the creaking of an old house, / may
possibly have been deceived"
Was your sister dressed?"
! NO, she was in her night dress. In
her right hand was found the charred
stump of match, and in her left a
matchbox"
Showing that she had struck a light
and looked about her when the
alarm took place. That is important
And what conclusions did the coroner
come to-"
He investigated the case with
!
had long been notorious in the county
but he was unable to find any salts
factory cause of death. Ny evidence
showed that the door had been fast
ened on the inner side, and the win
dows were blocked by old-fashioned
shutters with broad iron bars, which
. were secured every night. The walls
were carefully sounded and were
shown to be quite solid all around,
and the flooring was also thoroughly
examined with the same result. The
chimney is wide, but is barred up by
j four large staples. 1t is certain,
therefore, that my sister was quite
alone when she met her end. Besides
there were no marks of any violence
, upon her"
How about poison"
!. THE doctors examined her for it,
, but without success"
What do you think that this IN
, fortunate lady died of, them"
ut is my belief that she died of pure
: fear and nervous shock, though what
it was that frightened her l cannot
Imagine"
) Were there gypsies in the planta'
| ton at the time?"
5 Yes, there are nearly always some
: there"
r "Ah, and what did you gather from
: this allusion to a banda speckled
) band?"
Sometimes l have thought that il
: was merely the wild talk of delirium
t sometimes that it may have referred
! to some band of people, perhaps to
: these very gypsies in the plantation
I do not know whether the spotted
= handkerchiefs which so many of them
z wear over their heads might have sug
gested the strange adjective which
she used"
j.. Holmes shook his head like a mar
. who is far from being satisfied.
These are very deep waters" saiG
v he; pray go on with your narrative
a (Tomorrow-The Adventure of the
r Speckled Band, continued).