Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-11

That YOU are never beaten"
. II have been beaten four timcs-thrcc |
times by men, and once by woman"
"But what is that compared with the |
number of your successes"
1T is true that have been generally |
succcssful.s
Then you may be so with me-"
II beg that YOU will draw your chair
up TO the fire. and favor me with some
details as TO your case"
ut is no ordinary one"
None of those which come to me are.
am the last court of appeal"
"And yet ! question, sir, whether, in
all your experience, you have ever
listened TO n more mysterious and mex
pbcablc chain Of events than those
which have happcned in my own fam
lily"
you fill me with interest" said
Holmes. Pray give us the essential
facts from the commencement, and
can afterwards question YOU as to those
details which seem to me flo he most
Important" ;,
The young man pulled his chair up
and pushed his wet feet out towards
the blaze.
My name" said he, SIS John Open
shaw. but my own affairs have. as far
rs | can understand II, little 10 do with
this awful pMsincss. Ii is an hereditary
matter; so in order 10 give YOU an idea
of the facts. | must 90 back 10 the
commencement of the affair.
you must know that my grand
father had two SONS A. my uncle Elias
and my father Joseph NV father had
a small factory at Coventry, which he
enlarged at the time of the invention
of bicycling. He was the patcntcc of
the Opcnshaw unbrcakahlc tire. and his
business met with such success that he
was able 10 sell il. and TO retire upon
a handsome competence.
INV uncle Elias cmigratcd 10 Amer
| lea when he was n young man, and be-
came n planter IN Florida, where he
was reported 20 have done very well
. At the time of the war he fought in
Jackson's army, and afterwards under
Hood, where he rose. TO he n colonel.
When Lee laid down his arms my uncle
returned 10 his plantation. where he re-
manned for three or four years. About
1869 or 1860 he came back In Europe,
and took small estate in Sussex, near
Horsham lie had made very con-
siderable fortune in the States, and his
reason for leaving them was his aver
sion to the Negroes and his dislike oi
the Republican policy IN extending the
franchise To them. lie was 4 singular
man. fierce and Quick-tempcrCd. very
foul-mouthcd when he was angry. and
of a most retiring disposition. Durins
all the years that he lived at Horsham
| doubt If ever he SCt foot IN the towns
He had a garden and two or three field
round his house, and there lac wOulC
take his exercise. though very often 70,
weeks ON end. he would never leave h'
room. lie drank great deal Of brandy
and smoked very heavily, but he woul,
sec no society. and did not want an,
friends. not even his own brother.
He didn't mind me. in fact, he tool
fancy To me. for at the time when h
saw me first was youngStcr oi twclv,
or so. This would he in the wear 1875
after he had been eight or nine yesr,
in England He begged my father {,
LET me live with him. and he was YER
kind 10 me in his way. When he wa
sober he used 10 be fond OF plavinI
backgammon and drauehts with me
/, and he would make me his representa-
tive both with the servants and witt
the tradespcoplc. 50 that by the tim
, that | was sixteen | was quite maste
OF the house. ! kept all the keys. AM
, could GO where liked and do what
liked. 80 long as ! did not disturb hin
in his privacy. There was one singula
J exception. however, for he had Slncl
room, mmber-rOOm UP among the a;
] tics. which was invariably locked, an
2 which lac would never permit either m
or any one else 10 enter. With q boy
curiosity | have peeped through IN
, key-hole but 1 was never able 10 sc
D more than such a collection of oil
; trunks and bundles as would he eNpecte
B in such a room.
: "Onc day--it was in March. lSS3-
e letter with a foreign stamp lay upon III
. table IN front OF the COlOncls plate
e was not a common thing for HIM to r,
I ccive letters. for his bills were all pal
b, in ready money. and he had no FRIEND
! OF any sort From India said he. /:
be took II up. Pondicherry po>tmarl
]. What can tins be? Opening IL hui
;. riedly, out there jumped fine little drie
7 orange pips, which pattered down upo
c MS plate began to laugh at this, bl
j. the laugh was struck from my lips 1
the sight Of has face His lip had fallei
his ewes We're protruding. his skin II
p color OF putty, and he glared at the el
?. velope which he still held in his tren
/, bling hand. X. II. X, he shrieke'
and then, My God. my God. my sil
have Overtsken me-
h What i il. uncle ! cried.
> Death, ssid he. and rising from II
table he retired TO his room. leaving II
pslpiiating with horror. took up Il
envelope, and saw scrawled in red IL
upon the inner flap, Just above Il
gum, the letter X three times repeate
J There was nothing else save the fl
u dried pips. What could be the reason
b ms overpowerine terror? | left brea
isst-tablc. and as ] assembled the ste
y ! met him coming down with on o
irustv kew. which must have belong,