VOLXXXII
We have more workmen and larger shop room tha i ever. We
have out in machinery anil can supply you with machine or hi: d
made work at wholesale factoiy nrices. We an: "citing out >ur n
catalogue and in our wholesale department we :i:i 1 ib >it iod se:s
of harness that we cannot duplicate again, and don't want these in
our road and will sell them for about half price. There is only a few
set of each kind, therefore ifyou want bargains come q :ick. No dif
ference what you want in the harness line, cither new work or repair
ing, come here.
We must have room for buggies and wagons of which we hav
the largest line we ever h:.d r.i:d will close out
BLANKETS and ROBES
from now till April istat less than wholesale prices. It will pay you
to buy now for next winter. Just come in and see what bargains we
are offering in different articles. We have a special >ale going on in
horse collars, too. We never advertise in a catch-penny way —.v ie
we say wc are down in price we are down in price.
S. B. MARTINCOURT &r CO
BUTLER, PA.
A Card to the Public.
W* dssire to inform th» public that we have opuaed * fir*r. cla«-< Mf-r
cb»nt Tailoring aa<l Gen's Furnwhiug Goods. establishment in >h« room on
the corner of Maia and JelTerma ar,<"e«iw, ipo.Miie tin L > vry II «« offi -o.
We hop« by fair dealing and strict attfotioi t> to merit u
il.are of Four patronage
VV W ba*« purchiwd a Urge atjck of F I'eiga a»H D on-italic go ids,
wbicb will made up in tir-t cl s'vlu
We emplov D»O« ba' the b«*' wirkcoto. a r id go*raatee perfect eati--
faction in «f»rj particular. Call aud Stw Ua.
J. S. & J. P. YOUNG,
THE TAILORS and PURSISHEIjS. 101 Slutii Mail Street, Bad ir, Pa.
SPECIAL
Owing to * contemplated change in our basinets April Nr. it become*
oec»-ipary tbat we clotH* out our »*iiiir«» Htofk on or before that date—
will therefore place on *ale ibt« oft 2 OOU oaira of pants 1 OnO suits
underwear. 1.200 MenV. 800 Knv'* and Goo •'hildr'-n's suit*; 500
co»w; 1600 Batr; 3')o solid tro'd 50 H'atelie*; 200 Chains, 1,000
Collar sod Cuff button ; 2,00u Scar! pins; 200 Sjin waistß.erc.
w« bere (five ycu timely notice of tqieeial dafs dies, and special dis
count, Ho that you can prepare to take advantage of these hales and secure
Mxue ot th- bargain*.
Bargain Days
Wednesday Jan. 30—Pan** 'lay—2o jwr w off,
Friday, Feb. l«t -O*' rcoat day—2s per c. nt.. off,
Tuesday Feb s'h—Underwear day—2"> per cflnt. off.
Thursday, Feb. 7th—Jew Irv dav—2o per cent "ff.
Monday, F*b. 11th Hat day—2o p-" - c-"it. off.
8pec»»l -ales on r»rr«i'> lines of goo 'f* eF«rv day as lone a* those good
last Tbe«* foods not su h j"C? to *p"eirtl discount. Pant* f -rm-r orice 3
to 6 dollars. special jjhc* $1 o0 #3 50 Mki'm xuit* former price $4 50 to
112 00. special pric- 250 to 7 50 —flbildfiw *aitn. former 1 to fi
» dollars special price 75c to >3 s<J.—fine gor.doU (|a-s former price $2 00 to
u 50, special price from 75<: to 92 00 Hoy's ami Children Caps, former I
price 15 to 25c special price I to 10c —Underwear former price 25c. Special
price 15"—Muffl-re »ormer pri/»e fr< ni 50c to $2 50 sper i il price 25c tosl 25
Don't mi»S this great sak' -by borr.-.wintr money at f> per cent ycu can
■aye 27 per c«nt net, now this may strange \etit is true, and if yon
doubt it Just call arouod and we will convince v ou.
D. A. Heck,
Champion Clothier, Hatter and Furnisher,
21 N. M cirtSt., Duffy's Block, Ruller, P«
To Shoe Buyers.
When you are tired of buying
"Cheap & Nasty" Shoddy
Goods, = go = to
AL. RUFF.
Because he deals in FIRST CLASS GOODS only, do not
think that he charges a high price for them, In fact the
price he asT<s for good s did, reliable footwear is so little
higher than that asked for the combination of sheepskin
and paper advertised by some dealers, that you will never
again be tempted to bjy the latter. For ready cash we
will now sell you more shoes, quality considered, than can
be bjugiit elsewhere in Butler County. "The proof of the
pudding," etc, aa the feller scz.
Shoe Dealer. AL RDFF. s. Main St.
Hotel Williard.
R" »pencd and oow raadv for tb*-
eccn m«d<ttirc < f Or tr«v»dirg pr.b
llc.
E»«ry»hiu({ in fir»t-clM<( strip.
MRS. MATTIE KEIHING, Owner
X H BROOKS, Clerk.
H(>tel Hi 11 Jer
J H FAUBKL, Prop'r.
This house lias been thorough
ly renovated, lemodeled. and re
fitted with new furniture and
carpets; has electric bells and all
other modern conveniences for
guests, and is as convenient, and
( desirable a home for strangers as
can be found in Butler. Pa
Elegant sample room for use oi
onnmercial men
THE BUTLER CITIZEN.
Cured
Permanently Cured
OF
Constitutional Scrofula
BT
Hood's Sarsaparilla
| _
SflMt Olive & Carl
Reynoldsville, Pa.
The cure of Olive Carl by Hood'a
Sarsaparilla has few equals iu medical
history. The testimonial was first
published two years ago, and a letter
lately received from her mother 6ay-i
Olive continues in good health and
" We are satisfied her remarkable cure
of constitutional scrofula by Moou's
Sarsaparilla was permanent."
Briefly stated the case was this: "When
Olive was 8 yearß old she had the whoop
ing cough and measles, followed by in
tense pains in everv Joint in her bo< y,
like rheumatism. Physicians were p z
zled, but after a consultation, pronounced
the disease some form of
Constitutional Scrofula.
m When we began to use Hood's Sarsa
parilla, she con Id not be moved without
crying out with pain, and we were com
pelled to cut her hair, as she could not
bear the weight of it. At first the change
for the better was very gradual; the pains
seemed to be less freouent and the swell
ing in some of the joints subsided after
using about one bottle. Then improve
ment was more rapid and one night she
surprised us by telling us that we
Need Not Prop Her Up In Bod
M we had done for month*, and next
night ahe surprised us still more by roll
ing over across the bed. From that time
on the improvement vra* very rapid and
ahe soon began to creep about the house
and then to walk on crutches. Now ahe
Mood's Sar ' a -
I parilla
generally uses but /H f | O
one crutch, the dis- t U. 1
ease hnving left one
leg crooked, and I
fear it will remain eo. We feel that to
Hood's Saraapariila we owe our child's life.
" I enclose t he photograph of my daugh
ter and I think it IH a picture of perfect
health. When I think how near she was
to death's door I cannot feel thankful
enough for her recovery." MRS. J. A.
CART., R«yrioldsville,
Hftn/I'c Pillc the a,t ' '- dlnn * r P ln md
lIUOU J> family cathartic. 25c.
>AreYour £
(Groceries \
? Fresh? <■ /
C Everything we have is V.
S fresh. We guarantee every/
\ pound we seli to be the)
\ best ol its kind there is. \
/ We want regular,al 1 -the \
r year-round, trade. Let us C
v sell you all you can eat. i
1 Henry Hiller,^
No doubt many of the
readers of the CITIZEN
intend doi'tg some pa
pering this spring. To
those who do,
Heineman
& Son,
invite an inspection of
their stock; and promise
that they will sljow.
The Largest Stock,
The Best Selections
and Fair Prices.
More than this, no one
can a sk. Wouldn't it
be to your interest to
call at this store?
Eutlsr Dye Works,
*lO CENTRA ATMIUP.
lU'TLKH, PA.
Save 20
Per Cent,
By bringing your «ly» m/ .u ini
to our place. We have done nw«v wit*
•ur 'tirents nri«l propose giving our put rot>»
ihe benefit Come arid bring your work ai»'
we cm t«11 you just wha» can be done to it
Ihuf avoiding the misunderstanding aid in
competency «»t ig*nt*. It" you cannot oou»«
(I i b a pott h I ar»d *<■ will ml) on you
R. Fisher.
______
mthside 1 iestni i runt
N<>. 211 Ct!litre Av»*nue, (Wi>t
mire building,) convenient to P. fi
W depot. Open all bourH AM
kiuil of lunched and r<>g<ilnr
Tobacco nnd fine corfeclioUH
and ev«-ryibiitir to he f >aiid in ti
firnt clfthn Hi Hraurunt Give nt« M
call HIII WF will do our beat to ac
commodate j-.u.
W. J. Matfk,
MmMgvr.
UfTLKK. PA.,TI-lUHSDAY.
■j '™" j| l! jpjil
CHAPTER V
THE TRAGEDY OF POJfDTCnERRY LODGE.
It was nearly eleven o'clock when we
! reached this final stage of our night's
adventures. We had left the damp fog
of the great city behind us, and the
night was fairly fine. A warm wind
blew the westward, ami heavy
clouds moved slowly across the sky,
with half a moon peeping oceasi nally
through the rifts. It was clear enough
to see for some distance, but Thaddeus
Sholto took down one of the side-lamps
from the carriage to give us a better
light upon our way.
I Pondieherry lodge stood in its own
| grounds, and was girt round with a
very high stone wall topped with
broken glass. A single narrow iron
clamped door formed the only means
of entrance. On this our guide knocked
with a peculiar postrnan-like rat-tat.
"Who is there?" cried a gruff voice
from within.
"It is I, McMurdo. Yousurelj' know
my knock by this time."
There was o grumbling sound and a
clanking and jarring of keys. The
door swung heavily back, and a short,
deep-chested man stood in the opening
with the yellow light of the lantern
shining upon his protruded faee and
twinkling, distrustful eyes.
"That you, Mr. Thaddeus? But who
are the others? I had no orders about
them from my master."
"Xo, McMurdo? You surprise me! I
told my brother last night that 1
should bring some friends."
"He hain't been out o' his room to
day, Mr. Thaddeus. and I have no or
ders. You know very well that I must
stick to regulations. I can let you in,
but your friends they must just stop
where they arc."
This was an unexpected obstacle.
Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in
a perplexed and helpless manner.
"This is too bad of you, McMurdo!" he
said. "If I guarantee them, that is
enough for you. There is the you
lady, too. She cannot wait on the pub
lic road at this hour."
"Very sorry, Mr. Thaddeus." said the
porter, inexorably. "Folk may be
friends o' yours, and yet no friends o'
the master's. He pays me well to do
my duty, and my duty I'll do. I don't
know none o' your friends."
"Oh, yes, you do, McMurdo," cried
Sherlock Holmes, genially. "I don't
think you can have forgotten me.
Don't you remember the amateur who
fought three rounds with you at Ali
son's rooms on the night of your bene
fit four vears back?"
"Xot Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" roared
the prize fighter. "God's truth! how
could I have mistook you? If instead
o'standin'th»re so quiet you had just
stepped up and given ine that cross lot
of yours under the jaw, I'd lia' known
you without a question. Ah, you're
one that has wasted your gifts, you
have! You might have aimed high, if
you had joined the fancy."
"You see, Watson, if all else fails ine
I have still one of the scientific profes
sions open to me," said Holmes, laugh
ing. "Our friend won't keep us out in
the cold now, 1 am sure."
"In you come, sir. in you come—you
and your friends," he answered. "Very
sorry, Mr. Thaddeus, but orders are
very strict. Had to be certain of your
friends before 1 let them in."
Inside, a gravel path wound through
desolate grounds to a huge clump of a j
house, square and prosaic, all plunged !
in shadow save where a moonbeam j
struck one corner and glimmered in a :
garret window. The vast size of the j
building, with its gloom and its deathly !
silence, struck a chill t# the heart 1
Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at
ease, and the lantern quivered and rat
tled in his hand.
"I cannot understand it," he said.
"There must bo some mistake. I dis
tinctly told Bartholomew that we
should be here, and yet there is no
light iu his window. Ido not know
what to make of it."
"Does he always guard the premises
in this way?" asked Holmes.
"Yes; he has followed my father's
custom. lie was the favorite son. you
know, and I sometimes think that rnv
father may have told him more th:.
lie ever told inc. That is Barthol
omew's window up there where the
moonshir* strikes It is quite bright,
but there is no light from within, I
think."
, "None," said Holmes. "But I see
the glint of a light in that little win
dow beside the door."
"Ah, that is the housekeeper's room.
That is where old Mrs. Bernstone sits.
She can tell us all about it. But per
haps you would not mind waiting here
for a minute or two, for if we all go in
together, and she has no word of our
coming, she may be alarmed. But
hush! What is that?"
He held up the lantern, and his hand
shook until the circles of light flickered
and wavered all round us. Miss Mor
stan seized my wrist, and we all stood
with thumping hearts, straining our
ears. From the great black house there
sounded through the silent night the
saddest and most pitiful of sounds—
the shrill, broken whimpering of a
frightened woman.
"It is Mrs. Bernstone." said Sbolto.
"She is the only woman in the house.
Wait here. I shall be back in a mo
ment." He hurried for the door, and
knocked In his peculiar way. We
could see a tall old woman admit liim
and sway with pleasure at the very
sight of him.
"Oh, Mr. Thaddeus, sir, I am so glad
you have come! I am so glad you
have come, Mr Thaddeus, sir!" We
heard her reiterated rejoicings until
the door was closed and her voice died
away into a muffled monotone.
Our guide had left us the lantern
Holmes swung it slowly round, and
peered keenly at the bouse, and at ttie
IS
HE HELD III' THF. LANTERN.
great rubbish heaps which cumbered
the grounds. Miss Morstanand 1 stood
together, and her hand was in mine. A
wondrous subtle thing Is love, for here
were we two who had never seen each
other before that day, between whom
no word or even look of affection had
ever passed, and yet now in an hour of
trouble our hands instinctively sought
for each other. I have marveled at it
since, but at the time it seemed the
most natural thing that I should go
out to her so, and. as she ha» often told
mc, there was in her also the instinct
to turn to me for comfort and protec
tion. So we st.jotl hand in hand, like
two children, and there was peace in
our hearts for all the dark things that
surrounded us.
"What a strange place!" she said,
looking around.
"It looks as though all the moles in
England had been let loose In it. I
have seen f-omething of the sort on the
side of a hill near Ballarat. where the
prospectors had been at work."
"And from the same cause," said
Holmes. "These are the traces of
treasure-seekers. You must remember
that they were -x ye:.'-s ] oking for it.
Xo wonder that the ground looks like
a gravelpit."
At that momc-nt the door burst open,
and Thaddeus Sholto came running
out. with his hands thrown forward
and terror in his eyes.
"There is something amiss with Bar
tholomew!" he cried. "1 am fright
ened! My nerves cannot stand it." He
was, indeed, half-blubbering w ii fear,
nnd his twitching, feeble face, peeping
out from the great Astrakhan collar,
had the helpless, appealing expression
of a terrified child.
"Come into the house," said Holmes,
in his crisp, firm way.
"Yes. do!" pleaded Thaddeus Sholto.
"I really do not feel equal to giving di
rections."
We all followed him into the house
keeper's room, which stood upon the
left-hand side of the passage. The old j
woman was pacing up and down with
a scared look and restless, picking
fingers, Viut the sight of Miss Morstan
appeared to have a soothing effect upon
her.
"Got! bless your sweet calm face!"
she cried, with a hysterical sob. "It
docs mc good to see you Oh, but I
have been sorely tired this day!"
Our companion patted her thin, work
worn hand, and murmured some few
words of kindly womanly comfort
which brought the color back into the
other's bloodless cheeks.
"Master has locked himself in and
will not answer me." she explained.
"All day I have waited to hear from
him. for he often likes to be a one; but
an hour ago I feared that something was
amiss, so I went up and peeped through
the keyhole. You must go up, Mr.
Thaddeus—you must go up and look
for yourself. I have seen Mr. Barthol
omew Sholto in joy and in sorrow for
ten long years, but I never saw him
with such a face on him as that."
Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and
led the way, for Thaddeus Sholto's
teeth were chattering in his head. So
shaken was lie that I had to pass my
hand under his arm as we went up the
stairs, for his knees were trembling
under him. Twice ns we ascended
Holmes whipped his lens out of his
pocket and carefully examined marks
which appeared to me to tie mere
shapeless smudges of dust upon the
cocoa-nut matting which served ns a
stair-carpet. He walkad slowly from
step to step, holding the lamp low. and
shooting keen glances to right and
left. Miss Morstan had remained be
hind with the frightened housekeeper.
The third flight of stairs ended in a
straight passage of some length, with
a great picture in Indian tapestry _pon
the right of it and three doors upon the
left. Holmes advanced along it in the
same slow and methodical w ay, while
we kept close at his heels, with our
long black shadows streaming back
wards down the corridor. The third
door was that which we were seeking.
Holmes knocked without receiving any
answer, and then tried to turn the
handle and force it open. It was
locked on the inside, however, and by a
broad and powerful bolt, as we could
see when wc set our lamp up against
it. The key being turned, however,
the hole was not entirely closed. Sher
lock Holmes bent down to it, and in
stantly rose again with a sharp intak
ing of the breath.
"There is something devilish In this,
Watson," said lie, more moved than I
had ever before seen him. "What do
you make of it?"
1 stooped to the hole, and recoiled in
horror. Moonlight was streaming into
the room, and it was bright with a
vague and shifty radiance. Looking
straight at me, and suspended, as it
were, in the air. for all beneath was in
shadow, there hung a face—the very
face of our companion Thaddeus.
There was the same high, shining
head, the same circular bristle of red
hair, the same bloodless countenance.
The features were set, however, in a
horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural
grin, which In that still and moonlit
room was more jarring to the nerves
than any scowl or e nt rtion. So like
was the face to that of our little friend
tiiat I looked round at him to make
sure that lie was indci 1 with us. Then
I recalled to mind that he had men
tioned to us that his brother and he
were twins.
"This is terrible!" I said to Holmes.
"What is to be done?"
"The door must come down," he an
swered, and. springing against it. he
put all his weight npon the lock. It
creaked and groaned, but did not yield.
Together we Hung ourselves upon it
once more, and this time it gave way
with a sudden snap, and we found our
selves within Hartholomcw Sholto's
chamber.
It appeared to have been (ltted tip as
a chemical laboratory. A double line
of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn
up upon the wall opp- ite the door,
and the table was littered over with
liunsen burners, test tubes and retorts.
In the corners stood carboys of acid in
wicker baskets. One of these appeared
to leak or to have been broken, for a
stream of dark-colored liquid had
trickled out from it. and the air was
heavy with a peculiarly pungent tar
like odor. A set of steps stood nt one
side of the room, in the midst of a lit
ter of lath and plaster, and above
them there was an opening in the ceil
ing large enough for a man to pass
through. At the foot of the steps a
long coil of rope was thrown carelessjy
together.
By tlio table, in a woo len arm-chair,
the master of the lioube was seated all
in a heap, with his head 'ink upon his
left shoulder, an 1 that gha -tly. inscrut
able smile upon Jo . face. He was stiff
and cold, and had clearly been dead
many hours. It seemed to me that not
only his features but all his limbs were
twisted and turned in the most fan
tastic fashion. Hy Ids hand upon the
table there lay a peculiar Instrument,
—a brown, close-grained stick, with a
stone head like a hammer, rudely
laslied on with coarse twine, lieside it
was a torn sheet of note paper with
some words scrawled upon it. Holmes
glanced at it, and then handed it to me.
"You scci" he said, with a significant
ruifciutr of the eyebrows.
In the light of the lantern I read,
with a thrill of horror: "The sign of
the four."
"In God's name, what docs it all
mean?" I asked.
"It means mur 'er." said he. stooping 1
over the dead man. "Ah, I expected it.
iljfe ill
j) Cl
A i .p it Mr»A
v r ■>- t i fIU
!tn p-,
HE WAS STIFF AXD COLD.
Look here!" lie to what looked
like a long, dark thorn stuck in the
skin just above the ear.
"It looks like a thorn," said I.
"It is a thorn. You may pick it out.
Hut be careful, for it is poisoned."
I took It np lietwecn my finger and
thumb. It came away from the slciu
so readily that hardly any mark was
left behind. One tiny speck of blood
showed were the puncture h-ul been.
"This is all an insoluble mystery to
me." .said I. "It grows darker instead
of clearer."
"On the contrary," he answered, "it
clears every instant. I only require a
few missing links to have an entirely
connected case."
We had almost forgotten our com
panion's pre i'nce since we entered the
chamber. He was still standing in the
doorway, the very picture of terror,
wringing his bands and moaning to
himself. Suddenly, however, he broke
out into a sharp, querulous cry.
"The treasure is gone!" he said.
"They have robbed him of the treasure!
There i* the hole through w hieh we
lowered it. I helped him to do it I
was the last person who saw him! I
left him here last night, and I heard
him lock the door as I came down
stairs."
"What time was that?"
"It was ten o'clock. And now he is
dead and the police will l>e <• lleil in
and I shall l>e su - pec ted "f having a
hand in it. Oh. yes, I am sure I hall
Hut you don't think so, gentlemen?
Surely you don't thii;k that it was I?
Is it likely that I would have brought
you here if it were IV Oh, dear' oh,
dear! I know that I shall go mad!"
lie jerked his arms and stamped his
feet in a kind of convulsive frenzy.
"You have no reason for fear, Mr.
Sholto," said Holmes, kindly, putting
his hand upon his shoulder. "Take my
advice and drive down to the station to
report the matter to the police. Offer
to assist them in every way. We shall
wait here until your return."
The little man obeyed in a half
stupefied fashion, and we heard him
stumbling down the stairs in the dark.
CHAPTER VI.
SHERLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRA
TION.
"Now, Watson," said Holmes, rub
bing his hands, "we have half an hour
to ourselves. Let us make good use of
It. My case is. ns I have told you,
almost complete; but we must not err
on the side of over-confidence. Simple
as the case seems now, there may be
something deeper underlying it."
"Simple!" 1 ejaculated.
"Surely," said he, with something of
the air of a clinical professor expound
ing to his class. "Just sit in the cor
ner there, that your footprints may not
complicate matters. Now to work. In
the first place, how did these folks
come, and how did they go? The door
has not been opened since last night.
How of the window?" He carried the
lamp across to i* muttering his obser
vations aloud the while, but address
ing them to himself rather than to me.
"Window is snibbed on the inner side.
Framework is solid. No hinges at the
side. Let us open it. No water pipe
near. Roof quite out of reach. Yet a man
has mounted by the window. It rained
u little last night. Here is the print of
a mold upon the sill. And here is a
circular muddy mark, and here ai r ain
upon the floor, and here again by the
table. See here, Watson! This is re
ally a very pretty demonstration."
I looked at the round, well-defined
muddy discs. "That is not a foot
mark," said I.
"It is something much more valuable
to us. It is the itnpre ion of a wooden
stump. Yon see here on the sill is the
l»oot mark, a heavy boot with a broad
metal heel, and beside it is the mark of
the timber-toe."
"It is the wooden-legged man."
"Quite so. Itut there lias tje. ii some
one else—a very able and efficient ally.
Could you scale that wall, doctor?"'
I looked out of vhe open window.
The moon still shone brightly on that
angle of the house. We were a good
sixty feet from the ground, and, look
where 1 would, I could see no foothold,
nor as much as a crevice in the brick
work.
"It is absolutely impossible," I an
swered.
"Without aid it is so. Ilut suppose
you had a friend up here who lowered
you till-, good, stout ripe whii 'i I see
in the corner, securing one err! of it to
this great hook iti tin- wall. Then, I
think, if you were an active man, you
might swarm up. wooden leg and all.
You would depart, of course, in the
same fashion, and your ally would
draw up the rope, unti it from the
hook, shut the window, - nib it ou tlio
inside, and get away in the way that
he originally came. \s a minor point, it
may be noted." he continued, fingering
the rope, "that our wooden-legged
friend, though a fair climber, was not
a professional sailor. lii.-> hands were
far from horny. My lens disci",es
more than one b Tod mark, especially
toward the end of the rope, from which
I (father that lie slipped down with
such velocity that he took the skin off
his hands."
"This i* all very well." said I, "but
the thing becomes move un'mtclli.-ible
than ever. How about, this mysterious
ally? How came he into the room?"
"Yes, the ally!" repeated Holmes,
pensively. "There are features of in
terest about this ally. Hi- lifts the
case from the regions of the common
place. I fancy that 1! is ally bre iks
fresh ground in the annals of crime in
this country— though | irallel ca -es
suggest themselves f: in India, and. if
my memory serves me, from Scneguin
bia."
"How came he, then?"' I reiterated.
"The door is lock* 'l. the window is in
accessible. Was it throii; ii the chim
ney?"
"The grate is much too small," ho
answered. bad Already considered
that po- ibility."
"How then?" 1 persisted
"You will not apply my precept," he
said,shaking his head. "How often have
1 said to you that when yon have elimi
nated the impossible, whatever re
mains, however improbable, must be
the truth? We know that he did not
come through the door, the window, or
the chimney. We also know that he
could not have been concealed in the
room, as there is no concealment pos
sible. Whence, then, did lie come?"
"JJe came tlirouyh the hole in tlio
—. H#'*"
r ■ >l," 1 cried.
"Of course he did. lie must have
done so. If yon will have the kindness
to hold the lamp for me, we shall now
extend our researches to the room
above-—the s; eret ri urn in which the
treasure was found."
lie mounted the at. . and, scizir.g a
rafter with either hand, he swung him
self up into the garret. Then, lying 1 on
his face, he reached down for the lamp
and held it while I followed him.
The chamber in which we found ouP
svlvi wr - alxutt ten feet one way by
six the other. The floor was formed by
tVie rafters, with ! fh-and-plaster
between, so that in \vuit...,r rr® had
to step from beam to lieain. The r.»of
ran up to an apex, and was evidently
the inner shell of the true roof of the
house. There was no furniture of any
sort, and the accumulated dust of
years lay thick upon the floor.
' Here you are. you see," said Sher
lock Holmes, putting his hand against
the sloping wall. '"This is a trap-door
which leads out onto the roof. I can
press it back, and here is the roof it
self. sloping 1 at a gentle angle. This,
then, is the way by which Number One
I entered. Let us see if we can find
I some »:hor traces of his individuality."
Ho held down the lamp to the floor,
and as he did so 1 saw for the second
time that night a startled, surprised
look come over his face. For myself,
as I followed hi>- ga/.e my skin was cold
under my clothes. The floor was
covered thickly with the prints of a
naked foot—clear, well defined, per
fectly formed, but scarce half the size
of those of an ordinary man.
"Holmes." I said, in a whisper, "a
child has done this horrid thing l ."
He had recovered his self-possession
in an instant. "1 was staggered for
the moment," he said, "but the thing
is quite natural. My memory failed
me. or 1 should have lieen able to fore
tell it. There is nothing more to be
learned here. Let us go down."
"What is your theory, then, as to
those footmarks?" I asked, eagerly,
when we had regained the lower room
once m« re.
"My dear Watson, try a little analy
sis yourself." said he. with a touch of
impatience. "You know my methods.
Apply them, and it will be instructive
to compare results."
"I c i inot conceive anything which
will cover the facts.'' I answered.
"It will be clear enough to you soon."
he said, in an off-hand way. "I think
that there is nothing else of imj»or
tance here, but I will look." He
1 -A* V
u Y ■ ( t? r t •VtiJi
J, :Iml.
Pm ; • A
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f
0 taj .fe. ■ -■ I, y
f / -3 * V 4''4,
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« ylill
IIF. nr.1.1) DOWN HI: I. v.\;R TO THE FLOOR.
whipp' .l out his lens and a tape meas
ure. and hurried about the room on his
kin is, measuring, coinp- ring, examin
ing. with his long thin nose only a few
inches from the plank-., and his beady
eyes gleaming and deep-set like those
of a bird. So swift*, silent and furtive
were his movements, like those of a
trained blood-hound picking out a
scent, that I could not but think what
a t 'rrible criminal lie would have
made liad he turned his energy and
sagacity ag-ainst the law, instead of ex
erting them in its defense. As he
hunted about, he kept muttering to
himself, and finally lie broke out intc
load crow of delight.
"We are certainly in luck," said he.
"We ought to have very little trouble
now. Number One has had the misfor
tune to tread in the creosote. You can
see the outline of the edge of his small
foot here nt the side of this evil-smell
ing mess. The carboy has been cracked,
you see, and the stuff has leaked out."
"What then?" I asked.
"Why, we liuve got him, that's all,"
said lie. "I know a dog that would
follow that scent to the world's end.
If a pack can track a trailed herring
across a shire, how far can a specially
trained hound follow so pungent a
smell as this? It sounds like a sum in
the rule of three. The answer should
give u' the Hut halloo! here are the
accredited representatives of the law."
Heavy steps and the clamor of loud
voices were audible from below, and
the hall door shut with a loud crash.
"Before they come," rift id Holmes,
"just put your hand here on this poor
fellow's arm, and here on his leg. What
do you feel?"
"The muscles are as hard as a board,"
I answered.
"(Jnite so. They are in a state of ex
treme contraction, far exceeding the
usual rigor mortis. Coupled with this i
di tortion of the face, this Hippocratic !
smile, or 'risus sardoni us.'as the old
writers < .died it, what conclusion would
it suggest to your mind?"
"Heath from some powerful vegeta- |
ble all. iloid," I answered—"some
strychnine-like substance which would
produce tetanus."
"That was the i-! a which occurred
to me the instant I saw the drawn i
muscles of the face. ' >ll getting into
the room I at once looked for the
meant by v. hieh the poison had entered
the system. As you saw, I discovered
a thorn which had been driven or shot
with no great force into the scalp, j
You ob erve that the part struck was
that which would be turned tow aids
the hole in the ceiling if the man were
erect in his chair. Now examine this !
thorn."
1 took it up gingerly and held it in
the ii lit of the lantern. It was loug,
sharp and black, with a glazed look
near the point as though some gummy
substance had dried upon it. The
blunt en 1 had been trimmed and
rounded off with a knife.
"I tlii an English thorn?" he asked.
"No, it certainly is not."
"With all these data yon should b«
able to draw some just inference. Hut
here are the regulars; so the auxiliary
force may beat n retreat."
As ho spoke, the steps which had 1
been cluing nearer sounded loudly on
the if/c, and a very stfut, portly
man in a gray suit strode heavily into
the room, lie was red-faced, burly and
pit tic ric. with a pair of very small
tv.inl.iing eyes which looked keenly
out fr.in behind swollen and puffy
pouches. He was closely followed by
an in ; ••••tor in uniform, and by the
still I'iilpitatinjr Thaddcu . Sholto.
"litre's a businc he cried, in a
mutilcd liu '.;y voice. "Here's a pretty i
businc 1 ! Isut who are all these? Why,
the h'-list cuis to be as full as a rab- ,
bit-warren."
"I think yon very much recollect me,
Mr. Athclney Jones. ' said Holmes,
quit : iy.
"Why. of com e I do!" he wheezed.
"!t' si. i*l• '. Holm - . the theo
rist. I mci.iiicr yo i! 111 never forget
how ■ ;i d u . all • n causes and
iuiVivn ts in the Bishop-
IT 1 true I u set us on
: tut you'll own now ,
: i u • by good luck than
'lt v. .< u piece of very simple rea-
soning.
"Oh, Co rue, not* - , cotoe! Never bf
ashamed to own up. But what i.s all
this? Bail business! Bad business'
Storn facts here—no ro< m for theories.
How lucky that I happened to he out at
Norwood over another vase! I was at
the station when the message arrived.
What d'you think the man died of?"
"Oh. this is hardly a case for me to
theorize over," said Holmes, dryly.
"No. no. Still, we can't deny that
yon hit the nail on the head sometimes.
Dear me! Door locked. I understand.
Jewels worth half a million missing.
How was the window?"
"Fastened; but there are stops on
the sill."
"Well, well, if it was fastened the
steps could have nothing to do with
the matter. That's common sense.
Man might have died in a fit; but then
the jewels are missing. Ha! I have a
theory. These flashes come upon me
at times. Just step outside, sergeant,
and you. Mr. Sholto. Your friend can
remain. What do you think of this.
Holmes? Sholto was, on his own con
fession. with his brother last night.
The brother died in a fit. on which
Sholto walked off with the treasure.
How's that?"
"On which the dead man very con
siderately got up and locked the door
on the inside."
"Hum! There's a flaw there. Let
us apply common sense to the matter.
This Thaddeus Sholto was with his
brother; there was a quarrel: so much
wo know. The brother is dead and the
jewels are gone. So much also we
know. No one saw the brother from
the time Thaddeus left him. His bed
had not been slept in. Thaddeus is
evidently in a most disturbed state of
mind. His appearance is—well, not at
tractive. You see that I am weaving
my web round Thaddeus. The net be
gins to close upon him."
"Yon are not quite in possession of
the facts yet," said Holmes. "This
splinter of wood, whieh I have every
reason to l>elieve to be poisoned, was
in the man's scalp where you still see
the mark; this card, inscribed as you
see it, was on the table; and beside it
lay this rather curious stone-headed
instrument. How does all that fit into
your theory?"
"Confirms it in every respect," said
the fat detective, pompously. "House
i' full uf Indian curiosities. Thaddeus
night this up, And if this splinter be
poisonous Thaddeus may as well have
made murderous use of it as any other
man. The card is some hocus-pocus—
a blind, us like as not. The only ques
tion is. how did he depart? Ah, of
course, here is a hole in the roof."
With great activity, considering his
bulk, he sprang up the steps and
squeezed through Into the ffarret, and
immediately afterwards we heard his
exulting voice proclaiming- that he had
found the trap-door.
"He can find something," remarked
Holmes, shrugging his shoulders. "He
has occasional glimmerings of reason.
I'l n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que
ceux qui ont de l'esprit!"
"You see!" said Athelney Joues. re
appearing down the steps again.
"Facts ure better than mere theories,
after all. My view of the case is con
firmed. There is a trap-door commu
nicating with the roof, and it is partly
open."
"It was I who opened it."
"Oh, indeed! You did notice it,
then?" He seemed a little crestfallen
at the discovery. "Well, whoever no
"CONFIRMS IT IN EVERY RESPECT."
ticert it, it shows how our gentleman
grot away. Inspector!"
"Yes, sir," from the passage.
"Ask Mr. Sholto to step this way.—
Mr. Sholto, it is my duty to inform you
that anything which you may say will
be used against you. I arrest you in
the queen's ramp as being 1 concerned
in the death of your brother."
"There, now! Didn't I tell you?"
cried the poor little man, throwing out
his bands and looking from one to the
other of us.
"Don't trouble yourself about it, Mr.
Sholto," said Holmes. "I think that
1 can engagetoclearyou of thecharge."
"Don't promise too much, Mr. Theo
rist don't promise too much!" snapped
the detective. "You may find it a hard
er matter than you think."
"Not only will I cleur him, Mr.
Jones, but I will 111:1 Ice you a free pres
ent of the name and description of one
of the two people who were in this
room lust night. lUs name, I have
every reason to believe, is Jonathan
Hmall. lie is n poorly-educated man,
small, active, with his right leg off
find wearing- a wooden stump which is
worn away upon the inner side. Ills
left boot lias a coarse, square-toed sole,
with an iron baud round the heel. lie
Is a middle-aged man, much sunburned,
and has been a convict. These few in
dications may be of some assistance to
you, coupled with the fact that there
is a good dcnl of skin missing from the
palm of his hand. The other man—"
"Ah! the other man?" asked Athel
ney Jones, in a sneering voice, but im
pressed none the less, as 1 could easily
see, by the precision of the other'#
manner.
"Is a rather curious person," said
bherlock Holmes, turning upon his heel.
"I hope before long to be able to intro
duce you to the pair of them. A word
with you, Watson."
He led me out to the head of the
stair. ' This unexpected occurrence,"
he said, "has caused us rather to lose
sight of the original purpose of our
journey."
"I have just been thinking so," I an
swered. "It is not right that Miss
Morstan should remain iu this stricken
house."
"No. You must escort her home.
She lives with Mrs Cecil Forrester in
Lower Camberwell; so it is not very
far. I will wait for you hero if you
will drive out again. Or perhaps you
•ire too tired?"
"By no means. I don't think I could
rest until I know more of this fantastic
business. I have seen something of
the rough side of life, but I give you
my word that this quick succession of
strange surprises to-night has shaken
my nerve completely. I should like,
however, to see the matter through
with you, now that I have got so far."
"Your presence will be of great serv
ice to uie," he answered. "We shall
work the case out Independently and
leave this fellow Jones to exult over
any mare's-nest winch he may choose
to construct. When you have dropped
Miss Morstan I wish you to go on to
No. 3 l'inchin lane, down near the wa
ter's edge at Lambeth. The third
house on the right-hand fifrle is a bird
stulTer's; Sherman is the name. You
will see a weasel holding a young rub
bit iu the window. Knock old Sher
ui.iu up and tell him. wiUi my cuinpli-
■will bring Toby back Iri the cab wTIS
j yon."
"A dog, I suppose."*
"Yes—n queer mongrel, with a moat
1 amazing power of scent. I woui<£
rather have Toby's help than that
i of the whole detective force of
London."
"I shull bring him. then," said I. "It
is one now. I ought to be back be for*
three, if I can get a fresh horse."
"And I," said Holmes, "shall see
what 1 can lenrn from Mrs. Bern3tone,
and from the Indian servant, who, Mr.
1 haddeus tells me. sleeps in the next
garret. Then I shall study the great
Jones's methods and listen to his not
too delicate sarcasms. 'Wir sind
wohnt dass die Menschen verhohnen
was sie nicht verstehen.' Goethe is al
ways pithy."
(TO BE OOSTrsutO.)
FORTUNES IN FURS.
An English Furrier Gives Soma
Details of High Prioes.
Coats of Fnr That Coat *5.000 Alt«i«4
Frery Year to Salt tta* Lateat
Fashion—Fine Wardrobe of
Fnr Worth 573.000.
Speaking of the $4,000 fur eoat stolen
from I.ady Warwick, in connection
with her description of herself as 4
"splendid pauper" under the new Eng
lish tax laws, a furrier says to the West
minster Budget?"
"As a matter of fact, $4,000 for a
lady's fur coat is absolutely nothing
out of the way in our experience. On
the contrary, it is rather a low price foi
a fur eoat of a lady of means and oi
social position. There are large> num
bers of such ladies who wear fur coati
of about $4,750 to just over *5,000, and
now and again, not so very rarely, w«
make a eoat up to #7,500."
"What kind of fur are these coat*
lined with?"
"There are three kinds of expensive
fur—Russian sable, natural black fox
and sea otter. But it is not the lining
only that makes a coat expensive.
The trimming is another very valuable
—often the most valuable—part. Take
a set of Russian sable tails; that alona
costs $40,000. nor is this surprising,
since we pay S4OO for one tiny skin as
it comes to us straight from Russia, in
an unprepared state."
"Then, what constitutes such a set?"
"Simply a plain front, collar and
cuffs, and a deep garniture round the
coat. But remember how many tails
go to such a set, and remember, also,
that this is the most beautiful fur that
could possibly be had."
"I suppose a coat like this lasts for
ever?"
"It does last for many years, unless
ladies are careless with it. But if you
give them very hard wear and neglect
them, it is only natural that they
should soon be spoilt."
"But what about changes in fashion?
Is the $5,000 fur eoat worn whether It
is made fashionable or not?"
"Oh. no; a great number of these
coats come back to us every year to
be altered according to the latest
fashion."
"Are your customers of this class
very fastidious and troublesome about
these costly garments?"
"No, not in the very least. Of course,
there may be exceptions occasionally,
but, on the whole, these ladies are far
easier to please than many. They have
conQdence in us; they know that the
firm would supply nothing but what
was thoroughly good and genuine. It
is the people who want an ancient seal
skin jacket altered, or something of
that kind, who often prove the most
troflblesome. They seem to think that
we can put the fur back on the animal,
and turn it, from being worn and rot
ten, into new material. We do any
thing which it is possible to do; but to
turn old fur into new is beyond the
limitation of even tho cleverest fur
rier."
"To return to the 'splendid paupers'
fur. What constitutes a complete
wardrobe of furs?"
"A long eoat, a short one, perhaps a
third, trimmed with fur, and a muff
and cape. Such a wardrobe is worth
several thousands, and you would be
surprised to know how many ladies
have such a wardrobe. They look upon
their furs as upon their jewels, It
seems. I know one customer of ours
whose wardrobe of fur is worth #75,000,
end only the other day we made a coat
for SIO,OOO, and the trimming for the
coat of another lady cost $5,000."
"Then about fur coats for men. It
looks as if they were becoming more
popular. Is that so?"
"It is, indeed. Even six or seven
years ago Englishmen seemed ashamed
to wear fnr coats, and if you saw a man
in such a coat you set him down at
once to be either an actor, an artist or
a foreigner. That is no longer so, al
though there are still a good many men
who are a little shy about the matter.
They want a fur coat, bat they don't
want it to be recognized as such. So
they have a coat lined with fur, but
they don't have a fur collar or cuffs.
And since we line made it for years a
special feature to make fur coats fit, it
Is quite possible for a man to wear a
fur-lined overcoat that looks exactly
like an ordinary overcoat.
"The majority of men, however, do
not mind it being noticed that they
wear fur coats. And should they?
Surely a man who goes out to his club
or to dinner at night, in evening dress,
which is much thinner than the clothes
he wears during the day, requires a fur
coat. But men's coats are far less ex
pensive than ladies'. We make them
up to $ - 2,500 or SB,OOO, but we also sell
good coats, lined with muskrat (which
is the best fur for wear), at SSO. That
16 our cheapest coat. Tho average price
a man pays is from $250 to SSOO, but
there again the collar and cuffs form
an important part of the value."
The IHghton Writlnf Book.
At Dighton, Mass., lying well ont
In the tide water of Taunton river, is a
rock of great antiquarian interest. It
is u granite bowlder about eleven feet
long and five feet in greatest height,
and is known throughout New England
as the "Dighton Writing Rock." One
side of the bowlder is almost perfectly
smooth, ns though worn by glacial ac
tion. On this flat surface, in clear-cut
outlines, nre dozens of characters,
hieroglyphics and pictures, chiseled by
some prehistoric engraver. The
archaeologists have never been able to
decipher these characters, but they aro
of undoubted antiquity.
Smiilwlrh llmd.
Box bread, us it is called in some
bakeries, anil sardwich bread, as It is
known in others, is u loaf with per
fectly square corners. The loaves can
be stacked up like bricks. It is square
in cross section aud about twice as long
as it is thick. The crust can be cut
from it with very little waste, and the
■lices can bo cut into the desired tri
angular shape for sandwiches without
any waste whatever.
Why He I.oolce<l Dirty.
Chicago Mother —Dear roe, Augustus,
what makes your face so dirty?
Her Son—l've been playing in the
snow. —Life.
A Slimlfr ftefoted.
Wife (who is very homely)— You never
did a kindly thing in your life.
Sarcastic Husband—Whatl Not even
when I married you?— Texas Siftings.
There'* the Rub!
"The man « ho sine* on rainy day*
Is bappy"—Bi> they say;
But bow ui out his audience.
:v*oy?
-AfisßtrCoatftlrtfUs®.
P—f '»Sf ' •* 9*l*9
]SToI2