VOLXXXII John Bickel's SHOE « 128 S. flain St. Branch Store |2 5 N. . lain St, Our largo pring stock is arris inp daily, and among this stock will be found all the latest styles in Ladies a-i 1 Gents high grade foot wear, at low prices. Our Stock ol Men's is 'rrp 1 aKrt L«atl" ers'— Russetts. —Kangaroo's, —Cordovans and fine Calf shoes in all the latent styles—Large stock of Men's Low Cut shoes. Our stock of Ladies and Misses shoes is full, comprising of the latest styles-—Razor Toe, I ic cadilly—and narrow qiau Tees, ait ih< 1 ate«-r and we have them in Black an>i Kussett, —ln Lace and Button, Also large assortment of La dies and Mioses Oxfords—Opera Toe and Instrap Uppers. Ladies Cloti" Overgailers— at reduced prices. Gilt-Edged hot Drosing. Patent+LEATHER+ nfl TOfT i i +TAN+ lUijlbH. *#* *#* ' The balance of our Winter stock to b- closed out regardless of cost or value —Rubber Goods —Men ■> Rubber Boot-- Boston Can dec or Woonsocket boots, at $2,00 per pair—Men sOi Grain Box Toe shoes Double sole and tap, at *1.25 per pair—Men's every day shoes at 90c —Women's oil grain shoes in Lace or Button, at 90c Misses shoos at 75c —Children's Dongola shoes, sizes 4 to 8 at 40c — Ladies Cloth and Brussel slippers, at 25c per pair Full stock of Leather and Finding—Shooemak ers' supplies ot all kinds. —Best Cordovan Razor straps, at 25c —Boots and shoes made toorder — Repairing neatly Done—Orders by mail will receive prompt and careful attention All goodssent by mail, we pay postage. When in need of anything in my line, Give me a call. JOHN BICKEL, 12H S. Main Street, BUTLER, PA. THIS.++ Jq?,, A tew words >n parting. Go to HU<HLTO\ S for m\ Shot--; don't yot *;o a»y '>' t p'a •; I h.ivr- .'-il ih<- n and ' - arc th-/ bes ! . r • »"<ii v*hal I s.t. Fu'l line Mi' «*> ami < h <Ji< •• r s "fan Siua - I'll for .1 K : n;_; a prices - n harmony «iii i !. n<* •. Von tlon i i<«<J a '..1 |■<>i I • bo .k to d« -»1 t» •i' T.tn Smn** v» Ibe I.>i tl>i» »|' " t . N« w >!>• < - a id Shapes. Our Sh'tk m M// .> A"i » <• <t 1 (>/■ I' < • ' ' tl l • ihott'ii in Built r. I a•• Ii a-td nn<- nm ■ i "r*.-. > ' ine m-' i fastidious tasl- v I'ni i s oil tin e 731 <)0 M .00- 'M 3 Si . ,<> — s2.oo —s2, so —and —s3 0.1 Do 1 1 la:' •> |<ay j- a \ .w~ ha\ r price* way dowii an«j Qu 1 11 > way up. #- B. C, Huwellon, -# 102 N. Main Street, Kramer Wagons, « " u u IX L u a a « Farm " a u All parts of HARNESS our own make at FACTORY PRICES. 5. B. MARTINCOURT &• CO 128 E. Jefferson St., Butler Pa. Wholesale and Retail dealers in Buggies and everything belonging to a Driving or Team outfit, at exceptionally low prices this spring Also a full line of Trunks and Valises. PINE TREE FARM. Jamcsburg. N. J. Send for large catalogue of Lan'l and Water Fowl. The best Pekin Ducks in the world. W H Prop'r. D- A MOUtfT, Sup't mm & TAYLOR Funeral Directors, 101 . Millet. • Butler: Pa. HUSELTON'S Spring Ea*>v. >!\'i It ar«l c«»mforlab'e I*o<>|v%<'• - or Suiiini"' Our Ladies and Men's Tan and ♦Black Shoes, + ,A - -hi it .' (I « x. i' m< lj Hit s»v. V < .!. i ,iil. m tilt an iinnti ii-i > 11 ' '■■ ■i, ki> la ' <t' •. V i K«' a ,- «| K;i/< i London; N< Ul» a a "ti I" i en< h I • es. s.ssss ioo !.;'o 2.00 2.;0 3.00 $ $ $ $ $ W.rr ..•>'! '>i tl 1 tlian a"^ in I>. il<r. Work f I am ess, a « Team " U (6 Plow " u u Buggy U U DYED. N w i* 'h»* tinn- to bav« your Clitbinjr '.leaned or Dy*d, and B»ve tbr 20 ver cent w« are offrr iutr a' th'« nro*. A trial will en vine® jou thitt w«- do /good wo'k Porter* dry clt-annd sl,2"> p*r pnir; HruffclH <»r Tapit-trv c'cunrd with lit liftiuk- l()C iwr lard. Butler Dye Works, 216 Center Ave. THE BUTLER CITIZEN. That Tired Feeling Means danger. It is a serious condition and will lead to disas trous results if it is not over come at once. It is a sure sign that the blood is impoverished and impure. The best remedy Ls HOOD'S Sarsaparilla Which makes rich, healthy blood, and thus gives strength and elas ticity to the muscles, vigor to the brain and health and vitality to every part of the body. Hood's Sarsaparilla positively Makes the Weak Strong " I have taken Hood's Sarsa parilla for indigestion, that tired feeling and loss of appetite. I feel much better and stronger after taking it. I earnestly rec ommend Hood's Sarsaparilla, and I call it a great medicine." MRS. C. E. BRAXHCKST, 1318 Cambria St., Philadelphia, Pi. Hood's and Only Hood's ■ I 1, _ ..... ea .y t<> fiuy. «asy U liOOd S riliS Uikf.mrmcffsct. n. No doubt many of the readers of the CITIZEN intend doing some pa pering this spring. To those who do, Heineman & Son, I invite an inspection of their stock; and promise that they will show. The Largest Stock, The l>est Selections and Fair Prices. More than this, no one can ask Wouldn't it be to your interest to call at this store? e. • D. A business that keeps grow ing through a season ol de pression, such as the country has experienced, is an evi dence that people realize the> save money by trading with us. We know, and always have known, the days of larg< profits are past. Without question we are giving M >N for the money than last Y ai Our stock is larger to select from than last year n .ALL AND SEE US Colbert & Dale. Are You Afflicted. Now is the chance of a life-time to be Cured. The EXCELSIOR Remedies, P<i«tiv»lv hikl Permanently enr>- al canned by derangement of the (imori. Stomach, l.iver «nd Kidneys. Kbeuniatixm, Xeuriljris, Stomach nrnl Livor Trxtiblft; »)l Kkiu OiHoase, 8t Villi- Oar.cn. (icneral Debility, Nerv.m* IMiilit\. Kick i»r Nervous liriulache. Catarrah, At - «r Effect* of l«a()rip|>e. Ken-ult- Coini'lua", (Jot) I'll pat inn and all il.h evil effect* The Kxeel-inr Blood (,'looser and Bxeeli nior Vegetable Hill*, are especially adopted lor Mm above c.nmplainix their curative power* are wouderful. TitY Til KM, the) are guaranteed to cure. Send 11 • tour I*l - and we «ill mail you THK KXCKI<- SIOR IiKAIIKK containing testimonials, of ImndiedM who tiave been cured l>< tin Excelsior Kernedieii in your own Count* and Slate. Aililress all c.omuiniiicaiion to Office HXCKLSIOR Medicine Co, No. 126 8 Main St. - • Butler Pu mm I Prescriptions M A Spociaty. At Redick's Drug Store. We do oot handle anything T>u< drugs nex» imn you *ro n> need ol medicine please givo u» 1, c«tll. W.i are heit'lqu trter* tor pure BODA WATER as WF use only porn fruit juices, ali-o landle Paris Green, hello bole insect powder, London purple and other insecticides. Kenpeetfallj, J. C. KEDK'K, J n ilt * 1 '<;! ote Low y HU'ILKR. HA.. YQU CAIN Fir wlil ■umlTu.t for MrvniMLim »t tuwmt \ I lUTTLER. PA., THURSDAY. APRIL 1,8. 1895. ds®oN©Ftß Ip^f a&fiSS I i o CHAPTER X. THE END OF TUB ISLANDER. Our meal was a merry one. Holmes could talk exceedingly well when ho chose, and that night he did choose. He appeared-to be in a state of nerv ous exaltation 1 have never known him so brilliant. He spoke on a quick succession of subjects,—on miracle plays, on medieval pottery, on Stradi varius violins, on the Buddhism of Cey lon, and on the warships of the fu ture —handling each as thougli be had made a special study of it. His bright humor marked the reaction from his black depression of the preceding days. Athelney Jones proved to lie a sociable soul in his hours of relaxation, and faced his dinner with the-air of a bon vivant. For myself, 1 felt elated at the thought that we were nearing the end of our task, and I caught some thing of Holmes' gayety. None of us alluded during dinner to the cau&e which had brought us together. When the cloth was cleared Holmes glanced at his watch and filled up three glasses with port. "One bumper," feaid he, "to the success of our little expedition. And now it is high time we were off. Have you a pistol, Watson?" "I have my old service revolver in ray desk." "You had liest take it, then. It is well to be prepared. I see the cab is at the door. I ordered it for half-past six." It was a little past seven before we reached the Westminster wharf and found our launch awaiting us. Holmes eyed it critically. "Is there anything to mark it as a police boat?" "Yes—that green lamp at the side." "Then take it off." The small change was made, we stepped on board, and the ropes were JONES, IIOI.MES AND I SAT ON TUB DECK. east off. Jones, Holmes and I sat in the stern. There was one man at the rudder, one to tend the engines, and two burly police inspectors forward. "Where to?" asked Jones. "To the tower. Tell them to stop opposite to Jacobson's yard." Our craft was evidently a very fast one. We shot past the long lines of loaded barges as though they were sta tionary Holmes smiled with satisfac tion as we overhauled a river steam er and left her behind us. "We ought to be able to catch any thing on the river," he said. "Well, hardly that But there are not many launches to beat us." "We shall have to catch the Aurora, anil she has a name for l<ein(f a clipper I will tell you how the land lies, Wat son You recollect how annoyed I was at being balked by so small a thiug?" "Yes." "Well, I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. One of our greatest states men has said that a change of work is the best rest. So it is. Whey I had succeeded in dissolving the hydrocar bon which I was at work at. I came back to our problem of the Sholtos. and thought the whole matter out again. My boys had been up the river and down the river without result. Tho launch was not at any landing stage or wharf, nor hail it returned. Yet It could hardly have Wen scuttled to hide their traces— though that always remained as a pos sible hypothesis if all else failed. I knew that this man Small had a cer tain degree of low cunning, but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. That is usually a product of higher education. I then reflected that since he had cer tainly been in London some time—as we had evidence that he maintained a continual watch over l'ondiclierry lodge—ho could hardly leave at a mo ment's notice, but would need wimp little time, if it were only a day, to arrange his affairs. That was the bal ance of probaUlity, at any rate." "It seems to tne to be a little weak,' said I. "It is more probable that he had arranged his affairs before ever he set out upon hi* expedition." "No, I hardly think so. This lair oi his would be too valuable a retreat in case of need for him to give it up until he was sure that ho could do without it. But a second consideration struck me: Jonathan Small must have felt that tho peculiar appearance of his companion, however much he may have top-coated hirn, would give rise to gossip, and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy. He was quite sharp enough to see that. They had started from their headquarters under cover of darkness, and lie would wish to get back before it was broad light. Now, it was past three o'clock, according to Mrs. Smith, when they got the boat. It would be quite bright, and people would be about in an hour or so. Therefore, I argued, they did not go very far. They paid Smith well to hold his tongue, reserved his launch for the flrial escape, and hurried to their lodgings with the treasure-box. 11l a couple of nights, when they had time to see what view tho papers took, and whether there was any suspicion, they would make tlioir way under cover of darkness to some ship at Oravcsend or in tho Downs, where no doubt they had al ready arranged for passages to America or tho colonies." "But tho launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings." "Ouite so. I argued that the launch must l>e no great way off, in spite of its Invisibility. I then put myself in the place of Small, and looked at it as a man of his capacity would. He would probably consider that to send back the launch or to keep it at a wharf would make pursuit easy if the police did hap(>cu to get on his track. How, then, could lie conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when wanted? I wondered what. I should do myself If I were in his shoes. I could only think of one way of doing It. I might hand the launch over to some boatbuildcr «r rfpsilror, with «lir«-«-t.'n<HH to miiUi- u trifling cbiinffi: in her Shu would then rruiuvi'J td hta uhv'l -/r yunb uy^tiu be effectually concealed, while at the same time I could have her at a few hours' notice." "That seems simple enough." "It is iust these very simple things which are extremely liable to be over looked. However, I determined to act on the idea. I started at once In this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. I drew blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth— Jacobson's —I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder. 'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder," said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.' At that moment who should comedown but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner? lie was rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he—'at eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.' They had evi dently paid him well, for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men. I followed him some distance, but he subsided in an ale house; so I went back to the yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I statiqned him as a sentry over the launch He is to stand at the water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. We shall be lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure and all." "You have planned it all very neatly, whether they are the right men or not," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's yard, and arrested them when they came down." "Which would have been never. This man Small Ls a pretty shrewd fellow. He would send a scout on ahead, and if anything mado him suspicious he would lie snup for another week." "But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, and so been led to their hiding-place." said I. "In that case I should have wasted my day I think that it is a hundred to one apainst Smith knowing where they live. As long as he has liquor and good pay. why should he ask ques tions? They send him messages what to do. No, I thought over every pos sible course, and this is the best." While this conversation had been proceeding, we had tieen shooting the long series of bridges which span the Thames As we passed the city the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. Paul's. It was twilight before we reached the tower. "That is Jacobson's yard," said Holmes, pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey bide. •Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters." He took a tmir of night glasses from his ■elect A frazed some time at the shore. "I tcc my sentry at his pout/ he remarked, "but no sign of a hand kerchief." "Suppose we go down stream a short way and lie in wait for them," said Jones, eagerly. We were all eager by this time, even the policemen and stok ers, who bad a very vague idea of what was going forward. "Wo have no right to take any thing for granted," Holmes answered. "It ls certainly ten to one that they gr down stream, but we cannot be certain. From this point we can see the en trance to the yard, and they can hardly see us. It will tie a clear night and plenty of light. We must stay where we are. See how the folk swarm ovei yonder in the gaslight." "They are coming from work in thf yard." "Dirty-looking rascals, but I sup pose every one has some little Immortal spark concealed about him. You would not think it, to look at them. There Iji no a priori probability about It. A strange enigma is man!" "Some, one calls him a soul concealed in an animal," I suggested. "Winwood Iteade Is good upon the subject," said Holmes. "He remarks that, while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in tho aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what, any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant. So says the statistician. But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there ls a white flutter over yonder." "Yes, it is your boy," I cried. "I can see him plainly." "Anil there is the Aurora," exclaimed Holmes, "and going like the devill Full speed ahead, engineer. Make after that launch with the yellow light. By heaven, I shall never for give myself if she proves to havo the heels of us!" She tin • I slipped unseen through tho yard entrance and passed behind two or three small craft, so that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. Now she was Hying down the stream, near in to the shore, going at a tremendous rate. Jones looked gravely at her and shook his head. "She is very fast,," be said. "I doubt if We shall catch her." "Wo must catch her!" cried Holmes, lietwceu his teeth. "Heap it on, stokers! Make her do all she can! If we burr, tho boat we must, have them!" We were fairly after her now. The furnaces roared, and the powerful en gine'. -.vbi/zol and clanked, like a great metallic heart. Her sharp, steep prow cut through the still river water and sent two rolling waves to right arid to left of us. With every throb of tho en gines we sprang and quivered llko a living thing. One great yellow lun torn in our bows threw a long, flicker ing funnel of light in front of us. Bight ahead a dark blur upon the wa ter showed where the Aurora lay, and tho swirl of white fonin behind her spoke of the pace at which she was go ing. Wo flashed past barges, steamers, merchant-vessels. In and out, tiehind this one and round the other. Voices hailed us out of the darkness, but still the Aurora thundered on, and still we followed close upon her t rack. "Pile it on, men, pile It on!" cried Holmes, looking down Into the engine room, while the fierce glow from be low iieut upon his eager, aquiline face. "Oct. every pound of steam you can." "I think we gain a little,"said Jones, with his on the Aurora. "I aru sure of it," said I. "We shall be up with her In a very few min utes." At that moment, however, as our evil fate would have It, a tug with three barges in tow blundered In between us. It, was only by putting our helm hard down that we avoid ed a collision, iiml before wo could round them and recover our way tho Avrwi U«d gusin.il u tfOTd two "AJTD THERE IS THE AURORA:" EXCLAIMED HOLMES. dred yards. She was still, however, well in view, and the murky uncertain twilight was settling into a clear star lit night. Our boilers were strained to their utmost, and the frail shell vi brated and creaked with the fierce en ergy which was driving us along. We had shot through the pool past the West India docks down the long Dept ford Reach, and up after round ing the Isle of Dogs. The dull blur in front of us resolved itself now clearly enough into the dainty Aurora. Jones turned our searchlight upon her, so that we could plainly see the figures upon her deck. One man sat by the stern, with something black between his knees over which he stooped. Itcside him lay a dark mass which looked like a Newfoundland dog The boy held the tiller, while against the red glare of the furnace I could see old Smith, stripped to the waist, anil shoveling coals for dear life. They may have had some doubt at first as to whether we were really pursuing them, but now as we followed every winding and turn ing which they took there could no longer be any question about it. At Greenwich we were about three hundred paces behind them At Itlackwall we could not have been more than two hundred and fifty I have coursed many creatures in many countries dur ing my checkered career, but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad, flying man hunt down the Thames. Steadily we drew in upon them, yard by yard. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their ma chinery. The man in the stern still crouched upon the deck, and his arms were moving as though he were busy, while every now and then ho would look up and measure with a glance the distance which still separated us. Nearer we came and nearer. Jones yelled to them to stop. We were not more than four Ixiats' lengths behind them, both boats flying at a tremen dous pace. It was a clear reach of the river, with Harking level upon one side and the melancholy Plum stead marshes upon the other. At our hail the man in the stern sprang up from tho deck and shook his two clinched fists at us, cursing the while in a high, cracked voice. Ho was a good-sized, powerful man, and as he stood poising himself with legs astride I could sec that from the thigh downwards tliero was but a wooden stump upon the right side. At the sound of his strident, angry cries there was movement in the huddled bundle upon the deck. It straightened Itself Into a little black man—the smallest I have ever seen—with a great, misshapen head and a shock of tangled, disheveled hair. Holmes had already drawn iis revolver, and I whipped out | mine at the sight of this savage, dis torted creature. He was wrapped In some sort of dark ulster or blanket, which left only his face exposed; but HE SHOOK HIH TWO CLINCHED FISTS AT US. that face was enough to give a man a sleepless night. Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all Itcs tiality and cruelty. His small eyes glowed and burned with a somber light, and his thick lips were writhed back from his teeth, which grinned and chat tered at us with a half animal fury. "Fire if ho raises hi.t hand," said Holmes, quietly. We were within a boat's length by this time, and almost within touch of our quarry. I can see tho two of them now as they stood, the white inan with his legs far apart, shrieking out curses, and the unhal lowed dwarf, with ids hideous face, and his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us In tho light of our lantern. It was well that wo had so clear a view of him. Even as we looked he plucked out from under his covering a short, round piece of wood, like u school ruler, and clapped it to his lips. Our pistols rang out together, lie whirled round, throw up his arms, and with a kind of chok ing cough fell sideways into tho stream. I caught one glimpso of his venomous, menacing eyes amid tho white swirl of the waters. At the same moment the wooden-legged'man threw himself upon the rudder and put it hard down, so that his boat made straight in for the southern bank, while we shot past her stern, only clearing her by a few feet. Wo were round after her In an instant, but she was already nearly at. the bank. It was a wild and desolate place, where the moon glimmered upon a wide ex panse of marsh land, with pools of stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation. The launch, with a dull thud, ran up on the mini bank, with her bow in the air and her stern flush with the water. The fugitive sprang out, but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil. In vain he struggled and writhed. Not one step could he possibly take eitlwr forwards or backwards. Ho yelled In Impotent rage, and kicked frantically Into the mud with his other foot, but his struggles only bored his wooden pin the deeper Into tho sticky bank. When we brought our launch alongside he was so firmly anchored that It was only by throwing the end of a rope over his shoulders that we were able to haul him out, and to drag him, like some evil fish, over our side. The two Smiths, father and son, sat sullenly In their launch, but cumo aboard meekly enough when com manded. The Aurora herself wo . hauled off and made fast to our stern. A solid Iron die t of Indian workman ship stood upon the deck. This, tliero could be «o question, was tho same that had contained tho 111-omeiied treasure of the Sholtos. There was no key, but it Km ->f considerable weight, ' so wo transferred It. carefully to our own little cabin As wo Rteamcd iftowly tfjujtmim vgu'n, wo fTuMivd otrr j Bcarch-light in every direction, but there was no siffn of the islander. Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that strange visitor to our shores. "See here," said Holmes, pointing to the wooden hatchway. "We were hardly quick enough with our pistols." There, sure enough, just behind where we had been standing, stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well. It muat have whizzed between us at the instant that we fired. Holmes smiled at it, and shruggeJ his shoulders in his easv fashion, but 1 c nfess that It turned me sick to think ct 11.0 horrible death which had passed so close to as that night. CHAPTER XL THE GREAT AGRA TREASURE. Our captive sat in the cabin opposite to the iron box which he had done so much and waited so long to gain. He was a snnburned, reckless-eyed fellow, with a network of lines and wrinkles all over his mahogany features, which told of a hard, open-air life. There was a singular prominence about his bearded chin which marked a man who was not to be easily turned from his purpose. His age may have been fifty or thereabouts, for his black, curly hair was thickly shot with gray. His face in repose was not an tin pleasing one, though his heavy brows and aggressive chin gave him, as I had lately seen, a terrible expression when moved to anger. He sat now with hta handcuffed hands upon his lap and his head sunk upon his breast, while he looked with his keen, twinkling eyes at the box which had been the cause of his ill-doings. It seemed to me that there was more sorrow than anger in his rigid and contained countenance. Once he looked up at me with a gleam of something like humor in his eyes. "Well, Jonathan Small," said Holmes, lighting a cigar, "I am sorry that it has come to this." "And so am I," he answered, frankly. "1 don't believe that I can swing over the job. I givo you my word on the book that I never raised my hand against Mr. Sholto. It was that little hell-hound Tonga who shot one of his cursed darts into him. I had no part in it, sir. I was as grieved as if it had been my blood-relation. I welted the little devil with the slack end of the rope for it, but it was done, and 1 could not undo it again." "Have a cigar," said Holmes; "and you had best take a pull out of my flask, for you are very wet. How could you expect so small and weak a man as this black fellow to overpower Mr. Sholto and hold him while you were climbing the rope? You seem to know as much about it as if you were there, sir. The truth is that I hoped to find the room clear. I knew the habits of the house pretty well, and it was the time when Mr. Nholto usually went down to his Slip per. I shall make no secret of the business. The best defense that I can make is just the simple truth. Now, if it had been the old major I would hare swung for him with a light heart. I .would have thought no more of knif ing him than of smoking this cigar. But it's cursed hard that I should be lagged over this young Nholto, with whom I had no quarrel whatever." "You arc under the charge of Mr. Atliclney Jones, of Scotland Yard. He is going to bring you up to my rooms, and I shall ask you for a true account of the matter. You must make a clean breast of it, for if you do I hope that I may be of use to you. I think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly that the man was dead l>efore ever you reached the room." "That he was, air. I never got such a turn in my life na when I saw him grinning at me with his head on his shoulder as I climbed through the win dow. It fairly shook ire, sir. I'd have half killed Tonga for it if he had not scrambled off. That was how be came to leave his club, and some of his darts, too, as he tells me, which I dare say helped to put you on our track; though how you kept on it is more than I can tell. I don't feel no malice against you for it. Hut it does seem a queer thing," he added, with a bitter smile, "that I, who have a fair claim to nigh upon half a million of money should spend the first half of my life building a breakwater in the Andamans, and am like to spend the other half diggln' drains at Dartmoor. It was an evil day for me when first I clapped eyes upon the merchant Achmet and had to do with the Agra treasure, which never brought anything but a curse yet upon the man who owned it. To him it brought murder, to Maj. Nholto it brought fear and guilt, to ma it has meant slavery for life." At this moment Athelney Jones thrust Ilia broad face and heavy shoul ders Into the tiny cabin. "Quite a fam "QUITJC A KAMI! V PARTY," UK RENAMED. ily party," he remarked "I think I shall have a pull at that flask, Holmes. Well, I think we may all congratulate each other, l'ity we didn't take the other alive; but there was no choice. I say, Holmes, you must confess that you cut it rather fine. It was all that we could do to overhaul her." "All Is well that ends well," said Holmes. "But I certainly did not know that the Aurora was such a clipper." "Huiith says that she is one of the fastest launches on the river, ami that if he had had another man to help him with the engines we should never have caught her. He swears he knows noth ing of this Norwood business." "Neither lie did," cried our prisouer —"not a word. I chose his launch lo calise I heard that she was a flyer. We told hiiu nothing, but we paid him well, and he was to get something handsome if we reached our vessel, the Esmeralda, at Oravesend, outward bound for the lira/.lis." "Weil, If he has done no wrong wo shall Fee that no comes to hlui. If we are pretty quick in catching our men. we are not so quick in condemn] Ing them." It was amusing to notic* how the consequential Jones was al ready beginning to give himself airs on the strength of the capture. From the slight Mnile which played over Sher lock Holmes' face, I could see that the »l>eech had not Iwen lost upon him. "We will be at Vsiixhall bridge presently," said Jones, "and shall land you, l»r. Watson, with the treasure box 1 need hardly tell you that 1 ain taking a very grave responsibility upon myself in doing this. It is most irreg ular: but of course an agreement Is an agreement. I must, however, as a mat ter of duty, send an Inspector with you, since you have so valuable a t#Largc. You wilJ djJyv, uodyubt?" "It is a pity there la no key. that we may make an inventory flrst. You will hare to break it open. Where U the key. my man?" "At the bottom of the river," said Small, shortly. "Hum! There was no use you fir ing this unnecessary trouble. We hare bad work enough already through you. However, doctor. I need not warn you to be carefuL Bring the box bock with you to the Baker street rooms. You will find us there on our way to the station." They landed me at Vauxhall with my heavy iron box and with a bluff, genial inspector as my companion. A quarter of an hour's drive brought us to Mrs. Cecil Forrester's. The servant seemed surprised at so late a visitor. Mrs. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening, she explained, and likely to be very late. Miss Mors tan, however, was in the drawing-room; so to the drawing-room I went, box in hand, leaving the obliging Inspector in the cab. She was seated by the open window, dressed in some sort of white diaphan ous material, with a little touch of scarlet at the neck and waist. The soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her aa she leaned back in the basket chair, playing over her sweet, grave face, and tinting with a dull metallic sparkle the rich coils of her luxurianf hair, one white arm and hand drooped over the side of the chair, and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy. At the sound of my foot fall she sprang to her feet, however, and a bright flush of surprise and of pleasure colored her pale cheeks. "I heard a cab drive up," she said. "I thought that Mrs. Forrester had come back very early, but I never dreamed that it might be you. What news have you brought me?" "I have brought something better than news," said I, putting down the box upon the table and speaking jov ially and boisterously, though my heart was heavy within me. "I have brought you something which is worth all the news in the world. I have brought you a fortune." She glanced at the Iron box. "Is that the treasure, then?" she asked, coolly enough. "Yes, this Is the great Agra treasure. Half of it is yours and half is Thaddeua Sholto's. You will have a couple of hundred thousand each. Think of that! An annuity of ten thousand pounds. There will be tfew richer young ladies In England. Is It not glorious?" I think that I must have been rather overacting my delight, and that she detected a hollow ring in my congratu lations, for I saw her eyebrows rise a little, and she glanced at me curiously. "If I have It," said she, "I owe it to you." "No, no," I answered, "not to me, but to my friend Sherlock Holmes. With all the will in the world, I could never have followed up a clew whloh has taxed even his analytical genius. As it was, we very nearly lost it at the last moment." "Pray sit down and tell me all about it, Dr. Watson," said she. I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last—Holmes' new method of search, the discovery of the Aurora, the appearance of Athelney Jones, our expedition in the evening, and the wild chase down the Thames. She listened with parted Hps and shin ing eyes to my recital of our adventures. When 1 spoke of the dart which bad so narrowly missed us, she turned so white that I feared she was about to faint. "It Is nothing," she said, as I hastened to pour her some wat«r. "I am all right again. It was a shock to me to hear that I had placed my friends in such horrible peril." "That is all over," I answered. "It was nothing. I will tell you no more gloomy details. Let us turn to something brighter. There Is the treasure. What could be brighter than that? I got leave to bring it with me, thinking that it would interest you to be the first to sec It." "It would lie of the greatest Interest to mo," she said. There was no eager ness in her voice, however. It struok her, doubtless, that it might seem un gracious upon her part to be indiffer ent to a prize which had cost so much to win. "What a pretty box!" she said, stoop ing over it "This is Indian work, I suppose?" "Yes; it is Benares metal-work." "And so heavy!" she exclaimed, try ing to raise it. "The box alone must be of some value. Where is the key?" "Small threw It into the Thames," 1 answered. "I must borrow Mrs. For rester's poker." There was in the front a thick and broad hasp, wrought In the image of a sitting Buddha. Under thia I thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward as a lever. The hasp sprang open with a loud snap. With treinbliug fingers I flung back the lid. We both stood gazing in astonishment. The box was cmptyl No wonder that It was heavy. The Iron work was two-thirds of an inch thick all round. It was massive, well made and solid, like achest constructed to carry tilings of great price, but not one shred or crumb of metal or Jowelry lay within It. It was absolutely and completely empty. "Tho treasure la loat," said Mlsa Morstan, calmly. As I listened to the words, and real ized what they meant, a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. I did not know how this Agra Ireaaur* had weighed me down, until now that U was tlnally removed. It was selfish, no doubt, disloyal, wrong, but I could realize nothing save that the golden barrier was gone from between ua. "Thank God!" I ejaculated from my very heart. Nhe looked at me with a quick, ques tioning smile. ' Why do you say that?" she asked. "Because you are within my reach again," I said, taking her hand. Hhe did not withdraw it "Because I love you, Mary, as truly as ever a man loved a woman. Because this treasure, "TUK TMCAHt'HK 111 IX)BT," SAID MIM MOIMTAJT. these riches, sealed ray llpa. Now that they are (roue I can tell you how I lore you. That is why I said: 'Thank God.'" j "Then I say 'Thank God,' too," she whispered, as 1 drew her to my side. Whoever had loat a treasure, I knew that night that I had gained one. (TO na COKTI.NL «I>. ) The Coaspeasattea of Adversity. Rlchlelgh—Lord, I wish I were yon. I\x»rlelgh For heaven's sake, why? ltlchleigh Why, you can h»vo the tuu <jf proposing too very girl yxwtuotft . Nol6 THE EFFECT OF FEAR. laaafftaatlon ■ Potent Factor la Acqilrtl| a Fatal DIINN. "Ot the whole number of persoiu supposed to die of disease," said | prominent physician the other day, "J should say that at least fifty per cent are really carried away by fear. Wert It not for this element mortality would be far less than it is." In support of this statement he cited various cases where the element of fear had entered largely in as a potent foot tor to persuade people that their tima had come. Presentiments, prophecies, premonitions and general nervousness all played their part. On the other hand, a short time ago a patient of * New York hospital was frightened into getting welL This man was brought in an ambulance, supposedly dying from heart failure. He was laid on a table and a diag nosis showed him to be suffering with hvsteria. The surgeon turned to on* of his assistants and, asking for a knife, remarked that he would cut down to the heart and find what the trouble was. The patient gave a yell and. leaping from the table, started for th« door. Remonstrance was in vain. That man was cured and never came back. Some time ago four criminals, cow* demned in Russia to die, were t 'cen to a house and shown several I .. in which they were told a num.,. of cholera patients had died. As a mat ter of fact, the beds wore new. uever having been slept in. The cri>.:iinal« were informed that they would be set at liberty if they would undergo th« ordeal of sleeping several nights in tha beds. From the prisoners' point of view it was a possible, though a dea> perate, chance of escape. They on* and all decided to take the chances. At the end of the time prescribed two were uninjured and went free, but th« Others developed all the symptoms an 4 died of Asiatic cholera. Two physicians determined to taka •dvantage of the impressionable mind of a female patient and prove a theory for the benefit of science. The lady had complained of an itching on her back. She was told that a blister would be applied. Instead, a common postage stamp was applied, and, so runs the chronicle, performed all tha offices of the plaster which was not there. A college professor was once the sut> ject of a practical joke at the hands ot the students. They met him one after another, and each successively inquired after his health, saying that he looked ill. ne took to his bed, a physician waa called and for days the professor linag. ined he waa 111.— N. Y. World. ONLY A MISTAKE, AFTER ALU Aad Nothing for a ll**pect*bl« Color*4 Ge»tlrman to Worry About. A serious blunder occurred In a West Virginia county not long ago. A num ber of the farmers had sustained losses of sheep from their respective flocks, and, being skeptical as to the efficiency of the law officers, one night took tha matter In their own hands. A dozen or more of them proceeded some miles away, to tho house of Rehoboth Jem son, and, notwithstanding his protest*' tions of innocence, gave him a sever* drubbing. The affair created no little stir, aa Rehoboth wos a very respectable col ored man, who owned a snug little farm and was a deacon in the Buptlst church. Be had the confidence and esteem oi his white neighbors, who were so worked up over the matter that they considered the expediency of an investi gation that should lead to tho punish ment of the raiding party. Within a few days the farmers discov ar«d they had made an awkward mis take, the guilty party having beea caught red-handed and had made a full confession; so, being in the main a right good set of fellows they decided to offer balm to Rehoboth for hi* many wounds. Three of their number were designated a committee with full power to act, and they hastened to the discharge of their duty. Old Rehoboth was sitting in his neat little cabin with bandaged head, while his wife was applying a cooling waah to his lacerated back. The com mittee looked foolish and scarcely knew how to beg i; but finally one of tho Dumber stammered out an apology, and added that they were willing to pay a reasonable amount aa recompense for his sufferings. "La, child, how you does talk, sholyl Ameckin' sich a furse dat I's ershamed on yel You Jea' git back ter yer homea V stay dar. 1 aln' axln' nuffln' V don' want nuftln'. W'y honey, ef I done tuck on erbout de mlstecks er white folksca I'd jea' be plum' mls'able harf de time." —Chicago Tribune. iroollag tha Eiifir. A humorous old suburban farmer (alia the following story of how he onca fooled «. toll-gate keeper: "It waa when 1 wan a drummer," he said, "and selling K'xxi" around through country towns In these parts. I was goln' through one of these old gates, and I slowed up a bit and asked of tho old fellow at tho door: 'Ah, my friend, do preachers pay to go through your gate?' 'No, sir,' said he; and with a profound obeisance he waved me on and backed into his little room. "Well, after that I passed through some eight or ten times, when ono day he accosted me as I drove up: " 'Good day, sir,' he said; 'what church do you preach at, air, may I ask?' " 'None, my good fellow, none,' I re* plied. " 'What! Didn't you tell me you wua a preacher,' said he. "'No,' I sold, 'I only asked you If Breachcrs had to pay. I waa Just a ttle curious to know.* Well, you should have seen that old fellow'a face, as It dawned upon lilm whero the joke came in."—National Tribune. ('•r*«r Bafora Har. "I suppose yon loved your last hua band dearly," said Mrs. Hunter, of Jer sey City, to Mrs. Lakeahore, of Chicago. "I haven't married my last husband yat, H was the reply. "If ywe mean to express a supposition that I loved my moat recent husband, I can say that I did"— Town Topics. Lack of Watar. "Lady," began Mr. Dismal Dawson, "you see before you a man whose nama la mud—m-u-d, mud." "There must l>e some mistake in your calculation*," replied the takes water to make mud."—lndianap olis Journal. Anxious to Participate Small Son—Home of the boys Is start ing a little bank, just for fun. Tha shares Is to bo ten cents each. Father—Would you like to be one of the shareholders? Small Son—Oh, no; but I'd like to ba one of the borrowers. —Good Newa Koough to Rraak All Ties. Emmeline— So Marie's engagement la broken. I thought sho and Harry loved aacb other devotedly. Mande—So they did; but they went out sailing together last week and both got sea nick.—Judge. In K«w York, of ConrM. New I'olloemau And whore la your permit to peddle? I'eddlor —1 have a verbal permit. "Show It to me." —Alex Sweat, in Texas Slftlnga. Proof Posttiv*. Little Tommy—Mamma, papa baa boon drlnkliiK- Mother—What makes you think so* Tommy—Ho said that you wtoro (|)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers