Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

L t ^^^^ y tHK SUMTER WATCHMAN, K?ti*bii-hed April, 1S50. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." fat: TKCE S>K;THKON, Established Jane, 1366 *_?""-^_-^_?_ Consolidated Aug. 2,1881._SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1895. _.New Series-Yol. XIV. So. 43. Published E*ory Wednesday, S SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : wo Dollars per annnm-io advance. ADVEBTISSMEXT: je Square fiat insertion.......$1 00 ?very subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications wbich subserve private interests will be charged foras advertisements. Obituaries and tribates of respect will be ebarged for. The Sign of The Four. CHAPTER VU TBS EPISODE OF THE KATTREL. m The police had brought a cab with them, and in this I escorted Miss 1 Morstan back to her home. After the angelic fashion cf women, she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was someone weaker than her? self to support, and I had found her ^ bright and placid by the side of the frightened, housekeeper. In the cab, however, she first turned faint, and then burst into a passion of weeping so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant upon that journey. She little guessed the struggle within my breast, or the effort of self-restraint which held me back. My sympathies and my , love went out to her, even as my hand had m the garden. 1 felt that years of the conventionalities cf life could not teach me to know her sweet, brave nature as had this one tday of strange experiences. Yet there v ?were two thoughts which sealed thc ".- words of affection upon my lips. She was weak and helpless, shaken in mind and nerve. It was to take her at a dis* tr ?advantage to obtrude love upon her at such a time. Worse, still, she was rich. If Holmes' researches were suc? cessful she would be an heiress. Was it fair, was it honorable, that a half pay surgeon should take such advan , tage of an intimacy which chance had " brought about? Might she not look upon me as a mere vulgar fortune seeker? I could not bear to risk that such a thought should cross her mind. This Agra treasure intervened like an impassable barrier between us. It was nearly two o'clock when we reached Mrs. Cecil Forresters. The servants had retired hours ago, but Mrs. Forrester had been so interested by the strange message which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the hope of her return. , She opened the door herself, a middle-aged, graceful woman, and it gave me joy to see how tenderly her arm stole round the others waist and how motherly , was the voice in which she greeted her. KShe was clearly no mere paid depend ^ ent, but an honored friend. I was in? troduced, and Mrs. Forrester earnestly begged me to step in and to tell her our adventures. I explained, however, the importance of my errand, and prom? ised faithfully to call and report any progress which we might make with ? the case. As we drove away I stole a "glance back, and I still seem to see that little group on the step, the two graceful, clinging figures, the half opened door, the hall light shining through stained glass, the barometer, and the bright stair rods. It was sooth? ing to catch even that passing glimpse of a tranquil English home in the midst of the wild, dark business which had absorbed us. L And the more I thought of what had happened, the wilder and darker it grew. I reviewed the whols extraor? dinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the silent gas-lit streets There was the original problem; that at least was pretty clear now. The m death of Capt. Morstan, the sending of the pearls, the advertisement, the let Hjter- we had had light upon all those "^events. They had only led us, how? ever, to a deeper and far more tragic mystery. The Indian treasure, the curious plan found among Morstan's baggage, the strange scene at Maj. Sholto's death, the rediscovery of the \ treasure immediately followed by the murder of the discoverer, the very sin? gular accompaniments to the crime, the footsteps, the remarkable weapons, the words upon the card, corresponding with those upon Capt. Morstan's chart _here indeed was a labj-rinth in which a man less singularly endowed than nu fellow lodger might welj despair of ever finding the clew. Pinchin lane was a row of shabby ** two-storied brick houses ir. the lower quarter of Lambeth. I had f6 knock for some time at No. 3 before I could make any impression. At last, how? ever, there was the glint of a candle behind thc blind, and a face looked out ^t the upper window. ?'Go on, you drunken vagabond," said the face. "If you kick up any more row FU open the kennels and let out forty-three dogs upon you." ?ff you'll let one out it's just what I "have come for,"' said I. "Goonl" yelled thc voice. liSo help me gracious, I have a wiper in this bag. MJI'II drop it on you're 'ead if you don't hook it.' .'But I want a dog!" I cried. *?I won't be argued with!" shouted .#X. Sherman. "Now stand clear; for when I say 'three,' down goes the wiper.'L "Mr. Sherlock Holmes-" I began, but the words had a most magical effect, for the window instantly slammed down, and within a minute the door was unbarred and open. Mr. Sherman was a lanky, lean old man. with stoop? ing- shoulders, a stringy neck and blue tinted glasses. "A friend of Mr. Sherlock is always welcome," said he. "Step in, sir. Keep clear of the badger; for he bites. Ah, naughty, naughty, would you take a niD at the gentleman?" This to a stoat "NOW STAND CLEAR." which thrust its wicked head and red eyes between the bars of its cage. "Don't mind that, sir; it's only a slow worm. It hain't got no fangs, so I gives it t^e run o' the_>*oom, for it Seeps the b?e?l?s down. Tou must not mind my bein' just a little short wi' you at first, for I'm guyed at by the children, and there's many a one just comes down this lane to knock me up. What was it that Mr. Sherlock Holmes wanted, sir?" "He wanted a dog of yours." "Ah! that would be Toby.* "Yes, Toby was the name." "Toby lives at No. 7 on the left here." He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. In the uncertain, shadowy light I could see dimly that there were glancing, glimmering eyes peeping down at us from every cranny and corner. Even the rafters above our heads were lined by solemn fowls, who lazily shifted their weight from one leg to the other as our voices dis? turbed their slumbers. Toby proved to be an ugly, long? haired, lop-eared creature, half span? iel and hali lurcher, brown-and-white in color, with a very clumsy waddling gait. It accepted, after some hesita? tion, a lump of sugar which the old naturalist handed to me, and, having thus sealed an alliance, it followed me to the cab, and made no difficulties about accompanying me. It had just struck three on the palace clock when I found myself back once more at Pon dicherry lodge. The ex-prize-fighter McMurdo had, I found, been arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr. Sholto had been marched off to the station. Two constables guarded the narrow gate, but they allowed me to pass with the dog cn my mentioning thc detective's name. Holmes was standing on the door? step, with his hands in ids pockets, smokir his pipe. "Ah, you have him there I" said he. "Good dog, then! Athelney Jones has gone. "We have had an immense dis? play of energy since you left. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus, but the gatekeeper, the housekeeper, and thc Indian servant. We have the place to ourselves, but for a sergeant upstairs. Leave the dog here, and come up." ; We tied Toby U< the hall table, and reascended the stairs. The room was as we had left it, save that a sheet had been draped over the central figure. A weary-looking police sergeant reclined in the corner. "Lend me your bull's-eye, sergeant," said my companion. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck, so as to hang it in front of me. Thank you. Now I must kick off my boots and stockings! Just you carry them down with you, Watson. I am going to do a little climbing. And dip my handkerchief into the creosote. That will Io. Now come up into the garret with me for a moment." We clambered up through the hole. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust. "I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks," he said. "Do you ob? serve anything noteworthy about them?" "They belong," I said, "to a child or j a small woman." "Apart from their size, though. Is there anything else?" "Tiiey appear to be much as other footmarks." "Not at all. Look v ere! This is the print of a right foot in the dust. Nov.- | I malee one with my naked foot beside j it. What is the chief difference?" "Your toes are all cramped together. \ The oilier print has each toe distinctly divided." "Quite so. That is the point. l>ear : that in mind. Now, would you kindly ? step over to the flap-window and smell '< the cdsye of the woodwork? I shall j stay over here, as I have this handker? chief in cay hand.'' I I did as he directed. ar>.<l was in- j stunt!v conscious of a strong tarry ! sinel1. "That is where ho put his foot in get- ! ting out. If you eau trace him, I should ; think that Toby:will have no difficulty. ! Now run downstairs, loose the dog, ? and look out for Btondin." By the time that I got out into the | grounds Sherlock Holmes was on thc | roof, and ? could see him like an enor- j mous glow-worm, crawling very slowly ! along the ridge. I lost sight of him i behind a stack of chimneys, but he presently reappeared, and then van? ished once more upon the opposite side. "When I made my way round there I found him seated at one of the corner eaves. "That you, Watson?" he cried. "Yes." "This is the place. What is that black thing" down there?" "A water-barrel." "Top on it?" "Yes." "No sign of a ladder?" "No." "Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place. . I ought to'be able to come down where he could climb up. The waterpipe feels pretty firm, licre goes, anyhow." There was a scuffling- of the feet, and the lantern began to c?me steadily down the side of the wall. Then with a light spring he came on to the barrel, and from there to the earth. "It was easy to follow him," he said, drawing on his stockings and boots. "Tiles were loosened the whole way along, and in his hurry he had dropped this. It confirms my diagnosis, as you doctors express it." The object which he held up to me was a small pocket or pouch woven out of colored grasses and with a few tawdry beads strung round it. In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette case. Inside were half a dozen spines of dark wood, sharp at one end and rounded at the other, like that which had struck Bartholomew Sholto. "They are hellish things," said he. "Look out that you don't prick your? self. I'm delighted to have them for the chances are that they are all he has. There is the less fear of you or me finding one in our skin before long. I would sooner face a Martini bullet, myself. Are you game for a six-mile trudge, Watson?" "Certainly," I answered. "Your leg will stand it?" "Oh,-yes." "Here you are, doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it, Toby, smell it!" Be pushed the creosote handker? chief under the dog's nose, while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated, and with a most comical cock to its head, like a connoisseur snif? fing the bouquet of a famous vintage. Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance, fastened a stout cord to the mongrel's collar, and led him to the foot of the water barrel. 'The creature instantly broke into a succes? sion of high, tremulous yelps, and, .with his nose on the ground, and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed. The east had been gradually whiten? ing, and we could now see 6ome dis? tance in the cold gray light. The square, massive house, with its black, empty windows and high, bare walls, towered up, sad and forlorn, behind WITH A LIGHT SPBE7G HE CAME 02? THE BARREL. us. Our course led right across the grounds, in and out among the trenches and pits with which they were scarred and intersected. The whole place, with its scattered dirt heaps and in? grown shrubs, had a blighted, ill omened look which harmonized with the black tragedy which hung over it. On reaching the boundary wall, Toby ran along, whining eagerty, underneath its shadow, aud stopped finally in a corner screen by a young beech. Where the two walls joined, several bricks had been loosened, and the crev? ices left were worn down and rounded upon the lower side, as though they had frequently been used as a ladder. Holmes clambered up, and. taking the dog from me, he dropped it over upon the other side. "There's the print of wooden-leg's hand." he remarked, as I mounted up beside him. "You see the slight smudge of blood upon the white piaster. What a lucky thing it is that we have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! Thc scent will lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and-twenty hours' start.*' I confess that I had my doubts my? self when I reflected upon the great traffic which had passed along the Lon? don roa-d in thc interval. My fears were soon appeased, however. Toby never hesitated or swerved, but waddled on in his peculiar rolling fashion. Clearly the pungent smell j of the creosote rose high above all ? other contending scents. j "Do not imagine," said Holmes, "that ' I depend for my suecos in this case i upon the mere chance of one of these fellows having put his foot in the che mi- ; cal. I have knowledge now which ' rvould enable me to trace them in many different ways. This, however, is tho ; readiest, and, since fortune lias put it , > nur hands, I should be culpable if 1 .. fleeted it. It has, however, pre- j wat.'d the case from becoming the ? pretty little intellectual problem 1 wli?cTi it at one time promised to "be There might have been some credit to be gained out of it, but for this too palpable clew." "There is credit, and to spare." said I. "I assure you. Holmes, that I mar? vel at the means by which, you obtain your results in this case, even more than I did in the Jefferson Hope mur? der. The thing seems to me to be deeper and more inexplicable, llow, ??rexampTe, cernid you "describe with" snch confidence the wooden-legged man?" "Pshaw, my dear boy! it was sim? plicity itself. I don't wish to be theatrical. It is all patent and above? board. Two officers who are in com? mand of a convict girard learn an im? portant secret as to buried treasure. A map is drawn for them by an English? man named Jonathan Small. You re? member that we saw the name upon the chart in Capt. Morstan's possession. He had signed it in behalf of himself and his associates-the sign of the four, as he somewhat dramatically caUed it Aided by this chart, the HOLMES CLAJTBCRED UP A2TD TOOK THE BOG 7B0M ME. officers-or one of them-gets the treasure and brings it to} England, leaving, we will suppose, some condi? tion under which he received it unful? filled. Now, then, why did not Jonathan Small get the treasure him? self? The answer is obvious. The chart is dated at a time when Mors tan was brought into close association with convicts. Jonathan Small did not get the treasure because he and his associates were themselves convicts and could not get away..*' ~k\But this is mere speculation." said L "It is more than that It is the only hypothesis which covers the facts. Let as see how it fits in with the sequel. Maj. Sholto remains at peace for some years, happy in the possession of his treasure. Then he receives a letter from India which gives him a great fright. What was that?" "A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free." "Or had escaped. That is much more likely, for he would hav 3 known what their term of imprisonment was. It would not have been a surprise to him. What does he do then? He guards him? self against a wooden-legged man-a white man, mark you, for he mistakes a white tradesman for him, and actual? ly fires a pistol at him. Now, only one white man's name is on the chart. The others are Hindoos or Moham? medans. There is no other white man. Therefore-we may say with confidence that the wooden-legged man is identi? cal with Jonathan Small. Does the reasoning strike you as being1 faulty-?" "No: it is clear and concise." "Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of J onathan Small. Let us look at it from his point of view. He comes to England with tho double idea of regaining what he "would consider to be his rights and of having hi's revenge upon the man who hac wronged him. He found out where Sholto lived, and very possibly he established communi? cations with some one inside the house. There is this butler. Lal Rao, whom we have not seen. Mrs. Bernstone give him far from a good character. Small could not find out, however, where the treasure was hid, for no one ever knew, save the major and one faithful servant who had died. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death? bed. In a frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him, he runs the gauntlet of the guards, mo kes his way to the dying man's window, and is only de? terred from entering by the presence of his two sons. Mad with hate, how? ever, against the dead man, he enters the room that night, searches his pri? vate papers in the hope of discovering some memorandum relating to the treasure, and finally loaves a memento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card. He had doubtless planned beforehand that should he slay the major he would leave some such rec? ord upon the budy as a sign that it was not a common murder, but. from the point of view of the four associates, something in thc nature of an act of justice. Whimsical and bizarre con? ceits of this kind are common enough in the annals of crime, and usually af? ford valuable indications as to the criminal. Do you follow all this?" "Very clearly." "Now. what could Jonathan Small do? He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon thc efforts made to find the treasure. Possibly he leaves England and only comes back at inter? vals. Then comes the discovery of the garret, and he is instantly informed of it. Wo again trace thc presence of some confederate in the household. Jonathan, with his woorien leg", is ut? terly ?nanle to re:;eli the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. Ile takes with him, however, a rather curious asso? ciate, who gets over this difficulty, but dips his naked loot into creosote, whence CQBawToby, and a six-mile limo for a ? IjtafMIiit?' with a Jam aged ?chilHs tendo." "But it was the associate, and not Jonathan, who committed the crime." "Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's disgust, to judge bj the way he stamped about when he got into the room. Ile bore no grudge against Bar? tholomew Sholto, and would have pre? ferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged. He did not wish to put his head in a halter. There was no help for it, however; the savage in? stincts of his companion had broken out, and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record, low? ered the treasure-box to the ground, and followed it himself. That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them. Of course as to his personal ap? pearance he must be middle-aged, and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans. His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride, a?d we know that he was bearded. His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window. I don't know that there is anything else." "The associate?" "Ah, well, there Ls no great mystery in that. But you will know all about it soon enough- How sweet'the morn? ing air is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloudbank. 11 shines on a good man3* folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are on a stranger errand than you and I. How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presene? of the great elemento! forces of nature! Are you well up in your Jean Paul?" "Fairly so. I worked back to him through Carlyle.:" i "That was like following the brook to the parent lake, lie makes but one curious but profound remark. It is that the chief proof of mans real great? ness lies in his perception of his own smallness. It argues, you see. a power of comparison and of appreciation which is inltself a proof ol nobility. There Is much food for thought-in Richter. You have not a pistol, have you?" "I have my stick." "It is just possible that we may need something of the sort if we get into their lair. Jonathan I shall leave to you, but if the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead." He took out his re? volver as he spoke, and. having loaded two of the chambers, he put it back into the right hand pocket of his jacket. We had, during this time, been fol? lowing the guidance of Toby down the half-rural, villa-lined roads which lead to the metropolis. Now, however, we were beginning to come among contin? uous streets, where laborers and dock men were already astir, and slatternly women were taking down shutters and brushing doorsteps. At the square topped corner public houses business was just beginning, and rough looking men were emerging, rubbing their sleeves across their beards after their morning wet. Strange dogs sauntered up, and stared wonderingly at us as we passed, but our inimitable Toby looked neither to the ri?;rht nor to the left, but trotted onwards with his nose to the ground and an occasional eager whine, which spoke of a hot r-cent. We. liad traversed Streatham, Brix? ton, Camberwell, and now found our? selves in Kennington lane, having borne away through the side streets to the east of the Oval. Thc men whom we p-jrsued seemed to have taken a curiously zigzag road, with the idea probably of escaping observation. They had never kept to the main road if a parallel side street would serve their turn. At the foot of Kennington lane they had edged away to the left through Bond street and Miles street. Where the latter turns into Knight's place Tobey ceased to advance, but began to mu backwards and forwards with one ear cocked and the other drooping, the very picture of canine indecision. Then he waddled round in circles, looking up to us from time ti) time, as if to ask for sympathy in his embarrassment. "What the deuce i:; the matter with the dog?" growled Holmes. "They surely would not take a cab or go o?? in a balloon.*' "Perhaps they stood here for some time," I suggested. "Ah! it's all right. He's oft again.** said my companion, in a tone of relief. He was, indeed, o?r. for, after sniff- j ing round again, he suddenly made up TORY ST<*'I? UPON TI?K CASE. Highest of all in Leavening Pow ABSOLUT uiaainiHHnHBMH his mind, and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown. The .scent ap? peared to be much hotter than before, for he had not even to put his nose on the ground, but tugged at his lea?h, and tried to break into a run. ? could see by the gleam in Holmes* eyes that he thought we were nearing the end of our journey. Our course now ran down Kine Elms until we came to Broderick & Nelson's large timber yard, just past the White Eagle tavern. Here the dog, frantic with excitement, turned down through the side gate into t?e inclosure, where the sawyers were already at work. On the dog raced through sawdust and shavings, down an alley, round a pas? sage, between two wood-piles, and finally, with a triumphant yelp, sprang upon a large barrel, which still stoop upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. "With lolling tongue and blinking eyes, Toby stood upon' the cask, looking from one to the other of us for some sign of appreciation. The staves of the barrel and the wheels of thc trolley were smeared with dark liquid, and the whole air was heavy with the smell of creosote. Sherlock Holmes and I iooked blank? ly at each other, and then burst simul? taneously into an uncontrollable fit of langa Ur. TO BE CONTINUED. HOW TO COOK MACARON!. A Variety of Ways in Which It Is Very Ap? petizing. This nourishing dish, which forms the daily food of the people of south? ern Europe, is not appreciated a> gen? erally in some parts of our own coun? try as it should be, and this is doubt? less due to ignorance as to the proper manner of preparing it Two simple rules, if observed insure absolute suc? cess. Have plenty of salted water in a deep saucepan (two quarts or more for half a pound), and do not add the macaroni until the water comes to a sharp boil. This is most important, for if the water is simply hot and not bubbling, and if it is scant in quantity, the maca? roni will surely be pasty, and not only non-appetizing, but indigestible. Let it cook rapidly until done, which will be in not less than three-quarters of an hour. This secret of a good dish of maca? roni is one that the cook books fail to touch upon, and if any time at all is given, twenty or twenty-five minutes is the utmost allowed. Test it by tak? ing a piece between the fingers, and if it mashes easily it is cooked enough. By being boiled too long the nutritive qualities are lost in the water. Drain thoroughly and it is then ready to serve in a variety of ways, the simplest of which is with a cream sauce. Do not pour tho s.-iuc2 over until it is ready to go to the table, and pass grated cheese with it. After be? ing mixed with the cream sauce i" may be turned into ?n escalop dish sprinkled with half a cup of grated cheese and the same quantity of bread crumbs and browned twenty minutes in a hot oven. This is macaroni au gratin. The kind known as spaghetti (the small pipe), i? considered the best, and the Italian never breaks it upas we do, but serve it in lon;r pieces, and ?re?er ally with a tomato sauce. To make this, put a generous spoonful of butter in a saucepan, and fry in it a thin slice of onion and a sprig of parsley. Cook a few minutes.and add.a tablespoonful of flour; when the flour is a pale brown add gradually one pint of strained to? mato which had previously been cooked. One or two cloves give a pleasant flavor, but of course these and the onion must be removed before serv? ing. Mix the sauce thoroughly with the drained spaghetti and serve in a cov? ered dish. This makes a very nice course at luncheon or dinner, and grated cheese should be passed with it. Macaroni left from the dav be ft-? re may be warmed over and not suffer, but.rather.be improved by the process, if only it has been cooked properly in the first place; and especially this is true of spaghetti with tomato sauce. In the rewarming.set i:. covered.where it will become thoroughly heated, but do not let it boil.-Harper's Bazar. How a Dog Became a T<?*tot:itcr. A lady at Westgate-on-Sea tells a re? markable anecdote of a dog wit..) was cured of its evil habit of love for liquor. Some mischievous persons had so often given to her father's great dog bits of bread soaked in beer that Neptune grew fond of the artificial dainty. One day when a large party was returning from a picnic Xcp was put on thc box scat bcsiilc the driver of thc carriage, as he seemed too tired to run home ali the way. Ile must have drunk some liquor at the feast, for on the road he fell from the carriage to tho ground. Nb boyes were broken, though he must have got asevere shake and a "right in the fall. The result was that Xep never once after that day couhi be.induced to touch bread soaked with liquor, turning from it with loath? ing and contempt, fiie very smell of it being repulsive. In fact, he became a :r.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report ?CV PURE