"One day -- in March, 1883 -- letter with foreign stamp lay table in front colonel's plate not common thing for him to receive letters, bills were all paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort 'From India ! ' said he as it up, 'Pondicherry postmark ! What can this be ? ' Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate I began to laugh , but the laugh was struck from my lips sight face His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared envelope which he still held trembling hand, 'K K K ! ' he shrieked, and then, 'My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me ! '

" ' it, uncle ? ' I cried

" 'Death,' said he, and rising table he retired room, leaving me palpitating with horror up the envelope and saw scrawled in red ink inner flap, just above the gum, the letter K three times repeated nothing else save the five dried pips What the reason over- powering terror ? I left the breakfast-table, and as I ascended the stair I met him coming down with an old rusty key, have belonged attic, in one hand, and small brass box, like cashbox, other

" ' do what they like, but I'll checkmate them still,' said he with an oath 'Tell Mary that want fire in my room to-day, and send down to Fordham, the Horsham lawyer '

" as he ordered, and lawyer arrived asked to step room The fire was burning brightly, and grate mass of black, fluffy ashes, as of burned paper, while the brass box stood open and empty beside it As I glanced box I noticed, with start, that lid was printed the treble K which I had read morning envelope

" ' you, John,' said my uncle, 'to witness my will I leave my estate, with all its advantages and all its disadvantages, to my brother, your father, whence , , descend enjoy it in peace, well and good ! find , take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your deadliest enemy sorry such two-edged thing, but 't say what turn things are going Kindly sign the paper where Mr Fordham shows you '

"I signed the paper as directed, lawyer took it away The singular incident made, think, the deepest impression upon me, and I pondered over it and turned it every way in my mind without being able anything of it Yet shake off the vague feeling of dread which it left behind, though the sensation grew less keen weeks passed and nothing happened to disturb the usual routine lives I change in my uncle, however He drank more than ever, and less inclined for any sort of society Most time spend room, door locked inside, but sometimes emerge in sort of drunken frenzy and would burst house and tear garden with revolver hand, screaming out that afraid of no man, not cooped up, like sheep in pen, by man or devil When these hot fits were over however, rush tumultuously in door and lock and bar it behind him, like man brazen it out no longer against the terror which lies roots soul At such times his face, even on cold day, glisten with moisture, it were new raised from basin

"Well, to an end matter, Mr Holmes, and not to abuse your patience, there came night when one drunken sallies he never came back him, when we went to search for him, face downward in little green-scummed pool, which lay foot garden no sign of any violence, water was but two feet deep, so jury, having regard known eccentricity, brought in verdict of 'suicide ' But I, who knew how he winced very thought of death, had much ado myself that he had gone out way to meet it The matter passed, however, and my father entered into possession estate, and of some 14,000 pounds, which lay credit bank "

"One moment," Holmes interposed, "your statement is, I foresee, remarkable ever lis- tened Let me have the date reception by your uncle letter, date supposed suicide "

"The letter arrived on March 10, 1883 His death was seven weeks later, night of May 2d "

" Pray proceed "

"When my father took over the Horsham property, he, at my request, made careful examination attic, which always locked up the brass box there, although its contents destroyed inside cover was paper label, initials of K K K repeated upon it, and 'Letters, memoranda, receipts, and register' written beneath These, we presume, indicated the nature papers which destroyed by Colonel Openshaw rest, nothing of much importance attic save scattered papers and note-books bearing upon my uncle's life in America were war time and showed that he had done his duty well and had borne the repute of brave soldier Others were of date during the reconstruction Southern states, and were mostly concerned with politics, for he had evidently taken strong part in opposing the carpet-bag politicians who sent down North

"Well, it beginning of '84 when my father came to live at Horsham, and all went as possible until the January of '85 fourth day new year I heard my father give sharp cry of surprise sat together breakfast-table There , sitting with newly opened enve- lope in one hand and five dried orange pips outstretched palm other one He had always laughed at what my cock-and-bull story colonel, but he looked very scared and puzzled now same thing had come upon himself

" 'Why, what on earth does this mean, John ? ' he stammered

"My heart had turned to lead ' K K K ,' said I

"He looked inside the envelope 'So ,' he cried 'Here are the very letters But what written above them ? '

" 'Put the papers sundial,' , peeping over his shoulder

" 'What papers ? What sundial ? ' he asked

" 'The sundial garden no other,' said I; 'but the papers those destroyed '

" 'Pooh ! ' said he, gripping hard at his courage ' in civilized land here, and 't have tomfoolery kind Where does the thing come from ? '

" 'From Dundee,' I answered, glancing postmark

" 'Some preposterous practical joke,' said he 'What have I with sundials and papers ? take no notice nonsense '

" ' certainly speak police,'

" 'And be laughed at pains Nothing sort '

" 'Then let me ? '