A Study in Scarlet (Serial Edition Cover) — page 136: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Case ya A STUDY IN SCARLET. Twenty had changed to fifteen, and fifteei ww tens but there was no news of the absentee. One by one the numbers dwindled down, and still there came no sign of him. Whenever a horseman clattered down the road or a driver shouted at his team, the old farmer hurried to the gate, thinking that help had arrived at last. At last, when he saw five give way to four, and that again to three, he lost heart, and abandoned all hope of escape. Single-handed, and with his limited knowledge of the mountains which surrounded the settlement, he knew that he was powerless. ‘The more frequented roads were strictly watched and guarded, and none could pass along them without an order from the council. Turn which way he would, there appeared to be no avoiding the blow which hung over him. Yet the old man i. ver wavered in his resolution to part with life itself before he consented to what he regarded as his daughter’s — dishonor. He was sitting alone one evening pondering deeply ever his troubles, and searching vainly for some way out of them. That morning had shown the figure 2 upon — the wall of his house, and the next day would be the last of the allotted time. What was to happen then? All manner of vague and terrible fancies filled his im- agmation. And his daughter—what was to become of her after he was gone? Was therc no escape from the invisible net-work which was drawn all round them? He sunk his head upon the table and sobbed at the thought of his own impotence. What was that? In the silence he heard a gentle scratching sound—low, but very distinct, in the quiet of (COLA (@) JOO KS | i