Suddenly he pointed to a long rope which hung down by the
bed. The end of this rope touched the pillow. The rope looked
like a bell-rope for calling a servant. If the person in bed wanted
something, they could pull the rope. The rope would be attached
to a bell in another part of the house. The bell would ring and a
servant would come.
'That
bell-rope looks very
new,'
Holmes remarked.
'Yes,'
replied Miss Stoner.
'It
was put in only two years
ago.'
Holmes pulled the bell-rope. We waited. But nothing hap-
pened. We could not hear a bell ringing anywhere in the house.
'Look,'
said Holmes suddenly.
'This
isn't a real bell-rope.
It doesn't go anywhere. It's attached to a hook on the ceil-
ing.'