The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-19 00:00:00

" Suspicion ! Of what? Have I not told you that
this girl died from the bursting of a bloodvessel or
something of that kind? All who have seen the
body say the same—the police, the man at the
station, and the
_conductor--"

,
"All equally incompetent to pass an opinion • so
don't talk nonsense. You know as well as Ido
that a doctor will examine the corpse, and he alone
can settle the point. Whatever he decides, you
may expect to be summoned before the Commis-
sary of Police."
"Well, I shall of course go, and what's more, I
shall not take you with me, for with your sus-
picion and your rampant imagination, you would
upset the brains of the most sensible. What a judge
you would make! You see wickedness in every-
thing ! "
"Yes, my boy, I see it where it exists. You have
been present at a vile murder, cleverly planned and
ably carried out. Here is a story to fill the
papers for the next three months !"
Nonsense ! The papers will relate to-morrow that
a girl was found dead in an omnibus, and then we
shall hear no more about it."

"Well, if the public does not take up the matter,
I will."

"You want to turn policeman as the last method
of amusement ? It is the only touch wanting to give
you finish. Now you are perfect."
"I must flll up my leasure somehow, and I have
plenty of it."
"And your picture, you lazy fellow, which ought
to be ready for the exhibition, and which is only
just begun ?"
"Oh, I can work at that in the spring. I am
never in the humour in the winter. So I have two
months before me, and in that time I shall easily dis-
cover the woman who has committed this crime."

"That is to say, the woman who sat beside the
poor girl."
r Of course."
"Excuse me, but there were two—one on her
right, and one on her left."
"The one that got out by the Rue de Laval, and
who cleverly passed the dead body on to you."
"Be good enough to explain bow she could pos-
sibly have killed the girl without anyone in the
omnibus being aware of it."
"Certainly I will, when you have answered the
questions lam about to put. You say that the girl
leaned against the veiled lady?"
"Yes, I believe even that the lady put her arm
round her waist."
"When did she do so?

"As far as I can remember, it was just after we
crossed the Pont Neuf. The omnibus was going
very fast; one of the wheels must have passed over
a large stone, for there was a violent jerk; the girl
gave a moan—a very feeble one; she raised her hand
to her heart and sank hack; probably the shock
caused a bloodvessel to break. She died without
suffering, and almost without a movement."
" Oh, the most probable thing in the world!" said
Dines with a sneer. "And after this slight spasm
she drooped her head; the kind neighbour gave her
shoulder as a support, and made a rest with one arm
for the poor girl, who never moved after!"

"You relasie the whole scene as though you:had
seen it," said Freneuse.
_ _

"And you who did see it consider it quite
naturil that this girl should suddenly go off into a
sound sleep and never wake again!'"
"At first I did not pay much attention; one could
not see very well, for the lamps were almost out."
"Parbleu! just as I expected; the villain reckoned
on the darkness."

"But I ask you once more," said Freneuse, "what
process did she employlto despatch in ten seconds or
less a girl under twenty—full of life and vigour?
You will hardly maintain, I suppose, that she stabbed
her ? "

" Stablecl her? Oh, no. There are ways of kill-
ing. more certain than that, and less ostentatious."
"What ways?"

"Poison —for instance, with one drop of prussic
acid you may destroy the very strongest man.
" Ci.rtainly, if it be dropped on the tongue or in
the eye."
"Or on the slightest scratch of the skin. You
shrug your shoulders; very well, I don't here to
convince you to-night. To-morrow, rerhai s, you
will have to admit that lam right. I wil come up
to your room in the afternoon. I see the men c.rry-
ing away the body on a stretcher. I must be oft to
head office and learn what they think there of this
affair. I know the superintendent, and he will tell
me all about it." And the amateur policeman rushed
out of the caf, calling back to his friend, " Please
settle for what I have drunk; it is not. more than
half-a-dozen becks ! "

(To be continued.). I