The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-21
You arc to look tor evidences OF muir.


sprang to my feet.
Before I do 80, you must tell me
what you know of this strange thing,
for cannot work in the dark"
81 do not mean you shall, Doctor.
There are few little things which you
may not care to hear, but the main part
of the story shall be yours. Sit down
again. There is time enough for work. "
l settled myself in the easy chair, and
prepared to listen.
The old detective was good story
teller. His voice was low and impressive,
and he brought out the strong points In
his line with an emphasis that forced
them upon my consideration.
II have known DR.. Seabury Tor somo
six months. He came 10 my once one
day, and made my personal acquaintance
Before that time had made use of bim
in his professional capacity on several
occasions, and had come to respect him
highly.
ION the occasion of his visit to me, no
gave me to understand that he had an
enemy of whom he was in mortal fear, q
party who had once followed him from
India to England, seeking his life, anu
lOSt track OF NIP Lner6. r-.. ..
"Of late the old Doctor had been
warned in some way that the enemy had
discovered the fact of his being in New
York, and not day passed without his
being in fear Of visit from this party,
who had sworn that oceans should not
stand in the way when vengeance for
some real or fancied wrong was to be
wrought
"It worried DR.. seabury so that he
could not sleep nights. ......
cat his suggestion had private
telegraph wire run from his house to my
den, where some one was to be always
on hand to answer call.
"This was not the first time such q
lucky windfall had come to me, and q
man is fool when he refuses to cater to
the whims of rich man.
sSome months went by without any
alarm, and ! began to look on the thing
as soft job. ...
"To-night at ten minutes past two ]
was aroused from light slumber by the
alarm. E'.
at had come at last.
LUCKILY I had thrown myself on a
sofa in the den without moro than kick
Ing my boots off, so that in one minute J
was out on the street and running for all
I was worth in this direction. .
u made good time, and in not more
than ten minutes reached the house.
1.-THE Doctor had shown me how to
open the door, and entered quietly.
gall was as still as graveyard, and to
mo farrih1v cr1pOpetiye.
"1he gas jet in the lower hall was al
lowed to burn low all night, so I easily
found my way up stairs.
@This door, which we used in entering,
was locked on the inside -.
II listened, but could not hear even the
slightest sound.
aThe Doctor had shown me means of
entering his Office and study adjoining
this room, by way Of closet in an old
lumber room next to 1t. ..-.....
@When I entered here that window
was open as you see it, the lamp fared
and fiickered in the dranght, and the old
physician lay there-dead.
"At first l thought he might have felt
the pangs of approaching dissolution,
and, lacking the power to cry out, had
pressed the knob in the wall beyond the
led there, which sounded the alarm in
my den. .......
"A minutes examination convinced me
that such was not the case, for In his
other hand, tightly pressed, he held this
odd little flask--a miniature phial."
He handed it to me.
It was made of crystal, and contained
Q few grains of powder. g..
I drew out the stopper and smelled
of the contents, feeling rather than see
ing the eyes of Mr.. Ketcham upon me.
"You recognize the scent, DoctorP" he
asked, somewhat eagerly for him.
~ do, emphatically.
alt is an odor which, once caught, can
never be mistaken. Am right?"
Perfectly so, Mr.. Ketcham." .
"What is it that crystal phial con.
;ains?"
II am almost ready to swear few
,grains OF most singular and deadly
poison found in the Pyramids of Egypt
"a poison that has baffled the known
world to tell the origin of or find an an
.idote for. DR.. Seabury himself offered
no means of determining its origin,
which is lost in mystery"
II thought so just such poison,
then, as man might take If he de-
sired to battle the skill of the best physi.
.ians?" d..
I shrugged my shoulders.
9It is certain death. .. F.
"Go near the bed again and bend over
the dead man. See if you can detect
this odor about his lips" -.'-..
/ did so, and reported in the afirma-
tive. ,..... ..... .
DR.. Seabilry had undoubtedly taken
this most fatal of >poisons with suicidal
intent. -. '... o..
As this fact became apparent to me,
began to feel master of the situation.
All that Mr.. Ketcham had said now
dwindled into insignificance before the
report of my superior wisdom. .
For the moment ! was pulled up with
O sense of my Importance. Mr.. Ketcham
did not glance at me, but I knew he was
well aware Of my condition.
Afterward, looking back, wondered
how it was he did not literally jab knife
into the balloon of self-importance ! had
inflated, and allow it to collapse.
was indebted to him for letting me
down easy.
sDoctor, how about this poison; does
1t leave any traces behind?" he asked.
THAT is the peculiar part Of 1t, MIR.
Ketcham. 1t asslmllates with the blood;
and passes at once into the system;
while it kills the action Of the heart in
from ten seconds to minute, it would be
impossible for the most learned physician
to state positively that the man had not
died from natural cause-disease Of the
heart"
The old detective gave a whistle.