The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-28

- CONAN DoYLx
onArTnn u-tc..s...sas

CHATTER vI-tcestinusa.)
s'But 1t was you who broke her In
hooent heart! k1hriekedy thsnstin& tie
box before him. Let tile shish It'd
judge between us. Choose and eat.
There Il death In one and life In the
other. shall take what you leave.
Let us see IL there Is Justice upon the
earth. or IL we are ruled by chance
lie, cowerM away with Wild cries
and prayeN n0r mercy, but i drew my
knife and held 1t to Ills throat until he
had obeyed me. Then 1 swallowet1 the
other, and we stood facing one another
In silence for minute or more, walt
Ing to see which was to live and which
was to die. Shall I ever forget the look
which came over biz face when the fir1t
warning pangs told hin, that the poison
was In his system? I laughed as I
saw 1t, and held Lucy's marriage ring
In front Of his eyes. It was but for
a moment, for the action Of the aka
loid is rapid. A spasm Of pain comfort
ed his features. He threw, his hands
out in front Of him, staggered and
then with hoarse cry, fell heavily
upon the floor. I turned him over with
my foot, and placed my hand upon his
heart. There was NO movement. He
was dead. iES2 ~ {s
The blood had been streaming from
my nose, but hnd taken no notice Of
It. I don't know what 1t was that put
It into my head to write upon the wan
with 1t. Perhaps It was some mischtev.
GUS idea of setting the police upon
a wrong track. for I felt hght-hearted
and cheerful. remembered a German
being, found In New York with ..Racha'
written up above him, and 1t was a..
gued at the time in the newspapers
that the secret societies must have
done It. Isguessed that what puzzled
the New Workers would puzzle the
Londoners. So I dipped my finger In
my own blood and printed It on a con-
venient place on the wall. Then I
walked down to my cab and found
that there was nobody about, and that
the night was still very wild. had
driven some distance. when put my
hand Into the pocket In which I usually
kept Lucy's ring, and found TINT It
was not there. I was thunderstruck ut
this, for It was the only mem snt0 that
I had of her. Thinking that might
have dropped It when stopped over
Drebber's body, drove back; and leav-
ing my cab In side street, went
boldly up to the house, for was ready!
to dare anything rather than lose the
ring. When arrived there, walked
right into the arms Of police officer
who was coming out, and only manag-
ed to disarml his suspicious by pre-
tending to be helplessly drunk.
"That was how Enoch Drebber cnme
a 4. 90 a <Hno,N
TO do as much for Stangerson, and so
pay, of John Terriers debt. knew
that he: was staying at Halllday's Pri-
vate hotel, and hung about MI DAY,
but he never came out. fancy he sus-
pected something when Drebber failed
toput In An appearance. He was cum
nirg, was Etangerson, and always On
his guard. III he thought he could keep
me on by staying indoors he was very
much mistaken. II soon found out
which was the window Of bis bedroom,
land enriy. next n,orping I took adyan-
tage of some ladders which were lying
IN the lane behind the hotel, and SO
made my way into his room in the gray
Of the dawn. I woke him up and
told him that the hour had come when
he was to answer for the life he had
taken 30 long before. described Dreb-
ber's death to him, and gave him
the same choice Of the poisoned pills.
Instead Of grasping at the chance Of
safety which that offered him. he
sprnng from his bed and Aew at my
throat. In self-defense I stabbed him
to the heart. 1t would have been the
snme in any case, for Provii ance would
never hive allowed his guilty hand to
pick cut anything but the poison.
II have little more to say, and it's
ns well, for I am about done up. I
went on cabling 1t for q day or so,
intending to keep at 1t until could
rave enough to take me to America.
was standing in the yard when rag
ged youngster asked II there was q cab
BY there chilled Jefferson Hope, and
said that his cub was wanted by Q gen.
tleman at 221b Baker street. I went
round, suspecting no harm; and the
next thing knew this young man here
had the bracelets on my wrists, and rs
neatly shackled as ever I was In my
life. That's the whole Of my story,
gentlemen. You may coniider me to be
q murderer, but hold that I am Just
Us much an officer Of justice % xou
are" -
So thrilling had the mans narrative
been, and his manner was 30 impress.
Mve, that we had sat silent and alb
sorbed, Even the professional detect.
Ives, blase AZ they were In every detail
Of crime, appeared to be keeqly inter.
ested In the mans story. When he had
finished we sat for some minutes In
stiffness, which was only broken by
scratching Of Lestrade's pencil az be
gave the finishing touches to his short.
hand account.
There Is only one point ON which
would like little more information
Sherlock Holmes said at last. .Whc
was your accomplice who came for the
ring which ndvertised?"
The prisoner winked at my friend 10
eosely. II can tell my own secrets,
be said, ''but don't get other people
Into trouble. saw your advertise
meat and thought 1t might be d p1an
| or It might be the ring I wanted. Ny
friend volunteered to 60 and see.
think you'll own be did 4 smartly."
mot doubt Of that" said Sherlocl
Holmes heartily.
"Now, gentlemen" the inspector re
marked gravely, 1.-THE forms Of the Law
must De cOmpue0 WIN. On InufDQay
the prisoner will be brought before til.
magistrates, and your attendance vii
be required. Until then will be re
sponsIbie for liilnn.3 ~ .
He rang the bell qs he spoke, and JET
ferson Hope was led 0n. BY couple o
wariers, while my friend and I mad,
our way out of the station and took
Il cab back to Baker street.
CHAPTER VII.
The Conclusion.
We had all been warned to nppea
before the magistrates upon the Thur
day; but when the Thursday cam
there was NO occasion for our test
mony. A higher judge had taken tn
matter IN hand, and Jefferson Hop
bad been summoned before tribunl
where strict justice would be mete
out to him. On the very night ate
his capture the aneurism burst, an
he was found in the morning stsetche
upon the floor Of the cell, with q placi
smile upon his face. as though he ha
been able in his dying moments t
look back upon q useful life and o
work well done. ~
80