The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-09-20
CHAPTER vI-tcontinued1
BY CONAN DOYLE.

OkNAE-1Mka tA-NO0mt1Mu0Wsl
"'But 1t was you who broke her In
nocent hearth I shrieked, thrusting the
box before him. Let the high God
Judge between us. Choose and eat.
There Is death in one and life In the
other. shall take what you leave.
Let us see Ii there Is justice upon the
earth, or Ii we are ruled by chance.
He covered away with wild cries
and prayers for mercy, but drew my
knife and held 1t to his throat until he
had obeyed me. Then swallowed the
other, and we stood facing one another
in silence for a minute or more, wait
ing to see which was to live and which
was to die. Shall ever forget the look
which came over his face when the first
warning pangs told him that the poison
was in his system? / laughed as
saw 1t, and held Lucy's marriage ring
in front of his eyes, 1t was but for
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 a hoarse cry, fell heavily
upon the floor turned him over with
my foot, and placed my hand upon his
heart. There was no movement. he
was dead.
The blood had been streaming from
nv nose, but had taken no notice of
1t. I don't know what 1t was that put
It into my head to write upon the wall
with it. Perhaps it was some mischiev-
oas idea of setting the police upon
wrong track, for l felt hght-hearted
and cheerful I remembered German
being found in New York with 'Rache'
written up above him, and 1t was ar
gued at the time in the newspapers
that the secret societies must have
done 1t. I guessed that what puzzled
The New Workers would puzzle the
Londoners. So / dipped my finger IN
my own blood and printed IT on con-
yenient place on the wall, Ihen
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 usually
kept Lucy's ring, and found that 1t
was not there. ! was thunderstpuek at
this, for 1t was the only mem ento that
1 had of her. Thinking that might
have dropped 1t when | stopped over
Drebber's body, drove back; and leav-
ing my cab in side street. l went
boldly up to the house, for was ready
to dare anything rather than lose the
ring. When / arrived there, walked
right :nto the arms of o police ofncer
who was coming out, and only manag-
ed to disarm his suspicious by pre-
tending to be helplessly drunk
THAT was how Enoeh DrebbeF came
to his death. All had to do then was
to do as much for Stangerson, and so
nav off John Terriers debt. / knew
that he was staying at Halliday's Pri-
yate hotel, and / hung about all day,
Int he never came out. / fancy he sus-
pected something when Drebber failed
TO put In an Appearance, He was cum
nirg, was Stangerson, and always en-
his guard If he thought ha could Keep
me off by staying indoors ne was very
much mistaken. ] soon found out
which was the window OF his bedroom,
and early next morning ] took adyan-
tage of some ladders which We're lying
in the lane behind the hotel, and 80
made my way into his room in the gray
of the dawn, I woke him up and
told him that the heNF had come Wnen
he was to answer for the life he Aad
taken SO 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
sprang from his bed and few at my
throat. In self-defense / stabbed him
to the heart 1t would have been the
same In any case, for Provid ence would
never have allowed bic guilty hand to
pick cut anything but the poison,
'rI have little more to say, and it's
as well, for 1 am about done UP.
went on cabling it for a day Or so,
intending to keep at it until I could
save enough to take me to America.
was standing in the yard when Il rag
ged youngster asked if there was cab
by there called Jefferson Hope, and
said that his cab was wanted by a gen.
tleman at 2a1h Baker street. I went
round, suspecting na haFmj and the
next thing knew this young man here
had the bracelets ON my wrists, and as
neatly shackled as ever l was In my
life. That's the whole of my story,
gentlemen. You may consider me to be
a murderer, but hold that am just
as much an officer of justice as you
are"
So thrilling had the mans narrative
been, and bis manner was so impress
sive, that we had sat silent and alb
sorbed. Even the professional detect
ives, blase as they were in every detail
of crime, appeared to be keenly inter-
ested III the mans story. When he had
finished we sat for some minutes in
stiffness, which was only broken by
scratching of Lestrade's pencil as she
gave the finishing touches to his short
hand account.
There is only one point on which /
would like little more informa ton, !"
| Sherlock Holmes said at last who
was your accomplice who came for the
ring which / advertised?
| The prisoner Winked at my friend jo-
| cosely. II can tell my own secrets, y
he said, "but I don't get other people
| into trouble. / saw your advertise
ment and / thought 1t might be plant
or 1t might be the ring / wanted. My
| friend volunteered to go and see.
think you'll own he did ii smartly"
Not doubt of that" said Sherlock
Holmes heartily.
Nov, gentlemen" the inspector re-
marked grayely, ''the forms Of the law
must be complied with. On Thursday
| the prisoner will be brought before the
magistrates, and your attendance will
be required, Until then will be re-
sponsible for him."
He rang the bell as he spoke, and JEFF
ferson Hope was led off by couple Of
| warders, while my friend and made
| our way out of the station and took q
| cab back to Baker street.
CHAPTER VII.
/ The Conclusion.