The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-01
PRIZE DETECTIVE STORIES, No. rs.

guerite Gautier's troubles, Eleanor, in
her remorse which the nobility and high
pure feeling in poor Marguerite Will
must inspire her---may she not seek,
must she not seek to make the last death
scene realY'
The inspector smiled coolly. "We must
prevent that, 4" he said. "And look TO
you TO do 1t. However, great criminals
are very rarely suicides.
Don't call her a criminal, for Gods
sakel" cried Burnett, bitterly, walking
10 and fro i'm his agony OF mind.
"Alasl She Is too clever not To know
that her arrest will surely follow the hnal
fall of the curtain. Her art is very great;
her nature is tense and pas slonate; II
might seem TO her a fit end. oh, what
shall do? What shall do?' He buried
his face in his hands.
The inspector touched his shoulder
kindly. "'Burnett, feel deeply for you.
You love this woman, that's plain. But
I my best advice is, go home and go 10
| bed---take an opiate, II you can't sleep.
| You are young man; you have career
| before you; your name must not IN any
way be brought into this affair. II must
not appear in the papers. Go home, my
| dear boy"
"No, / believe her guiltless. Some
| dreadful mystery conceals the real Grim
| inal. Time will prove this. You VIII
: have TO act as YOU believe IL TO be your
| duty You will arrest her, but i VIII
sooner or later release her DO you sup
pose she would leave her handkerchief
the only proof of her guilt you have, on
| the murdered mans faceY NO, no, no!
| Ii is preposterous!"
| "Why. that---that's the cleverest piece
of business in the whole affair, " said the
inspector.
GLOW sou
She knew she had been seen and recog-
| nized at the hotel; hence she wished TO
| divert suspicion; hence her apparent
| affection, her kisses, her kindly use o'
| her handkerchief. While we've been
| talking, one of my best experts has beer
| minutely examining the dress she wore
In the first act, and at the Oldorf to finc
traces OF chloroform. OF course, she woult
toss her bottle and sponge out OF her cal
window as she returned to the theater
but men are even now searching for then
| in the street.
| A messenger hurriedly entered with {
telephone message: "A chloroforn
bottle found in street near the Oldorf
A sponge found in next street. Phila
delphia druggist
''There, i thought we would get evi
dence sooner or later that will fasten th
crime.
The inspector fairly rubbed his hand
in a sort OF vague professional delight.
"If you believe her innocent, Mr.. Bur
nett, will you suggest theoryY' n
said. pleasantly. "You are probabl.
aware that Miss Armitage acted two
weeks in Philadelphia before coming
here. 1t was while there that she Learned
of her fathers coming---and prepared
herself---and bought the chloroform.
Burnett hardly knew what to say. Mr.
Davlds looked very sure OF his prey.
s'Still, there is no proofl" insisted tn
newspaper man.
..There will be a net about her in 2
hours which she can't escape from.
am afraid she viii elude us only in on
way. Yes, / confess / am afraid o
suicide, for she is no ordinary sort. She
"A high-strung woman, and your owl
fears rather tend to confirm mine. Sh
must have seen Swift (the fool, to sit II
that proscenium box! She is warned
She will see there is no escape. She ma.
really die in that last act; IL Is more thar
likely. Yes, it would be like cleve
woman who found herself caught in
trap"
Burnett gasped with horror.
"But to prevent any such contingenc,
/ depend on YOU"
"Me?p
"Yes. My cab is ready. We will go a
once TO the theater. May / ask you on
question? Do you believe she cares TO
your"
81 believe-she has led me to think
yes"
every good. You will, perhaps, b
able TO prevent her taking up arm
against her own life you, and yo
alonel'
THE LAST ENTR' ACTE.
The curtain had not yet risen for tn
last act when they arrived at the theater
A number of well-dressed young me
were standing in the lobby when they en-
UMMER RESORTS,