Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-07-02
A STUDY IN SCARLET.
By A. CONAN DOYLE
PART TWO.
1.-THE Country Of the Sdints.l
(coNrINUED.l
/ handed him tho glass. and he drank

THAT'S better" he said "Well,
waited for quarter of an hour or more,
when suddenly there came noise like
people struggling inside the house. Next
moment the door was flung open, and
two men appeared. one Of whom was
Drebber, and the other was n young chap
whom had never seen before. This fell
low had Drebber by the collar. and when
they came to the head Of the steps he
gave him shove and kick which sent
him half across the road. You hound!'
| ne cried, shaking his stick at him. III
teach you to insult al honest girlf BE
was so hot that think he would have
thrashed Drebber with his cudgel, only
that the cur staggered away down the
road as fast rs his legs would carry him.
He ran as far as the corner, and then,
seeing my cab, he hailed me and jumped
in. Drive mo TO Halliday's Private ho-
tel, said he.
when / had him fairly inside my
cab, my heart jumped so with JOY that
| feared lest at this last moment my
aneurism might go wrong. Idrove along
slowly. weighing in my own mind what
It was best to do. might take him
right ont into the country, and there In
some deserted lane have my last inter
view with him. | had almost decided
upon this when he solved the problem
for me. The craze for drink had seized
him again, and he ordered me topull mp
outside gin palace. He went in. loav-
ing word that ] should wait for him.
There he remained until closing time,
and when he came out he was so far
gone that | knew the game was in my
own hands.
Don't imagine that / intended To
kill him in cold blood. IL would only
have been rigid justice il l had done so.
but could not bring myself to do it. l
had long determined that he should
have show for his life il he chose 10
take advantage Of il. Among tho many
billets which / have filled in America
during my wandering life, l was once n
Ianitor and sweeper out OF the laboratory
ut York college. One day the professor
was locturing ON poisons, and he show
ed his students some alkaloid, rs he
called il. which he had extracted from
some South American arrow poison, and
which was so powerful that the least
grain meant instant death. / spotted
tho bottle in which this preparation was
Kept, and when they were all gone /
helped myself to little Of it. I was n
fairly good dispenser, so / worked this
alkaloid into small. soluble pills, and
each pill / put in box with a similar
pill made without poison. determined
at the time that when ! had my chance
my gentlemen should each have draw
out Of one Of these boxes, while | ate
the pill that remained. IL would be
quite as deadly and n good deal less
noisy than firing across q handkerchief.
From that day / had always my pill
boxes about with me, and the time had
now come when l was to use them.
1T was neaer than IL, and wild.
bleak night, blowing hard and raining
in torrents Dismal as il was outside |
was glad within-so glad that / could
have shouted out from pure exultation.
II any Of you gentlemen have ever pined
for a thing and longed for it during 30
long years and then suddenly found 1t
within your reach, you would under
stand my feelings l lit a cigar and
pulled at it to steady my nerves, but my
hands were trembling and my temples
throbbiug with excitement As drove,
I could see old John Ferrier and sweet
Lucy looking ut mo ont Of the darkness
and smiling at me just as plain rs see
YOU all in this room. All the way they
were ahead Of me, one on each side OF
the horse, until pulled up at the house
in the Brixton road.
There was not a soul to be seen, nor
a sound TO be heard, except the dripping
OF the rain. When looked in at the
window, | found Drebber all huddled
together in q drunken sleep. i shook
him by the arm, It's time to go out, |
raid.
All sshN
81 suppose he thought we had come TO
tho hotel that he had mentioned. for he
got ont without another word and fol-
lowed me down the garden. / had to
walk beside him TO keep him steady. for
he was still little top heavy. When
we came to tho door, opened it and led
him into the front room. / giveyou my
word that, all the way, the father and
daughter were walking in front Of us.
It's internally dark, said he stamp
ing about.
"'We'll soon have light, said,
striking q match and putting it to a
wax candle which l had brought with
me. Now, Enoch Drebber, continued,
turning to him and holding the light to
my own face, who am II
.'He gazed at me with bleared, drunk
en- eyes for moment, and then l saw
horror spring up in them and convulse
his whole features. which showed me
that he knew me. He staggered back
with livid face, and saw the perspi-
ration break ont upon his brow, while
his teeth chartered. At the sight lean
ed my back against the door and laugh-
ed loud and long. had always known
that vengeance would be sweet, but had
never hoped for the contentment OF
soul which now possessed me.
"'You dog! said. II have hunted
You from Salt Lake City to st. Peters
burg, and you have always escaped me.
Now at last your wanderings have come
to an end, for either you or ! shall new
er see tomorrow's sun rise He shrank
still farther away as Ispoke, and could
see Oh his face that he thought / was
mad. So Twas for the time The pulses
| in my temples beat like sledge hammers,
and believe would have had q fit OF
some sort if the blood had not gushed
from my nose and relieved me.
"'What do you think Of Lucy Fer
rier now?' / cried. locking the door and
shaking the key In his face. Punish
ment has been slow in coming, but it
has overtaken you at last ] saw his
coward lips treInble as I spoke. BE
would have begged for his life. but he
knew well that 1t was useless
"'Would you murder me!' he stam-
mered.
There is no murder, ! answered.
who talks Of numbering mad dog!
What mercy had you upon my poor dar-
ling when you dragged her from her
slaughtered father and bore her away to
you aocursed and shameless haremi'
"'It was not ! who killed her ia
therl he cried.
"'But it was you who broke her In