The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-03-12
THE MAN WIFE VANISHED,
BY FERGUS HUME.
CHAPTER NIV-CoNT1NUED.

Mr.. Lancaster
And if l give you q check for two
hundred pounds you will help me- to
escape?"
III do my best, replied Dentham.
evasively.
Il must have time to think over
it. said Adrian calmly. ''Yoa can
go away and leave me for a time"
Don't try to escape cried Den
than. moving toward the door,
'~.'cause.you won't I'll keep a watch
outside
Il may escape yet in spite Of YOU
'Oh, will your scotfed Dentham,
i daresay you're a juggler, amt you?
Perhaps you a get through the key
hole. but all your juggles won't get
you out of this mess unless you pay
me well. and with this parting shot
Dentham took his departure and
closed the door after him
Left alone in the dirty. ill-lighted
little room. Adrian walked up and
down, pondering over the situation.
He saw plainly he was in Dentham's
power. and if lie refused to accede to
his demand, he would be at once ar
rested. tried-in the person Of Dr..
Roversmire-for the murder Of Adrian
Lancaster. and as the proofs were so
strong against him. ultimately
hanged. But it was not this prospect
that made him shudder: no, it was
something far more terrible. for he
knew that his own body. being to all
intents and purposes dead. would be
duly buried and then-O God. how
terrible!-when he was hanged as
Dr. Roversmire. his soul would have
to go pack to find its original body.
and fnd it'-where?-in the darkness
Of the coffin. He would be lying
under the earth a living man aud
would die by that most terrible of ali
deaths-sufocation.
Like a flash Of light a solution OF
the problem broke on his bewildered
brain. The old man whose personal
lty he had assumed had told him that
If the body of DR.. Roversmire died by
accident or suicide. the soul would
have to go back to its own body.
Well. he would do so--he would kill
hlmself in the body Of. DR.. Roversmjre
and wake as from a trance in the
body of Adrian Lancaster:
Thinking that such a contingency
might occur-althcugh it had come
sooner thar he expected-Adrian had
provided himself with a phial o.
deadly poison. distilled from some
rare Eastern herb. which he had found
in the medicine chest Of DR.. Rovers.
mire. He always carried it about
with him, and now producing it from
his pocket held it up toward the
light 1t contained a dark, ruby
colored liquid, which he knew was
swift to kill, as he had found a full
description of its effects in the diary
OF the old Indian fakir.
Atthis moment the door. was pushed
roughly open and Dentham made his
appearance in swageering triumph.
We'll. he said. rubbing.h his lean
hands together, .vhave you made W
your mind?" -
Yes. have, answered Adrian.
holding the phial closely in. his hand.
Il have made up.my mind not to give
a scoundrel like you one penny :.
Then I'll have. @y6u. arrested. ;
yelled Dentham, furious at seeing his
chance of making money. fade away.
You will not arrest me" replied
his master with a strange smile, 40
l will be far beyond the reach of YOU
malice. Bring in~ your detectives a.
0 a. you like. for they will onl,
find a dead body.'t "
Dentham, seeing his .iatehttilotn;
darted forward to stop him. WITH, I
cry OF anger but Adrian was too
quick for him. SAND raising the phia
to his lips drank the. contents
The valet recoiled as he did SO. 10,