The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-09-14
A Grim Wager.
BY CECIL HAYTER.

"Speshul! speshul!"-and the restwas
lost in incoherency as the sound of
the voices, mingled and intertwined,
gradually faded away in the distance,
"What a loathsome noise that Isl"
said Peel, with shudder. There is
something positively ghoulish about
It,"
ut always gives me the creeps, es-
pecially at night. 1t suggests all sorts
of horrible, morbid IDEAS Joined in
Lelange, who was perched on the
model throne, smoking innumerable
cigarettes. -.
Kovno, the owner of the studio, said
nothing, but smiled in rather supe-
rior way. He was person of some
what unusual taste-his pictures be-
trayed him in that.
We were rather cosmopolitan lot
gathered in the big studio that night.
Lelange was a merry, light-hearted
little Frenchman, clever to the tips OF
his restless fingers, but quite incapa-
bic of serious work. Peel and myself
were Enghsh-painstadng, not who'll
ly unsuccessful, but without half Le-
lange's versatility. Ferguson was
Scotch-serious and argumentativc,
and Kovno-the owner of the studio
was Pole by birth, though much OF
his life had been lived in Paris and
London.
He was two or three years older .han
the rest of us. AS far as his art was
concerned he was brilliant, original
and startlingly unpleasant. For him
self. he had fine head-the head of
dreamer. Usually a reticent man,
he would at rare intervals flash out
into a fiery, animated food of tax,
accompanied by wild gesticulation.
Only one other person was in the
studio-Dora Smith, our model - a
pretty, nervous little person, at the
present moment toasting her toes at
the big stove and enjoying cigarette
during her well-earned rest.
"Well, there's only one good thing
about a murder" said Ferguson-"it
will out! And that, as a rule, ends in
hanging"
Nonsense, my dear chap!" said
Kovno. ITS only the clumsy idiots
who are found out. Anyone who isn't
a fool could kill as many people as he
pleased, and never be even suspected
If you grant him an average amount
of luck"
Lelange began drumming sort of
"danse Macabre" on the model throne
with his heels, and struck tragic at
titude which made Dora laugh.
81 wish you wouldn't all be so hor-
ribly gloomy" she said. 81 believe
this great big barn Of a studio is haunt
ed. Do, for goodness sake, talk about
soTething cheerful"
"It's not gloomy at all; it's most
Interesting" persisted Kovno. "ldon't
mind owning that the possibilities of
undiscovered crime have great fasci-
ration for me-"
"The possibilities of an undiscov-
cred shilling in my trousers pocket
would be more attractive to me per-
sonally," said Peel, ruefully surveying
his worldly possessions. "Archie"-
turning to me-''we shall have to pad
the hoof tonight. Cant afford an ON
nibus."
II am willing to bet" Kovno contin-
Ted, without noticing the interruption,
IL am willing to bet that could COM
nit murder without possibility OF
detection" He was getting into one
OF his excitable moods and gesticulat-
ing freely.
Rubbish" said l, laughing. "Any-
one can talk like that. But, in the first
place, it's absurd; and in the second,
don't suppose for minute that you d
be such an abject fool as to try"
Kovno himself laughed at that, for
by nature he is one of the mildest ere a
lures imaginable.
"No, no. don't mean to say that ]
want to harm anyone in particular for
the mere satisfaction of proving to a
parcel of lunatics that l am talking
common sense; but still I maintain
could do So"
"Well, you prove it to me, and III
take your bet" said I. jeering.
"Will you?" he asked
"Of course will" Ireplied. Frank
We'll have dinner on the strength OF
this"
Done with you, then" said Kovno
"Ill bet you five pounds to a shilling
sold a couple of sketches to-day"
"That's all very WELL" put in Fergu
son, slowly, "but short of actually mur.
dering the man, and then confessing
to us-in which case we should in.
evitably trct you off to the nearest
police station-how are you going to
we US proof of your ability?"
Kovno thought for a moment
"Look here" he said, speaking quick,
1y, "supposing l manage to spirit a
man away and cause him to vanish for
a week-ten days, If you like without
any inquiries that may be made en-
abling anyone to connect me with the
matter; and supposing that obtain
a written confession from that man
acknowledging that it was in my pow
er to kill him, if it so pleased me, viii
that satisfy you?"
ats hardly a fair test" grumbled
Ferguson. "still l suppose you CAM
manage 'better-short Of actually com
mitting a crime"
"You'll have the deuce to pay wher
you let him CO." suggested Lelange.
~ shall make his release conditiona
LII L..l.