The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1898-11-04

ness, ] believe, or was at one time But,
doctor, If ne mad wished to iniure my
child, he had no opportunity Of doing .
80, for he never comes here, though we i
have often asked him; In fact, we real
ly hear very little about him, and see
him less"
II.
It certainly did not appear likely that
Mr.. Hunt could be the author Of Miss
Delmege's sickness; but at the same
time 1 could not shake of the feeling
that IN some way or other he was con
nected with It.
well" I replied, after little con-
sideratcn, Il will tell you what to do
Take your daughter at once away to
some place for a change of air. Sea-
combe, by the way, is a charming place
near the sea, and the air Is most brac-
ing. must return to London for
short time, and when you are settled at
seacombe 1 will run down to have
look at my patient"
After a short time ran down to Sea
combe and was as delighted as her
parents to see the almost complete re-
covery that the change of air had
wrought In my patient.
IN tell you what, DOCTOR" said Mr.
Delmege, 81 viii just take your advice
about remaining here for bit. have
decided on taking a house here for the
winter; the climate is mild, and I dare
say we all need a little change after
our recent anxiety. 1 will send to
Deanpark for some things, though the
house we have taken is small and we
won't require very much, but Agnes
must have her piano--she is never real
ly happy without it."
every good" I said; Fl think It Is
the best thing you can do. Your daugh-
ter seems to have quite recovered
did not like to damp his good spir
It's, but in his joy at his child's recovery
Mr.. Delmege appeared to forget the
deadly nature Of her complaint, and as
l returned to London 1 could not help
thinking that the stealthy hand that
was at work at Deanpark would soon
er or Later find a way to carry on its
murderous work, no matter where its
victim might be.
In this surmise was only too cor
rect About a month afterward I re-
ceived q wire from Mr.. Delmege TO
come to Seacombe at once.
Putting off all my other engagements,
1 journeyed down by the next train
and got to SeacOmbe in the afternoon.
The house Mr.. Delmege had taken
was small, but very prettily situated
In about an acre of ground, command
ing a very lovely view Of the bay and
hills beyond.
I met him in the hall. He was in q
, terrible state
my poor child-she is as bad as
everw he exclaimed.
Miss Delmege was lying on sofa in
a darkened room. She was suffering
from great headaches and pains In The
eyes; her throat, too, was very con
stricted. 1t was pitiful to see the pool
thing so, and her patience under al
. her sufferings.
gave something to ease the pain II
? her head and send her to sleep. Sit
] ting by her 1 noticed-indeed, had no
ticed it befOre-that her nails were
) rather bitten 1t was a habit she was
= inclined TO and which, when I SPOKE
about It once, she declared was In
= duced by playing the piano so much
g / did not pay much attention to it a
g the time, but now the words came bacl
to me with a peculiar significance.
r I remembered that Mr.. Delmege TOLD
3 me that Mr.. Hunt had chosen tn
r piano.
Now Miss Delmege was the only on
e In the house that played, as neithe
$ her father nor mother ever touched tn,
I instrument.
This last attack had come on just
= week after the piano had come from
n Deanpark. l sat thinking over tn
d matter for some time, and before say
Il Ing anything to Mr.. Delmege decide
r to make careful examination of the IN
strument, which I felt sure now wa
r. In some mysterious way the cause @
his daughters sickness.
, That night, after dinner, when Mr.
l. Delmege had gone up to sit with he
IS daughter and Mr.. Delmege had wake
e out for a stroll went over to tn
,, piano, and, lighting the candles, 81
/
r Keyboard. l then took n microscop
lie from my pocket, and critically examlI
Ie ed the ivory keys, and became awar
a of the presence of fine white powdt
Y on some of the slotes in the center OF
T. tave.
A shudder of horror won't over mt
n Further close examination rendered nj
II certain that 1t was powdered arseni
II The next step was to remove IL
Q. front board of the plano, and to tai
ut out some of the center notes to exam
ID Inc them more closely, when, as l d
70 SO. l saw what made me start bat
n, with an involuntary exclamation
$ amazement
" l had unearthed the most diabolic
In invention for the destruction of huma
life had ever seen or heard Of.
/ Underneath the keys of the cent
octave ran a small gutter-ike co
Id struction of stiff brown paper, fill,
10 with powdered arsenic. 1t was SO
?" geniously made that, while 1t in no W;
ne Interfercd with the tone or sound of Il
- instrument II from time TO time thrt,