Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-11-09
A Grim Wager.
BY CECIL HAYTER

And then again anu -
n a higher key, took up the cry Oh
tbe farther side of the street
aSpeshull speshul!"-and the rest was
lost N incoherency as the SOUND OF
he voices. mingled and intertWineu'
gradually faded away in the distances,
aWbat a loathsome noise that Isl
said Peel, with shudder. mere -
something positively ghoulish aoou'
it."
SIT always gives me the ereePs' es'
neciauv AT night. 1t suggests all Sorts
- horrible. morbid ideas, joined ID
Ialanqe. who was perehed on the
model throne, smoking innumefaOie
cigarettes. ia
Koyno. the owner of the studio, salo
nothing. but smiled in rather a supe-
rior way. He was a person OF soiiie
wbat unusual taste-his pictures De
trayed him in that
We were rather cosmopolitan lol
gathered in the big studio that nlght.
Telange was a merry, light-hearted
little Frenchman, clever to the ups OF
his restless fingers, but quite ineapa-
bic of serious work. Peel and mys' II
we're EngHsh-papstaking. not whol'
L. unsuccessful but without hall Le-
lapoe's versatility. Ferguson was
scotch-serious and argumentatlVes
and Kovno-the owner of the stuolo-
was a Pole by birth, though much o.
his life had been lived in Paris ana
London.
He was two or three years older nan
the rest of us. As far as his arr was
concerned be was brilliant, Original
and startlingly unpleasant. For MN,
self, he had fine head-the head OF
a dreamer. Usually a retieent man
he would at rare intervals dash oui
into a fiery, animated flood OF tax
accompanied by wild gesticulation
Only one other person was IN Inc
studlo-Dora Smith, our model =
pretty, nervous little person, at the
present moment toasting her toes al
the big stove and enjoying a cigarette
during her well-earned rest,
"WeI, there's only one good thing
about murder" said Ferguson-"it
viii out! And that, as rule, ends In
hanging"
"Nonsense. my dear chapt" said
Koyno. Its only the clumsy idiots
who are found out. Anyone who ism I
a fool could kill as many people as he
| nleased. 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. Il believe
this great big barn of studio is haunt
ed. Do, for goodness sake, talk about
sorething cheerfull"
"It's not gloomy at all; it's most
interesting" persisted Kovno. "Idon't
mind owning that the possibilities OF
undiscovered crime have a great fasci-
ration for me-"
"The possibilities Of an undiscov.
cred shilling in my trousers pocket
/
sonally." said Peel, ruefully surveying
bis worldly possessions. Archie
turning to me-"we shall have TO pad
the hoof tonight. cant afford an ON
nibus."
II am willing to bet" Koyno contin-
ted. without noticing the interruption,
Il am willing to bet that | could com
nit a murder without a possibility OF
detection" He was getting into one
Of hi. 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
dor't suppose for minute that you
: be- such an abiect fool as to try"
Koyno himself laughed at that, FOL
by ma ture he is one of the mildest ere a
lures imaginable.
NO, no. don't mean to say that
want to harm anyone in particular fot
the mere satisfaction of proving to
parcel of lunatics that l am talking
= common sense; but still I maintain
toulA NO So
well, you prove it to me, and II
Is take your bet" said |, ieering.
L "Will you?" he asked.
"Of course will" Ireplied. "Franl
4 vel have a dinner on the strength Q
!. this"
S Done with you, then" said Kovn,
], 'Ill bet you five pounds to a shilling
!, I sold a couple Of sketches to-day"
q That's all very well, f" put in Fergl
l. son, slowly, "but short of actually mui
1ering the man. and then confessin
/. TO us-in which case we should il
III, evitably trot you of to the neare'
police station-how are you going
give us proof Of your ability9"
Kovno thought for a moment.
Look here, he said. speaking quicl
", "supposing / manage to spirit
man away and cause him TO vanish K
a week-ten days, If you like-witho'
/. any inquiries that may be made e
abling anyone to connect me with Il
natter and supposing that | obta
a written confession from that ma
acknowledging that IL was in my POI
II LIN ksu, . . -, ~ -.