Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-10-09
EDGAR. MORETTE

man do against two?"
ut is not an open fight" said Stur-
gis, "but am glad to see your spirit.
l do not give up; but l want you to
realize that we are in q critical stun
ton, with the odds enormously against
u.s."
"Why, what can Murdoch do?"
perhaps what he did to Chatham.
1t will probably not be long before we
discover what that was"
"But there must be some way Of
opening that door from the inside"
said Sprague.
"There evidently. is none." replied
Sturgis; ''he probably controls these
doors from the outside by electrical
connection"
The men were back in the square
chamber. Sturgis eyes were rowing
restlessly over the walls, ceiling and
floor in search of a loophole of escape.
'There is no chance to reach the sky
light without ladder; and even if we
could reach 1t, we should be no fur
thsr advanced. as 1t would be impos-
sible to make any impression on the
steel shuttsrs- That leaves the regis
ter and the speaking tube. While !
examine the register, suppose you try
the tube. II 1t connects with the Man
haitian Chemical company's office,
there is bare chance that we may at
tract the attention of the detectives
whom we left there"
Gas we wnro yiDr NJ C{,rr;s
The words came in Murdock's mock
ing tones.
sturgis quickly held the lighted can
die above his head and peered in the
direction whence came the sound. A
panel of the door at the head of the
stairs had been pushed up. revealing a
small opening. covered by a strong and
closely-woven wire netting.
"As we were saying. murder will
out! Nevertheless, 1t is sometimes
easier to weld chain, even OF circum-
/ stantial evidence, than it is to pre-
| dict who will be bound in It,"
Sturgis and Sprague stood in the
glimmering light of the candle, silent
ly watching the glowing eyes behind
the screen.
Mr.. Sturgis, you are clever man"
continued Murdoch, ian uncommonly
clever man. / frankly admit that |
had moderated your ability. But then
we are all fallible, after all. made my
share Of blunders, as you seem to have
discovered; but you will doubtless now
/, concede that your own course has not
y
now that we have reached the conclu-
sion of this interesting game, have
the honor to announce: Mate in one
novel Perhaps you are surprised that
should take the trouble to explain the
situation to you SO clearly. do so in
recognition OF your superior inte1li-
gence. see In you peer. II matters
could have been SO arranged, should
| have been proud to work In harmony
with such man as you; and indeed,
when q short time ago invited you to
my laboratory, 1t was my intention to
] offer you compromise which hoped
I might be able to persuade you to ac-
cept. felt that you would prove an
| ally who could be trusted. But, alas,
that 10 impossible now, on account of
your friends presence. With all due
respect to Mr.. Sprague, as an amiable
man of the world and prince of good
| fellows, 1t may be said that he is not
one OF us. Much to my sorrow, there
fore, am left no alternative to,the
course am about to adopt. The fault,
II anybody's, is your own, after ALL Mir.
Sprague. There is q homely but ex-
| pressive adage concerning the danger
of 'monkeying' with buzz saw. Why,
| my dear friend, did you monkey with
| Mr.. Sturgis' buzz saw, instead of stick
| Ing to your palette and maulstick?
But fear Lam growing garrulous,
| gentlemen. If had time, should like
to explain to Mr.. Sturgis the details
OF some of the more important, and, in
my humble opinion, more brilliant
schemes Of which have been the-ah
the promoter; for dislike to be
judged by the bungllng operations
which have so nearly caused me to lose
this latest little game. But this can
not be. shall have to continue to con-
dde to the pages of my journal, as
have done for years, the interesting
events of, ] may say, somewhat re-
markable career, which l hope will
some day, after my death, find their
way in print to public favor. My dream
has always been that some such man
as Mr.. Sturgis might ultimately edit
these memoirs; but, alas, the fondest
Of human dreams are seldom destined
to be realized.
Now, then. gentlemen, before final
~ parting with you, wish to honor
ably carry out the terms of my wager
with Mr.. Sturgis. concede the fact
that, to all intents and purposes, he
has won the bet, and l authorize you,
Mr.. Sprague, as stakeholder, to pay
him the amount 1 deposited with you.
AS I have already suggested, he has
made some perhaps excusable mis-
takes; but, then, as he himself stated
the other night, a detective has life
time IN which to correct blunder.'
A lifetime 1t is not in accordance with
Mr.. Sturgis' usual practice to use SO
vague term. A lifetime is not neces-
sarily very long time, Mr. Sturgis."
During this TRADE sturgis and
Sprague had remained standing with
their eyes fixed upon the cleaning car
buncles which peered at them from be-
hind the grated peephole at the top of
the stairs. The artist seemed to real
ize that the fight was lost. His attitude
was that of brave man accepting,
with calm despair, an unpleasant but
inevitable doom. The reporter had