The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-09-14
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. THE STURGIS WAGER (
A DETECTIVE STORY. <
BY EDGAR NOR ETTH
Copyright 1909. by Frederick A. stokesCo y
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CHAPTER XVIII.
THE EXTENSION.

ton of the paintings which hung in
the hall. heard the door of Murdoclt's
study open softly. Although the re-
porter did not turn his head, he at
once became conscious that the chem
lists piercing eyes were fixed upon
him. The observation lasted SO long
that Sturgis, self-possessed as was his
wont. was beginning to feel a tribe
nervous, when at last DIR. Murdoch
broke the silence:
81 have to apologize for leaving you
standing in the hall, Mr.. Sturgis.
was under the impression that | had
invited you to step into the parlor."
The words, courteous in themselves,
conveyed to the heafer an impression
of biting sarcasm.
81 found the parlor already occu-
pied; | hesitated to disturb a tete-a-
tete," replied Sturgis, quietly.
Murdoch eyed him narrowly for a
moment. and then invited him into
the study.
The chemists study was n spacious
room. plainly but luXuriously fur
nished. and containing every conven-
fence and comfort calculated to light
en- the labor of busy man. The
table. Uttered with books and papers.
stood near a small safe and almost
directly opposite the hall door.
Speaking-tubes and electric call but
tons were within reach of the occu-
pant of the easy chair, and probably
placed him in communication with
the various portions of the house
hold; while a telephone on one side
and a typewriter on the other showed
that the chemist kept in touch also
with the outside world.
Murdock's interlocutor, whoever he
had been. had disappeared. But how?
The question interested Sturgis, and
his mind at once began to seek an
answer to it.
There were three doors leading
from the study. One of these was the
one by which Murdoch and Sturgis
had just entered from the hall. No
one could have passed out that way
without meeting them.
Then there were the folding doors
leading into the library; but, as the
door leading from the library to the
hall had remained slightly ajar, Stur-
gis felt sure that he would have heard
the man had he gone out by that
way.
The third door led to a small ex-
tension.
"IIe must have gone into the eX-
tension" thought Sturgis.
The only alternative was an exit
~ To-,
would not have presented any special
difficulty; for the distance to the
tagging below was hardly more than
IL or - feet. But the yard, which
was of diminutive size on account of
the space allotted to the garden on
the street. was inclosed by an I'M
usually high fence, protected by
row of sharp and closely set spikes,
These looked so formidable that the
Thought Of anyone attempting to
scale the fence instantly suggested
visions of impalcd wretchcs Writhing
in oriental tortures. The only pos
sible exit from the yard, therefore,
seemed to be through the basement;
that is to say, past the kitchen and
the servants department.
All these thoughts flashed through
the reporters brain in a small frac-
ton of the time which is required to
record them, They occurred to him
.unbiddcu. while his conscious efforts
were cenlcred upon discovering how
Chatham had managed TO escape from
the rear of the Manhattan Chemical
company's building.
This Sturgis recognized without
much difficulty. 1t was directly in
line with the house in which he now
was, and its yard did not diner from
the neighboring ones, the fences of
which could be scaled without much
trouble. Chatham evidently might
have passed into any one of several
buildings WHICH lacked the protection
of the formidable spikes that so ef-
fectually guarded the approach to
MYrdock's house from the rear.
One point, however, was pulling.
Why should Chatham take the trou-
BILE and the risk of scaling fences in
broad daylight, only to return few
hours later by the street door under
= the very noses of the detectives from
whom he had presumably wished to
escape? There seemed to be no plaus-
ible answer to this question.
But Sturgis was not given much
time in which to consider it; for Muir
dock, who had waited for him to
breach the subject of his interview,
now coldly remarked:
perhaps, Mr.. Sturgis, you will be
good enough TO inform me to what
l owe the honor of this yisit?"
Sturgis took as a preteXt the first
subject which came into his mind.
Doctor" said he, 81 have been told
that you were engaged in series of
brilliant chemical researches; that
you had proved, or were on the point
of proving, that several, at least, of
the so-called elementary metals are
compounds; thus ushering in the
realization of the 1ranrn ~ tho nj.