Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-05-29

est pace IN lne SarQenS-Cnc rnOQO-
dendron valley. There is a fountain
beside the path to it. They stopped at
it. saw the elderly lady take hand
kerchief, saturate it at the fountain
and apply it to the girls forehead as
she stood beneath the arching shade Of
a yew tree, leaning against branch of
it. Presently they proceeded slowly,
1 following. Fortunately there were
no others at that early hour to see me.
The two disappeared round a turning
into the valley. AS they did so 1 saw
something white fall. When 1 reached
it, found it to be the handkerchief.
"Well, as 1 am telling the story, 1
had better tell it all. put the handker-
chief to my lips and kissed it. To my
amazement an odor came from it that
had smelled but once before and had
never forgotten. 1t was the odor Of the
Thug plant.
"It was a fortunate thing that 1 had
travelled in the East. While doing so
met lady, the wife of a Madras artil-
lery officer, who told me that she was
on the point Of death. She described
her sickness most carefully. None of
her doctors had been able to cure her.
She had done some service to the medi-
cine man Of the station. He was noted
| among his caste for skill in curing by
| means of herbs. He begged that he
| might see the lady and at last was al
lowed. He entered the room, looked at
her, went about in an amazing man.
! ner, smelling everything on the bed.
the upholstery, the rugs, curtains,
blinds, and reached the window. There
he pounced upon a plant that the Off
GERS wife had for many years, having
brought it from her own English home.
The medicine man plucked from the
pot a small weed that had not been
attended to. With a cry Of delight he
said that the sahib's wife would live.
81 sought out the medicine man." con-
tinued Wilmore after a pause, land
after some persuasion he told me that
the weed he had found was Of the sort
supposed to be used now by thugs in
stead of their former strangling cord.
Its odor was poisonous; was emitted
only at night; must be inhaled from
the plant or from some article satu-
rated with it; that the thugs covered
the plant during the night and collected
the poison.
"Now, in the handkerchief 1 had
picked up in the gardens 1 recognized
the odor Of the plant-unmistakabl it
was the smell Of the Thug plant that
the medicine man had made me ac-
quainted with.
1.-THE girl, it seemed, was dying from
the effects of the poison. Who could
be administering it and why? Where
had it been obtained? What was to
do? These questions absorbed my at
tention.
81 did not follow the ladies farther.
To save the girl, felt that must not
lose moment.
''That evening the director of the
gardens was to hold an at home. de-
cided to go, to confide in the director.
1t came to me like an inspiration that
the Thug plant might be in the gar
dens. 1 found the directors house
crowded-it was an old-fashioned place.
partly in the gardens. When the host
saw the urgency of my case, he ar
ranged with some special friends to
take his place in entertaining the
guests. Then he listened patiently to
all had to say, making particular in
quiries concerning the Thug plant.
1--WE have a specimen he said. If
you come with me, we will obtain more
information about it,
"In few moments we had crossed
Kew Green and entered the herbarium,
having with us the curator, one of the
guests. We consulted there a ponder
GUS book and read all about the Thug
plant and it's properties. Then we went
to department containing a multitude
Of drawers, labeled and mbered. An
envelope, or capsule was produced. AS
the curator opened it 1 exclaimed:
"'That's it! 1 smell it from herev
"'Has any one lately inquired about
this plant?" asked the director.
1.-The curator again consulted the
books.
"'There is an entry here-yes, Col
onel -- called, made special in
quiries about the Thug plant, and was
taken to see it in the palmhouse.'
lue ulrecIOF dSkeu lLS uuIuDer.
"'Nine thousand and sixty-three,'
was the reply
"'We will go to the palm house. said
the director. and have a look at nine
thousand and siXty-three and see if. it
has been disturbed. l believe it is a
good size. 1t Is some time since saw
it on it's arrival
HE procured dark lantern and the
key to the palm house. We started for
it. The director told me what he knew
of the colonel and his family. 1t had
occurred to me many times how little
the girl resembled the colonel. She
was his step-daughter, 1 was now told.
The directors wife knew the girls
mother. She had married a second
| time. In a few months on coming Of
age the girl would inherit a considera-
BILE fortune-the reversion of her prop
| erty In case of her death would be to
the mother-'and that said the direc-
| tor, means the colonel
"We were going through the herba-
ceous garden and just emerged into an
avenue when we saw a figure passing
rapidly into the cypress walk.
Who's that? said the director in a
| low tone.
"'The colonelv answered, grasping
| his arm.
"'What is he aboutY he asked.
"'Let us follow I said, and careful
| ly. He may be after the plant