The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-10-05
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! THE STURGIS WAGER ;
A DETECTIVE STORY.
BY EDGAR NOR ETTE.
Copyright. 1899. by Frederick 4 stokes 90
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CHAPTER XXITI.
THE SPEAKING TUBE.

fell forward and clutched wildly al the
air, his hand struck the stone wall of
the square chamber. No conscious i'm
preston was made upon bis brain by
the contact; but, automatically, his
fingers frightened as they slipped over
the smooth surface. His right hand
struck an obstacle and closed upon it,
in the convulsive grip of dying man.
Then a sudden CLEAN of consciousness
swept across his sluggish brain.
II was the speaking-tube!
y He chung TO 1t with the remnant of
his strength and eagerly placed his
lips to the mcuthpiece. For few min
utes he drank in with avidity the re-
vivifying draughts of air which grad
ually brought him back from the brink
of death.
With returning consciousness, the
thought of Lis dying friend REQUIRED to
him in all its viNidness. lie tried TO
40 TO his assistance but he was sick
and faint. and His limbs were powerless
TO resnond 20 his will. Then, at last,
he was seized with utter despair and
gave up the struggle.
lie had SUM; dejectedly upon the
chair when faint and inuistinct MUIR
muir, as Of distant voices, beat upon his
ears, whose natural acuity seemed eX-
traordinor,ly increased by the long
nervous tension under which he had
been. The ruling passion is strong in
death; without knowing Just why he
did so, Sturgis found himself again at
the speai;ing-tube, endeavoriHR hear
the conversation, the soued of which
evidently came from Murdock's office.
He could barely distinguish "A word
here and there; LAT he recognized the
timber Of one OF tAe voices. 1t was the
chemists and his interlocutor was a
woman perhaps his daughter. If only
he could reach Agnes Murdoch with
some word or signal.
In suspense. he held his ear TO the
mouthpiece, occasionally taking
breath of fresh air to renew his
strength.
Should he take the chances and shout
IN the hope of catching the young
girls attention? If he whistled. Muir
dock would answer himself, and the
last chance would be lost. But would
she hear shout? And If she did, would
not her father prevent her from render
Ing any assistance? Yet what other
chance was there? Poor Sprague was
dying; perhaps already dead. There
was no time TO lose.
He stood for awhile irresolute, and
had just made up his mind to risk all
ON a bold move. when suddenly Muir
docks voice became more distinct, as if
he were passing near the mouth-piece
of the speaking-tube at the other end,
81 shall be back directly"
Receiving no answer to their sum.
mons. the men stood irresolute for q
few seconds. Then. with grim deter
mination, they attacked the door;
raining the blows upon it fast and fu
riously, and filling the air with a show
er of splinters,
At length final stroke sent the
weakened hinges from their fastenings
and the men rushed through the un
derground passage into the murderer,
laboratory.
a hasty, startled glance told then
that Murdoch was not there
They started for the stairs and wer,
met by policeman who was just en-
tering Murdocks Office.
"IIave you got him?" asked the detec
tives in chorus.
"No," replied the policeman. sur
prised; Mr.. Sturgis says he went dowr
here about 20 minutes ago"
''We chased him in from the othei
end not ten minutes ago"
The policeman hurried down tn,
stairs.
Murdock's valise and package stooC
conspicuous upon the long pine box
But of Murdoch there was no sign.
"Gone!" exclaimed one of the detec
tives, deeply mortified at the though
that his quarry had slipped through
, his fingers. "Gone! How? Where
He cannot have escaped. He cannot
What is it, Mr.. Sturgs?"
He had suddenly caught sight of tn
reporter, half way up the stairs.
Weak and i'll, Sturgis, with blanche'
face, chung unsteadily, with one hand
to the railing; while, with the other
he pointed toward the lead-lined vat
whose dark Tscous contents wer
bubbling like boiling oil.
A pungont vapor rose in dense cloud
from the surface of the liquid. Throug
II the fascinated gaze of the horrife
men vaguely disccrncd a nameles
thing tossed in weird and grotesqu
contortions In scething vortex.
Murdoch had escaped the justice q
men.
He was going then. Agnes, il
were She would remain alone for a
least an instant; and in that nstan
lay possible salvation.
The reporter strained every merry
TO catch some other word. Non
came But presently he heard doc
close. Murdoch had left the room
Now or never was the chance 10 ac
with all his might he blew repeated
" into the tube.