Willmar tribune., 1900-10-17

offer you aacompromise which hoped
I might be able to persuade you to ac-
cept. I felt that you would prove an
ally who could be trusted. But, alas,
that is impossible now, on account of
your friends presence. With all due
respect to Mr.. Sprague, as an amiable
man of the world and a prince of good
fellows, it 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,
if >anybody's, is your own, after all, Mir.
Sprague. There is 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 am 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; Tor dislike to be
judged by the bungling operations
which have so nearly caused me to lose
this latest little game. But this can
not be. shall have to continue to con-
fide to the pages of my journal, as l
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. f
"Now, then, gentlemen, before final
g parting with you, 1 wish to honor
ably carry out the terms Of my wager
with Mr.. Sturgis. I concede the fact
that, to all intents and purposes, he
has won the bet, and 1 authorize you,
Mr.. sprague, as stakeholder, to pay
him the amount I 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 a blunder.'
A lifetime! It 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 a brave man accepting,
with calm despair, an unpleasant but
inevitable doom. The reporter had
drawn his revolver at the first sound
of Murdock's' voice, but had immedi-
ately returned it to his pocket upon
realizing that the chemist was protect
ed by bullet-proof grating. Now, pale
and collected, he remained inscrutable.
It was impossible, even for the sharp
eyes of Murdoch, o determine whether
he was at last resigned to his fate, OF
whether his active mind was still on
the alert for a loophole of escape.
The bit of candle which he held in
his hand had burned SO low that at last
he was unable to hold it without risk
of burning his fingers. Whereupon he
coolly set it down upon the stone floor,
where presently the wick fell over into
q pool of molden paraffine, and the
flame sputtered noisily, sending ftful
| CLEANS through the darkness. z.
WELL" continued Murdocl's voice,
''it is ct any rate great satisfaction
to play game with an adversary
worthy of ones steel. You have played
well, Mr.. Sturgis. I think you would
have won modestly; and you are losing
as I would myself have lost, had our
positions been reversed Good Bye
The cleaning eyes disappeared from
the grating and the sliding panel closed
with metallic click. .
Now, then,'' said Sturgis to his COM
panion, '.the last chance lies in the
speaking tube. But first help me move
this box = 81 Es
What do you want to do with the
t.box? asked Sprague, who however.
did as he wns bid.
IL may he lp 10 gnln q little. time.
I'ut it doWnshe = s85l5=
stufgis struck match and pointed
ont the spot.
he hot-air register 3:
on what loolk1s like q hot-air regis.
ter. Did yon ever see ! hot-airr regis
ter with no apparent means 81 shut tting
of the heat
Sprague. who stood Q. most overthe
lrsgister, sudd denly threw back his head
and gnsped for breat th.
You have discovered the secret foi
/ this death trap, said Sturgis, observ-
ling him
Gas! splutt tered the artist.
Yes, he IS going 6 sasph yxiate sns.
Il Now, quick, to thesp king tube! !! The
box will lsomeshatt atti RET artl the rush 81
sgas; but. at the best, II is only asqnes.
tionHof snain1te the air becomes
30 charged as 50 render respiration
impossible le.''
ITO BE Genlinued: sSss1
81 saw 4 chap aat nigh who would
like to- put you Ina hole. ''s So
Don't ray: 1V11ap was tt 81
is unI1ertal -