The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-09-21
THE lola REGIsER FR1pAY SEPTEMBER ii. 1eOO

ly watching the glowing eyes behind
the screen.
"Mr. Sturgis, you are a clever man"
continued Murdoch, "an uncominonly
clever man. l frankly admit that !
had moderated your ability. But then
we are all fallible, after all. made my
share of blundcrs. as you seem 10 have
discovered; but you will doubtless now
concede that your own course has not
been entirely free from errors. And
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 intelli-
gence. | see in you peer. If matters
could have been SO arranged, | should
have been proud to work in harmony
with such n man as you; and indeed
when n short time ago invited you to
my laboratory, it was my intention to
offer you a compromise which | hoped
| might be able to persuade you to ac-
cept. | felt that you would prove I'm
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 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 a homely but ex-
pressve 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; for / dislike TO be
judged by the bungling operations
which have so nearly caused me q lose
this latest little game. But this can
not be. | shall have to continue to con-
ide to the pages of my journal, as
have done for years, the interesting
events of, | may say, somewhat re-
markable career, which | 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 MIR. Sturgis might ultimately edit
these memoirs; but, alas, the fondest
of human dreams are seldom destined
to be realized.
NOW, then, gentlemen, before final
ly 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 | authorize you,
Mr.. Sprague, as stakeholder, to pay
him the amount | deposited with you.
AS | have already suggested, he has
made some perhaps eXcusable mis-
takes; but, then, as he himself stated
the other night, "a detective has a life
time in which TO correct a 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 mad remained standing with
their eyes ilNed upon the cleaning car
buncles which peered at them from be-
nina the grated peephoIe at the top OF
the stars he artst seemed to real
ne that the hght was lost. Ills attitude
was mat OF brave man accepting
WIN calm despair an unpleasant but
inevitable DOOM Inc reporter had
drawn ms revolver al the urst sound
OF Muruock voice pnt mad lnmedl-
ateiy returned 1t TO ms pocket upon
| realizing that the chemist was project
'o ny ouI'', PROOF grazing Now Pale
ana corrected ne remained ihScrulhule'
1t was i1'PoSSln'e' even Io' the SnarP
eyes OF Muroock' 10 determine whether
ne was II, ,aSu reSIEn'u TO ms Ia,e' OF
Wnc'n'r ms oC'l'e ni'nu was sun on
the hlert LOT loophoIe OF escape