Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19

drawer. And then the whole aspect of the
tragedy leaped up before me in its minutest
detail l did not need to think. l saw!
Probably the suggestion came from the
weapon. 1t was mine. The deed had been
done in my office. Harbert had entered un-
armed upon an errand that could be con-
for killing him; he had none for killing
me. He was the winner. l the loser. No
one would believe that he had tried to kill
me with my own revolver; no one would
credit the truth about the struggle for the
! weapon. At the very best. l should suffer
arrest and long detention The ruin of my
business would be douby sure: whereas
with Harbert dead, We're / but free
The thought was OVerpOWerng. 1t made
a guilty man of me. Without 1t | might
have pardoned myself, for he had sub
jected me to more than human nature can
be asked to bear, but when | sought to
cover the deed | took the stain of his blood
upon me II l could hide his body all
would be well. That was my mad fancy.
In the space of n few seconds l seemed to
consider a hundred plans. The rush of
my thoughts was wild that | recognized
their futiiity. | perceived that l was pass
Ing from one design to another with no
possibility of decision.
First of all. l must get the corpse out Of
that room. The sound of the shots must
have been heard. Some one would come.
There might well be interval sufficient
! for my use. however, for in all probability
there was no one on that floor at the time.
Below? l could not say. Above? Probably
no one but my friend Oswald.
| picked up the body as if it had been
rag and ran to the outer door. which 1
opened cautiously. No one was in the hall
Five seconds later l stood at the head OF
| the stairs, upon the eighth floor. No one
had seen me. l stood al my friends door,
w. Bruce Oswald, analytical chemist
the letters on the panel seemed to speak to
me. Among the mysteries of his trade was
| there one whereby the mortal part of man
could be resolved into a vapor?
Without DanSiny a consider hat IA
might not be alone. burst into his private
room. bearing the body. There was a long
| bench on the other side of the room 1t
| was about four feet high and had a tiled
top. oswald was setting up some appara-
| tus upon it, and his back was toward me-
! He faced about suddenly and we confronted
! could hear the climbing of glass tubes
| which he held in his right hand. Oswald
trembleS always. as the result of an acct
| dent In his laboratory years ago, and the
nervous shock which he sustained at that
| time has imprinted upon his countenance
| an unvarying expression of fear though 1
! believe few men are less susceptible than
| he to that emotion. Even his voice trem-
bles. and though | knew him SO well these
| peculiarities, which signified nothing as to
| his mental state, suggested terror, and set
my own flesh quakng.
II think you'd better shut the door. nv
| friend" said he.
l closed it with my foot, and simultan-
| eous!y let my burden slip down to the floor
4 cSNdIt IdlStu Il cigar TO MS lids with his
| left hand. 1t came up with little tremulous
jerks. but still with a singular effect o. pre-
cision He pulled upon the cigar half a
dozen times very rapidly, as he set down
obvious care
Whats the matter with him?" he asked
Shot; should judge. l thought 1 heard
something.
Oswald, said I, II must put nv life
| into one word. Can you destrov this body 81
You shot him. eh?"
he tried TO kill me. and 1 killed him.
l uon understand II myself. We were
hghting for my revolver You know what
ne mas done TO me. and you can see that
: am NJ, lost II this is discovered"
ME was speaking, Oswald annroa cbaa
| its back. - it0u uoon
ut occurs to me-" SAID he. chat there
| may De some things in your office that had
better be Strengthened up. | suppose Won
were alone when this happened?"
| 'Of course, or should not be here. Miss
Romano was there q moment before and
she IS coming back. 1 must keep this from
| her. '''-' - o+i'
| Go down. them" said he. land air the
| place out The room must be full of smoke.
m not AFRAID of Miss Romaine. but if the
| Waterman of TIE blu, ding heard the Shots
and begins an Investigation"
| He won't come here" | cried you
Will have time-all night. p~~haps-if the
| thing can be done at all
| Leave 1t TO me, said he. Go down
| stairs and stay there TIL l send for You.
| Hold on You're wounded"
| He touched the breast of the gray coat
| That | was accustomed to wear in the Of
| nee. l reasured him. saying that the
| wound was Of no consequence; that the
| bullet must have spent its force upon a
| wallet and some letters in my pocket. /
| would take measures so that no one should
| discover it.
| Then go. said he, land take courage.
| l don't blame you for what you have done,
| and II you make no error on your own par
/ 4 wi pei mi NJ 30
He locked the door that led into thu
| larger laboratory, and Immediately after
| ward turned the key behind me as stepped
cautiously into the hall. At first saw no
one. but as / descended the stairs q scrub
woman passed me. carrying the implements