Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19
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Almost at once thu door was opened. We

Almost at once tho door was opened. We
chemist. "This IL am agreeable surprise.
Miss Romaine. I'm delighted to see you.
Have chair. And Syou. too. Cheever.
You're not looking very well. Sit down.
gentlemen. all. What can do for your
My eyes. which. with the nervous strain.
were sore in their sockets. roamed round
the ROOM There was not a place In 1t
where man could Hide tall nat. YET
Harbert's body had disappeared. Could os-
valid have taken II into the main labora-
tory? Impossible: he would not trust such
a secret to three men.
I'VE were looking for Mr. Harbert.' said
Walworth. Have You seen him?'
"He was here about fifteen minutes ago.
replied Oswald. II guess he'd come from
your office, Cheever. don't know where
he is now. Mss Romaine. I'm afraid the
vapors in this room are too much for you.
1t smells little like a draft from the In
fernal regions That's all in the chemists
trade, you know. We were supposed to
have dealings with his satanic majesty
few hundred years ago.
what is this white dust that is falling?
asked Amy, family.
1t was like the finest ashes, and 1t settled
almost imperceptibly upon everything me y.
sleeve of my black coat was gray with II.
1 shook it off with shudder
Il had trifiing explosion here, salo Us
wald. What you smell is called phos-
phorc anhydride. The powder is somewhat
L
its composition quite clear to you without
going into an explanation that wouio Dc
tedious"
1--WE never seen your laboratory said
WalwOrth. Would you mind my LOOKING
in? 1t must be interesting"
With all the pleasure in life said the
chemist.
He unlocked the door between the two
rooms. and Walworth and Outland entered.
Oswald stepped back and whispered to me:
ITS all right. Don't worry. I've disposed
of him.
Amy and looked into each others faces.
1 never saw any else so pale as She
was but she had the strength TO take Os-
wald's hand in both of hers, while shudder-
ing at the awful miracle he had performed.
There was nothing in the laboratory that
could afford the slightest clue to Harberts
disappearance. Walworth spent five min
utes there in a thin pretense of examining
the apparatus We returned to oswald 5
room, where l Walworth and Outland
exchange whispers.
"Can you come with us, Mr. Cheever?"
asked the lawyer. II think we really ought
to make search for Harbert.
l did not dare refuse. From oswald s
manner ! judged that he was anxious we
should all be gone Amy went with me 10
my office, and waited there while Outland,
WalWorth and l made futile search. First
we went to the main entrance Of the build
ing. where the uniformed employee on duty
reported that Harbert had not gone out.
This did not surprise any of US, but the
subsequent failure to find any trace OF him
in the building completely mystified both
Walworth and Outland.
In truth it was little less mysterious to
me- for by no means of which l ever heard
a human body be reduced to vapor and
fine powder that will float upon the air. and
In the space of ID minutes at the most. 1t
was the more Supplying to me because in
Oswaid'S room there was but little appara-
tus and no great quantity of any reagent.
There was no furnace at all, no means of
producing heat except the little Bunsen
burners that one sees in every laboratory.
Surely my friend possessed an awful secret
which he shared with few of his fellow
men,
The search was over in an hour, for the
construction of the building was exceeding
ly simple. l had begun to suffer intense
pain from my wound, which. however. !
had found to be of even less gravity than
| had supposed The bullet had been de-
f1ected. and had passed half round the
body, just under the skin. It's extraction
would be easy, but should not be too long
delayed. / could see that Walworth was
debating in his mind the ACCESSIBILITY of
making charge against me. Obviously he
was perfel tly certain of his facts. My de-
meanor had betrayed me, to his keen and
practiced observation. Only his utter in
ability to suggest an explanation of the
body's disappearance prevented him from
causing my arrest
Eventually he decided not to do so at
once. left the building with Amy and
where my injury was dressed. We then
went to her aunt's house. where we passed
the evening / was able to go to my own
apartments about midnight. A few min
utes after my arrival Walworth appeared.
accompanied by an officer from police head
quarters. | was arrested for the murder of
my enemy / did not notify Amy of this
misfortune until the following morning,
for nothing could have been done. | was
questioned by the detective who made the
arrest. and told the story of an accidental
injury 1t perfectly obvious that he
did not believe me.
Il think you two men had row. he
said; and you'd have done a mighty sight
better to tell the truth in the beginning"
7 was distinctly Of the same oninion but
the time has passed. That night in cell
the most wret, he'd of my life | had
not one pleasant thought Even love was
misery. for I had brought the dearest and
truest woman in all the world to a grief
that might be endless. About 10 o'clock
the following morning l was summoned to
the office of the chief of detectives, and
there. to my surprise. was Oswald. He
chatting pleasantly with the formId-