Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-05-06
CHAPTER V-Continued.

That was all I wanted, and l soor
left the little draper. I went to cal
on Freeman. I found him sitting with
his pretty, pleasant wife at an earl.
dinner. They invited met to sit dowr
and partake. Ideclined, on the grounc
of having just had breakfast.
"I." said he, "have managed with
more economy. This is my breakfast
and dinner combined.'
81 wished" said I, "to have little
talk with you"
"If," said he, sit is about that affair
of the night, say on; I and my wife are
one"
1 then told of my gossip with the
draper and its purpose.
"You need not have gone to him,
said he; 81 could have told you that
there has been no death of that sort
since we have been here, and that's
nearly five years. OF course, it's alb
surd to suppose that the death of Ii
years ago is the one poor Dick was
thinking Of No: I've come to the con-
clusion that he had some hair breadth
escape from death in his mind, and
that the rest was delirium."
stBut, dear" said Mrs. Freeman
'tdon't you forget, both of you, that
Dicks confession, according to himself
was of murder which has not beer
found out?"
"You are right, my DEAR" said he
"But, at the same time, there has nc
one been missed who could have been
disposed of in that way. Two men,
remember, have disappeared, but they
had nothing to do with chemicals, and
they were last seen near that deep pond
in the clough; it would be detective
speculation thrown away to imagine
how they could be done to death in a
chemical vat. Come" said he. seeing
my serious, anxious look, 'let the mat
ter alone, we can do nothing with it.
The chemical works are an abomina-
tion, but the only recent death [ can
suspect them of is that of an unfortu-
nate dog; some one had dyed him a
blazing scarlet; for while he skunk
about the streets, an object of loathing
to himself, and of terror, curiosity and
scorn to the whole dog world; then he
disappeared-withdrew, probably, in
shame and despair to that pond i'll the
clough and put an end to the glaring
anomaly of his existence. But, after
all, 1 think the chief harm they do is
to every green thirg and to ste;nhardt's s
reputation for honesty. / see this
morning." he continued. turning and
picking up the newspaper, "that he is
again in court for infringement of some
patent"
Our talk then turned on the former
case of the same kind, the heavy DAM
ages paid, and the strange disappearance
of Mr.. Lacroix. | asked him if he had
ever heard the romantic history of the
Lacroix family. He knew all about it !;
he had heard it from Birley.
l broached to him my hope of either
finding the lost Mr.. Lacroix, or at least
of finding out what had become of him ;
and l told him l had written some
weeks before to some friends who, l
had thought, might make inquiries for
me in London, but that I had heard
nothing from them, and that therefore
thought of going to London myself on
that errand as soon as my six months
had expired. He shook his head.
"I fancy" said he, call inquiries
have been made. However, since it is
desirable to find out if possible some
thing for certain"-he paused and
looked at me-'I tell you what. We
are going foi our fortnight's holiday at
the end of the month: I Will gladly
do what I can if you like"
agreed with him that it might, or
might not, result in something: a very
safe concord-and so it was settled that
il less than three weeks he would be in
London doing his best to emulate Le-
cocq.