Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-18

for him which announced the breaking
Of engagements. There was nothing
serious about his complaint except that
H. appeared weak and langud and un.
able or unwilling to attend to his So
cial duties. He would spend the day
at such times resting on the bed or
couch either smoking sloomily or clos.
ing his eyes in Il moody detected man.
ner. He would lie in this way for
hours without moving muscle, but
he was not asleep. The slightest noise
would arouse him. He would merely
open his eyes and ask, whats the
matter. Willam:" Then without even
waiting for my reply he would close
them YEARLY and relapse into his for
mcr languid condition.
By this time was considerably at
tached to him, and it gave me as much
anxiety as a relative to sec him slowly
going into a decline. The dread of the
inherited disease intensified my feel
ings for the man. | had no faith in
DR. Squircs. but could offer no good
substitute.
Left to myself great deal, / took
to reading the books which | found in
Mr.. Goddard's study. Many of these
were medical trcatises. Evidently the
man had tried to make n study of his
complaint and had collected all the lit
erature possible upon the subject
These hooks were handsomely bound
and copiously illustrated, but they
were too technical for my limited I'M
d"rsta nding. Nevertheless | frequent
~ found myself turning over their
leaves and aimlesSy reading para
graphs here and there.
One day | was enCa ged in this idle
amusement when | happened to open
the book at n chapter headed. "Poisons
ana Their Administration" ! had not
read many lines before ] suddenly
closed the book with bang. An idea
had occurred TO me that fairly startled
me. | was instantly positive that
had at last a clew to the sickness of
my master and possibly the reason for
DR.. Squires' mystery.
The doctor was slowly poisoning Mr.
Goddard while pretending TO help him
to ward off an inherited disease.
This accounted for the peculiar Ian
guild condition of my master at certain
intervals. After every dose of the in
sdious poison he was made weak and
lstless. Each attack helped to break
down his naturally rugged constitu-
ton. 1t was merely question Of time
before he would succumb to the poison
instead Of to any mythical disease.
Confronted by this thought, | was
s,ti
Ny first impulse was to go to my mas
ter and tell him my suspicious so he
could be placed on his guard, but as
my life has never been guided by i'm
pulse l soon dismissed this from mind.
Besides, had nothing but my suspi-
cions 10 reveal-not single fact to
prove anything. 1t was my duty to
collect facts and then to confront the
doctor with them and have him ar
rested. If he was determined to put
my master out of the way and gain
the hand and fortune of Miss Stetson,
i was equally determined to thwart
him in his little game The stakes
were high for him, and ! knew that lie
would play cunning, skilful hand,
but as he would suspect no danger
from me | had the advantage of work
Ing secretly and without much fear of
discovery.
A professional burglar has little of
the detective spirit in him, and soon
found myself enjoying the scent with
all the keenneGs Of an experienced Of
iicer of the law. | had hunted detec-
tives before, logged their tracks, pen
etrated their disguises and followed
up little clews that they left behind in
their work, but all In the interest of
crime. Now, however, | had turned
rcformer and was lcgitimatcly pursu-
ing criminal whose evil genius had
been directed toward the destruction
of one whom had learned to like. 1t
was no ordinary man that ! had to
fight against. and this gave more zest
10 my undertaking.
| discovered that my master had a
night appointment with Dir. Squires
about once n week. These appoint
mcnts were irregular. Sometimes they
Were early in the week and, again, in
the middle or the end. Evidently the
doctor told him each time when to
Upon reelection I was satisfied that
there was strange coincidence be-
tween these weekly night calls and nv
masters periodical attacks of languor
and sickness. Almost every time aIler
he had met the doctor at night he had
been in bed good part of the follow.
ing day. This convinced me that the
poison was administered at the doc.
tors office and was not intrusted to
his patient.
This conclusion was reached one day
when l was considerably detected. |
had been working up the case for near
~ week, and everything seemed to
point to the fact that | had made a
mistake in my reasoning. ! could dis.
cover nothing to cOrrODOrate my suSpi
cions. On that very day ! had man
aged to secursthe medicines my mas.
ter was In the habit of taking, and,
carrying them with me to the city, |
mad them analysed by AN expert chem
list.
was so confident that poison was
contained in some OF them that / WIS
greatly surprised and perturbed when
ne told me that they were composed
OF harmless herbs and oils.
You mean to say there is no poison
IN any of themY 1 asked i'm astnnisb