Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-06-26
HERR STEINHARDT'S NEMESIS
BY / MAcIAREN coBBAN
lAlNl.NlAlNlNlANlAl.NNE
BY ]. MAcLAREN coBBAN.

oreeuls " tth MIN went Vnroukn tne
slides of my story several times, and
showed him how to manage them with
effect.
The evening came and l was almost
sinking under excitement. The place
Of entertainment was that public hall
in which Freeman had de ivered his
famous lecture, The kind OF thing was
rather new in the village, and there
was crowded attendance Of work peo-
Pile, especially OF Steinhardt's own.
Steinhardt, with his wife and son, sat
right in front, where the reflection
from the sheet fell full upon him,
When the lights were turned, some out
and others low, Freeman and crept up
behind the sheet, where | waited with
trembling pulse and sudden creeping
chills till the, to me, uninteresting
part Of the entertainment came TO an
end. The curate acted as lecturer, and
explained with fluency what the views
meant, or told something about the
places represented. / cannot tell what
it was about. At length his series Of
views and his lecture were finished,
There was moments pause---to me a
wild throb of anxiety-and then the bass
voice oil the manager of the lantern
doomed forth the announcement; "a
Lacashire Mystery" Without another
word the first picture tame upon the
sheet Il crept to its corner to watch
Steinhsrdt). 1t was two men in an
attitude Of quarrel, surrounded by COL
ored yapors. The second followed
quickly without word Of explanation;
the same two men the one halt suffo-
Gated, struggling to get out of a vat or
bath OF vapors, while the other, with
mouth muffled, held him down. Still
no word of explanation. Rapidly
came the third picture-the man one
lying dead and dyed before the other,
and beside an open box. Awful whis-
pers began to stir among the spectators,
who were the more impressed no doubt
by the silence amid which the pictures
appeared. I ventured to peep at Stein
hard; he was gazing fixedly, with part
ed lips. The fourth picture called
forth an instantaneous cry of horror; it
was, perhaps, too realistic. The dead
body lay stripped and quartered before
the living man, who stopped over it. |
fancied that at this sight heard low
moan from the front bench, but on
glancing at Steinhardt saw him sit
ting as before, as il liked as much by
utter establishment as by horror. The
next picture rapidly blotted out the
gruesomeness of the other; the portions
of the body lay wrapped in three can
vas packages, and the man stood by as
if pondering. Quickly came the next
the man digging near ruined build
ing, with the three packages by him.
9Th ovid spinning MILL" some one
exclaimed aloud; had not thought the
resemblance was so recognizable. That
was almost Immediately succeeded by
the same view of the mill, with the
packages gone, the hole covered in, and
the man standing as If pulling rope
which passed over the top of the wall.
"The devill" exclaimed Steinhardt,
starting suddenly to his feet. But he
recollected himself, and sat down again.
At once the last picture of all flashed
upon the sheet; the wall lay fat on the
ground, and the man stood by with the
loose rope in his hand!
Up started Steinhardt, and strobe
down the room, amid an ominou'
silence, to where the big Dick stood by
his apparatus.
"Where the DEVIL" heard him ex
claim, ed those horrible pictures
come from? They we're not among the
lot l bought! Come, no id nonsense
You must tell me where you got them
Who gave them to your
There was now a wild hubbub o
talk. Dick. l was sure, had refused t.
tell him anything about them. In the
midst of this the lights flashed forth
again, and the people began slowly t.
disperse, with hushed but earnes
speech. Freeman and slipped out BY
a side door.
l went straight to Jaques's cottage
There found Birley. In low, anxious
voices we began to discuss what woulC
he (meaning Steinhardt do now
Louise wished she had been there, ant
Birley had just said it was as we'll sh'
had not, when heavy foot rapidly ap
preached, the latch was noisily raised
the door was dashed open, and Stein
hard stood before us.
"Soh!" he exclaimed, glaring at Bir
ley and me, 81 have found you, sneak
and cowardsl You think with you
FOOLS tricks and your pictures you will
annoy me, and spoil me! Piff! Yol
ale nothing!-you are beggars!-you
are dirt! l will have you, Sir Parson
arrested for making caIumnious charge
against mel'' How in his fury had h
committed himselfl
"Herr Steinhardt," said I, at once
"the pictures, so far as l heard, wer
unaccompanied by single word {
comment, except what they drew froI
the people, and no one could say ths
the figures represented were IikenesseI
; But your guilty, black heart has charge
: you. AS it says, say: "You are tn
murderer Of your partner, Mr.. Lacroi1
and his remains will now be found 81
curely locked, whence you can't remoN
D them, under that fallen WALL"
His jaw dropped, and his great bod
= III ~ I,
/, sudden impulse of fury he made as
he would crunch me with a bearis
hug, when Birley came between us.
Come, Manuel, none of that. 1
Z l told you, you'e not yet done with la
9 and Lancashire. You'd better {
o home, or 90 to our experiments.
"Fool!' he cried, still glaring at m
"Idiotl What scrap of proof have "
of the ridiculous charge you maker"