Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-11-04

had never seen DeIOre.
saThis fellow had Drebber by the
collar, and when they came to the
head of the steps he gave him shove
and kick which sent him half across
the road.
"sYou houndi' he cried, shaking his
stick at him. I'll teach you to Insult
an honest girl.
HE was so hot that I think he
would have thrashed Drebber with. his
cudgel, only that the cur staggered
legs would carry him. He ran as far
as the corner, and then, seeing my
cab, he hailed me and jumped in.
"tDrive me to Halliday's private
hotel said he.
when | had him fairly inside my
cab my heart jumped so with joy that
l feared lest at this last moment my
aneurism might go wrong.
"I drove along slowly, weighing in
my own mind what it was best to do.
l might take him right out into the
country and there in some deserted
lane have my last interview with him.
had almost decided on this when he
solved the problem for me.
"The craze for drink had seized him
again and he ordered me to pull up
outside gin place. He went in, leaV-
ing word that 1 should wait for him.
There he remained until closing time,
and when he came out he was SO far
gone that knew the game was in my
own hands.
Don't imagine that I intended to
kill him in cold blood. 1t would only
have been rigid justice If I had done
SO. but I could not bring myself to do
it. 1 had long determined that he
should have show for his life ii he
chose to take advantage of it.
"Among the many billets which 1
have filled in America during my wan
dering life, I was once janitor and
sweeper out of the laboratory at
York College.
zone day the professor was lectur-
ing on poisons, and he showed his stu
dents some alkaloid, as he called 1t,
which he had extracted from some
South American arrow poison and
which was so powerful that the least
grain meant instant death. I spotted
the bottle in which this preparation
was kept. and when they were all
gone l helped myself to little OF it.
81 was a fairly good dispenser, so
I worked this alkaloid into small,
soluble pills, and each pill / put in a
box with a similar pill made without
poison. determined at the time that,
when I had my chance, my gentlemen
should each have draw out of one OF
these boxes, while I eat the pill that
remained.
"It would be quite as deadly, and a
good deal less noisy, than firing across
| a handkerchief. From that day 1 had
always my pill boxes with me, and
the time had now come when I was
| to use them.
"It was nearer one than twelve, and
a wild. bleak night, blowing hard and
raining in torrents. Dismal as it was
outside, 1 was glad witnin-so glad
that I could have shouted out from
pure exultation.
eff any of you gentlemen have ever
pined for thing and longed for 1t
during twenty long years, and then
suddenly found it within reach, you
| would understand my feelings.
81 lighted cigar and puffed at 1t to
steady my nerves, but my hands were
trembling and my temples throbbing
with excitement.
CAS- I drove I could. see old John
Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me
out of the darkness and smiling at me,
lust as plain as I see you all IN TINS
room. All the way they were ahead OF
me, and one on each side of the horse
until 1 pulled up at the house IN the
Brixton road.
"There was not a soul to be seen.
nor a sound to be heard, except the
dripping of the rain. When l looked
in at the window, I found Drebber all
| huddled together in drunken sleep
1 shook him by the arm. It's time to
go OUT said.
Cali right, cabby,' said he.
'T suppose he thought we had come
to the hotel that he had mentioned
for he got out without another Woro
and followed me down the garden.
| ST had to walk beside him to keeI
him steady, for he was still a little
top-heavy. When we came to the
door I opened it and led him into the
front room.> 1 give you my word that
all the way, the father and daughter
were walking il front of us.
"It's internally dark said he
stamping about.
"We'll soon have light" l said
striking a match and putting 1t to
wax-candle which I had brought witt
me. Now, Enoch Drebber,' I continu
ed. turning to him and holding the
light to my own face, who am II
(To be conunued.)