The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-22


this mysterious man took out Of his
pocket before handing over his blouse?"
Perhaps; but that wasn't anything. I
wonder you remember it.
Long silence on the part of Sam
Il never forget anything" he observed
at last. WAS it big parcel or little?"
1t was small one
How small?"
"Oh, a thing man could hold in his
fist. Why do you ask about it ?"
Within. I am trying to wake myself
up. What was the shape of this parcel?"
Bless me it I've given two thoughts to
it,
you'll get that blessing, Yox; for
you've given more than two thoughts to
it,
ssI?'
Yes. or why should you have described
It as infinitely as you did the other
night?''
did 2"
Undoubtedly; l can even recall your
words. You said the fellow was pretty
we'll shaken up for a man of his size and
appearance, and after handing you the
blouse he caught it back and took some
thing out of one of the pockets. 1t looked
like one Of those phials the homeopaths
use. You see, you were inclined to be
more dramatic on that occasion than on
this. Indeed, have been little disap-
pointed in you tonight"
oh, well! fellow cannot always cut
figure I'll try to remember the bottle
next time tell the story
Sam did not answer; heard him yawn
instead But did not yawn; that word
phlaf had effectually reused me.
AS you say, it is a small matter" I'm
derhill finally drawled. $50 is the straw
that turns the current. He was a
philosopher who said, The little rift
within the lute,' ETC., ETC." Then sud
denly, and with a wide-awake air which
evidently startled his companion: 'Do
you suppose. Yox, that, Mother Merry
runs an opium joint in those upper
rooms?"
The answer he received evidently
startled him.
She may. 1 haven't thought of it be-
1ore, but remember, now, that when
those women were brought down there
was amongst them one who certainly was
under the influence of something worse
than liquor. Faugh! I see her vet. But
1t wasn't opium he had in that bottle;
That IS, not the opium which is used for
smoking The freight shone full upon
1t as he passed it from one pocket to
another, and saw distinctly the sparkle
OF some dark liquid"
Sam Underhill, who seemed to have
1allen back into his old condition Of
o.ooPJ AASSAS uuuUlGu SOm6CQ1n2 ABOUT
MS having been able to see good deal.
considering the darkness Of the place. To
when his now possibly suspicious visitor
replied
would have seen more if 1 had known
SO much was to be got out of it. Can YOU
give me point or two as to how I'm to
get that extra hundred?"
Whereupon Sam retorted, mot to-.
night, in way to close the converse
ton.
AS soon as the man had left rushed
IN upon Sam without ceremony. He was
sttil sitting at the table smoking, and re-
celved me with look of mingled amuse-
ment and anxiety ~.
How did the comedy strike your" he
asked. =
| attempted a shrug which failed before
his impcrturbable nonchalance.
How did it. strike your he persisted.
AS cleverly carried out, but not so
cleveriy that the fellow will not suspect it
to be comedy >s
ooh, we'll! So long as he does not
associate the right name, with those four
initials we are safe. And he won't: I
know Yox well enough for that"
Then you know him for fool. Louis
Gracieux! Who is Louis Gracieux9 Be
sides, the phial-why, the whole town is
talking about a phial--" III
81 know. but not about a match box
that is worth another hundred dollars TIC
the man holding it. Yox isn't a member
Of the regular police: he IS in business
for himself, which means he s in it for
what he can make. Now, he knoWs-or,
rather, I fatter myself that / have made
him see-that there is more to be got out
of this matter by circumspection and a
close tongue than by Dragging of his good
luck and giving every ass about him a
chance to chew upon those letters. Oh
he'll keep quiet now, for week or two
at least. After that cannot promise. .
"Do you think his version CT this affair
reliable?" @.r..
absolutely He would have exagger-
ated more if he had been forcing an in
vention upon u.s.
I sat down and, regarding Underhill
across the table. remarked somewhat
pointedly: ~
'Now that the name has been men
toned between US, We can talk more
openly. What date have YOU been able
to give to Ycx's adventure? You surely
have not failed to get from him the day
he went down to Mother Merrys?'
Sam rose--he who dtested rising-and
going to little side table where a pile
of newspapers lay. he pulled off the tor
ore and laid it open before me, taking
care, however, to stretch his arm across
the upper margin in a way to cover up eff
fectually the date. . a..
Read" said me, pointing to para
graph.
i Followed his finger and read out a
brief account of the descent which nae
been made on Mother Merry's, and de-
scription of the proceedings which had
| ended in the release of the women in
volved.
"Now take a look at the date he Went
on, lifting his arm.
/ did so: it was memorable one-the
evening of Mr.. Gillespie's death.
| ."rhe affair at Mother Merry's tool
place on the preceding night, commented
Sam. There was no languishlng note II
his voice now.
| sat SILENT when I did speak it was
plainly and decidedly.
ct see what you mean. You thlnK III
! went to that place to get the acid
| Sam puffed away at his cigar
| "It has been a mystery to everyone
| where that acid came from l continued
| "a mystery which has evidently BAT
fled the police If druggist IN Tn
whole range Of this great city had latel!
| sold phial of this poison to anyone an
swering the description given OF ines
hrothers we would have deard from hin
before now. Equally so II doctor MAJ
/ prescribed It."
"A second Daniel come to judgment,
ouoth Sam, sententiously.
"And now we, through chance or specla
providence perhaps, have stumbled upol
a clue as to how this deadly drug ma.
have entered the Gillespie family
81 regret to agree with you, but that
the way it looks But, OuthWalte, yo'
must emember-and as a lawyer yo'
will-that long and tangled road lie
between mere superstition and the estab