Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-06-24

with a fine yellowish-green fungus on
the bricks, and grass in the mortar of
the interstices. This. was satisfied,
was the spot. Under these bricks
had lain. for eighteen months, the
mutilated remains of the unfortunate
Lacroix, probably at no great depth;
hence the eagerness of Steinhardt to
cover them with SO widespreading
tomb-slab as this fallen wall. and
hence. also. probably, this traitorous
| growth of green. AS I looked, won
dered how much Steinhardt would
give now to be able to move his II
tanic tombstone and remove his dead,
| The wall was too secure a covering,
1t was the grand mistake of a strong,
resolute and originl criminal.-the
enormous blunder of the bold, uncom-
promising villain. entirely confident
in his security against every risk of
discovery!
I hurriedly withdrew to consider
my course of action. I began to find
that | was in an awkward dilemma.
My promise to Fraulein Haas forbade
public examination of that spot, yet
how could my promise to Louise, that
her fathers remains should be prop
erly interred-how could that be full
filled without the discovery becoming
public? There was another point
which gave me pause:-suppose this
rude grave broken into, and it's con-
tents identified as the remains of Mr..
Lacroix, how could l show that Stein
hardt had buried them? How, then,
could l bring the crime home so as to
move him as 1 desired?
I resolved to go to Freeman, and
talk the difficulty over with him. /
had seen little of my friend since his
return from London; he had been
much from home on some business
of his denomination. He did not even
know yet of the successful result of
our inquiry upon old Jaques.
| found him in his study. in which
he was always most ct ease. In ac-
cordance with his request I posted"
him cup to date" in nv doings and
discoveries-from the finding of the
French papers in jacques cottage,
through the revelations at Basel, to
the discovery 1 had made few min
utes before. He was most impressed
with my account of the visions of
Fraulein Haas. He was something of
a mystic. of the pseudo-scientif1c kind
we'll known in these latter days. and
he would turn his attention to no 9TH
er point till he had found an eXplana-
ton of the Fraulein's experiences
His explanation at least satisfied HIM
self, and it certainly was very plaus-
ible. He described the phenomena
as magnetic clairvovance.' Here,
said he, were two people who had at
one time been deeply interested in
each other. one of whom (the more
sympathetic subject) still thought
much of the other: the one was high
ly nervous, the other was strong
willed. The strong-willed person was
in an extraordinary difficulty. in
which he had to put a resolute strain
upon all his resources of mind and
body and memory. In his casting
about in his excited mood for aid to
remove his difficulty. he might we'll
have thought. ''If she were here.-
she who has been of all beings the
only with her. rid of this horrible |
business" This strong wishing. this
reaching out of spirit for her, |
would sink to mere nothing when
the difficulty of the time was once
settled. and the bond of attraction |
would sink loose and lifeless. till it |
was drawn tense again and thrilled |
again with vigor when his need of her
returned upon him with a new diff
Guilty. This would account for Frau
lein Haas's feeling of being drawn as
if away from herself at those times
when she had her visions.
This explanation made. he was
ready to turn with me to more press
ing points. He could not see. how
ever any more than I could. that I
was at present likely to effect any
thing with Steinhardt by private
threats of the disclosure of my knowl-
edge, by anything. indeed. but a pub
lie investigation-and even that might
do little more than create a public
scandal.
you see." said Freeman, ''you have
absolutely nothing yet of a reliable
kind that can point even circumstan-
TALLY to Steinhardt as the murderer"
could not but agree with him. and
assent to his advice to wait" In
the meantime Steinhardt must be per-
mitted to pursue his vindictive con-
duct toward our dear old friend Bir-
ley. and his chances of causing fur
ther annoyance and anxiety to Miss
Lacroix. Our helplessness in the mat
ter chafed severely both Freeman and
myself
''Is there no way at all."I exclaim-
ed. ''but the way of evidence to bring
the crime home to him? TO really
satisfy ourselves that the crime is
his. and to make him feel that we
know it is?"
Have you any objection" said he,
rising as if anticipating I would have
none, ito take my wife into counsel i
She sometimes has a clear idea in
her head"
l said 1 certainly would like Mrs.
Freeman to consult with us. and in a
few moments she was sitting oppo-
site me. l told her the whole mat
ter. and pointed out the difficulty of
the situation.
so" said she. you want to get at
some way of bringing it home to
him, as you say. If, now. you could
only hit upon something like Ham
et's play to catch the King"
"Ah. yes, Hamlet" we both ex-
claimed
This was our first formative hint.
and l need not describe in detail how
rom that, through aimless-seemine
discussion. and wild suggestion of one I: