Oakes Republican., 1902-04-25
II am afraid that am in the dark in
more senses than one" David mur-

"I am afraid that am in the dark in
more senses than one" David mur-
INJURED.
Then, let me eniighten you. Daily
Your books are more widely read. My
enemy is a great novel-reader. You
publish that story, and what results?
You not only tell that enemy my story.
but you show him my way out of the
difficulty, and show him how he can
checkmate my every move. Perhaps,
after I have escaped from the net
You are right" Steel said, promptly.
From professional point of view, the
story is abandoned. And now you want
me to show you rational and logical, a
human way out?''
IF you can do So you have my ever
lasting gratitude"
"Then you must tell me, in detail,
what it is you want to recover. My
heroine parts With a document which
the villain knows 10 be forgery Mon
ey can not buy it back because the VIII
lain can make as much money as he
likes by retaining it. He does as he
likes with the family property; he keeps
my heroine's husband out of England
by dangling the forgery and its conse-
Quences over his head. What is TO be
done? How is the ruffian to be lulled
into false se1se Of security by the one
man who desires to throw dust in his
eyes,"
"Ah!" the voice cried: 'ah, if you
could only tell me that! Yet my ruftian
only imagine that T am dead: let him
have proofs of it. and the thing is done.
I could reach him then: 1 could tear
from him the letter that-but I need not
go into details. But he is cunning as
the serpent. Nothing but the most con-
yincing proofs would satisfy him.
"a certificate of death. signed by a
physician beyond reproach."
Yes: that would do. But you could
not get medical man like that to COM
init a felony"
mo: but we could trick him into it."
Steel exclaimed. ''In my story. a fraud
is perpetrated to bird the villain and to
deprive him of his weapons. 1t is a
case of the end justifying the means.
But it is one thing, my dear lady. to
commit fraud actually. and to perpe-
trate it in a novel. In the latter case
you can defy the police; but. unfortun-
ately, YOU and are dealing with real
life. If I am to help you I must be
party to the felony
But you will? You are not going to
draw back now? Mr.. Steel, have saved
your home You are a happy man COM
pared to what you We're two hours ago.
If the risk is great you have brains
and ina g:nation to get out of danger.
Show me how to do it. and the rest shall
be mine. You have never seen me; you
know nothing, not even the name of the
person who called you over the tele-
phone. You have only to keep your
own counsel, and if I wade in blood to
my end. you are safe. Tell me how 1
can die, disappear, leaving that one
man to believe am no more. And do
not make it too ingenious. Don't for
get that you promised to show me ra-
tional way out of the difficulty. How
can it be done?"
''In my pocket T have cutting from
the Times which contains a chapter
from the history of q, medical student
who is alone in London. 1t closely re-
senhles my plct. He SAYS he has no
friends, and he deems it prudent, for
reasons we need not discuss. to let the
world assume that he is dead The rest
is tolerably easy. He disguises himself
and goes to a doctor of repute, whom
e.. himself-wto is dangerously ill. The
doctor goes. later in the day, and finds
his patient in bed, with severe internal
Inflammation. This is brought about by
free use of albumen. I don't know
what amount Of albumen one would
take without extreme risk, but you
could pump that information out of q
doctor. WE'LL our medical man calls
again, and yet again, and finds his pa
tient sinking. The next day the pa
tient, disguised, calls upo1 his doctor
with the information that his brother
is dead. The doctor is not in the least
surprised, and, without going to view
the body, gives a certificate of death.
Now, I admit, that all this sounds
cheap and theatrical: but you can't
get over facts. The thing actually hap
pened little time ago in London, and
there is no reason why it shouldn't hap
pen again."
"You suggest that should do this
thing?" the voice asked.
pardon me, I did nothing of the
kind" Steel replied. "You asked me to
show you how my heroine gets herself
out of terrible position, ard am do
ing it. You are not without friends.
The way I was called Up tonight and
the way was brought here. prove that.
With the aid of your friends, the thing
is possible. You are only to find lodg
ing where people are not too observant
and doctor who is too busy or too
careless, to look after dead patients,
and the thing is done. If you desire to
be looked upon as dead-especiaily as a
powerful enemy-I cannot recommend ~
more natural. rational way than this.
AS to the details, they may be safely
left to you. The clever manner in which
you have kept up the mystery tonight
convinces me that I have nothing to
teach you in this direction. And if
there is anything more I can do
"a thousand, thousand tl1anks:" the
voice cried, passionately. "To be looked
upon as dead to be near to the rascal
who smiles to think that 7 am in my