Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-10-30
CHAPTER vi.


less he smiled in an affaDle manner,
and expressed his hopes that he had
not hurt any Of us in the scuffie.
Il guess you're going to take me
to the police station" he remarked
to Sherlock Holmes. my cabs at
the door. II you'll loose my legs I'll
walk down to It. I'm not so light to
lift as | used to be-"
He rose and stretched his legs, as
though TO assure himself that they
were free once more.
IF there's a vacant place for q
chief of the police, I reckon you are
the man for IT," he said, gazing with
undisguised admiration at my fellow
lodger. The way you kept on my
trail was a caution"
you had better come with me-"
said Holmes to the two detectives.
Il can drive you," said Lestrade.
Good! and Gregson can come in
side with me. You, too, doctor; you
have taken an interest in the case,
and may as well stick to u.s.
/ assented gladly, and we all de-
scended together. Our prisoner
made no attempt to escape. but
stepped calmly into the cab which
had been his, and we followed him.
Lestrade mounted the box, whipped
up the horse and brought US in a
very short time to our destination.
We were ushered into a small
chamber, where police inspector
noted down our prisoners name and
the names of the men with whose
wourdot hn hoH hnav. ho
The official was q white-faced, I'M
emotional man, who went through
his duties in dull, mechanical way.
The prisoner will be put before
the magistrates In the course of the
week." he said: ''in the meantime,
Mr.. Jefferson Hope, have you any
thing that you wish to say? | must
warn You that your words will be
taken down and may be used against
you"
I've got a good deal to say" our
prisoner said, slowly. 81 want TO |
tell you gentlemen all about it."
Hadn't you better reserve that for
your trial?" asked the inspector.
Il may never be tried" he an
swered. you needn't look startled. |
Il isn't suicide am thinking Of Are |
you q doctor?"
He turned his fierce dark eyes upon |
me as he asked this last question.
"Yes, | am" l answered.
Then put your hand here" he said,
with q smile, motioning with his
manacled wrists toward his chest.
I did so, and became at once con-
scious of an extraordinary throbbing
and commotion which was going on
inside.
In the silence of the room l could
hear q dull humming and buZzing |
which proceeded from the same
source.
Why" 1 cried, you have an aor-t
tic aneurism!"
That's what they call It." he said.
placidly. Il went to a doctor last |
week about 1t, and he told me that 1t |
was bound to burst before many days |
passed. It has been getting worse
for years. | got It from over-ex- |
posure and under-feeding in the
Salt Lake mountains. I've done /
my work now, and don't care
how soon go, but I should like
to leave some account of the business
behind me. l don't want to be re.
membered as a common cut-throat"
The inspector and the two detec-
tives had a hurried discussion as to
the advisability of allowing him to
tell his story.
do you consider, doctor, that there
is immediate danger?" the former
asked.
Most certainly there is" an
swered.
"In that case, it is clearly our duty,
in the interests of Justice, to take his
statement" said the inspector "You
are at liberty, sir, to give your ac-
count, which again warn you will
be taken down."
"I'll sit down, with your leave" the
prisoner said, suiting the action to
the word. This aneurism of mine |
makes me easily tired, and the tus- I
sic we had half an hour ago has not
mended matters. I'm on the brink of
the grave, and / am not likely to lie
to you. Every word | say is the abb
solute truth, and how you use it Is
a matter Of no consequence to me-"
With these words, Jefferson Hope
leaned back in his chair and began
LnG LOIAOHAnS IOnldl hdDlS |
can youch for the accuracy of the
subjoined account, for l have had ac-
cess to Lestrade's notebook, In
which the prisoners words were TAX
en- down exactly as they were ut
tered.
''It doesn't much matter to you
why / hated these men," he said;
''it's enough that they were guilty Of
the death of two human beings-a
father and a daughter-and that they
had therefore, forfeited their own
lives. After the lapse of time that
has passed since their crime, 1t was
impossible for me to secure a convic-
tion against them in any court.
THAT girl that | spoke Of was to
have married me twenty years ago.
She was forced into marrying that !
same Drebber, and broke her heart
over It.
81 took the marriage ring from her
dead finger, and l vowed that his dy-
ing eyes should rest upon that very
ring, and that his last thoughts should !
be of the crime for which he was pun
ished.
II have carried It about with me,
and have followed him and his ac-
complice over two continents until I
caught them. They thought to tire
me out, but they could not do 1t. If s
] die tomorrow, as is likely enough, {
die knowing that my work In this
world is done, and well done. They ,
have perished. and by my hand. {
There is nothing left for me to hope 8
for or to desire.
They were rich and l was poor, 8
SO that 1t was no easy matter for me {
to follow them. When l got to Lon
don my pocket was about empty, and I
found that | must turn my hand to
something for my living.
Driving and riding are as natural !
to me as walking, so | applied at n !