The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-26

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manager Of the hotel. 1t is my duty. dare
not do otherwise You had better go to your
rom All say now is that 1 will not tell
the rclice at present all l know. | must
take time to consider. If you convince
me OF your irnocence-but we ran speak CT
that later. Go to your room. and If you
leave the Eotei. OF course 1 must tell the
police AL know at once"
She save him the key Of the door and
waved him away He opened the door and
skunk up 30 his room. He wanted time 10
think, he told himself. In reality he meant
to destroy the phia. and he wanted to get
away from the presence OF that terrible
woman.
The signora went calmly down stairs.
meeting the nurse coming up. Leaving her
to make the discovery that her patient was
dead, the lady turned round, ascended to
the floor above that which she had just
left. and waited. She calculated that when
Alfred Miniver had destroyed the tell-tale
phial and had had time to consider the mat
ter. he would think it his best plan to shew
himself and answer any inquiries that
might be made. Nor was she wrong in her
forecast. She had not waited a quarter of an
| hour when a door was stealthily opened,
and a white face peered out at it.
| The Signora Trebelli few along the cor
ridor. He retreated before her, and she fol-
| lowed him into the room.
| Are you mad?" she said. in a voice that
| shook with excitement. II have been wait
| ing here to warn you that If you go down
| you will be arrested at once. 1 must try to
smuggle you out of the building by and
| by
But nobody knows 1 am here" protested
Mr. Mniver. IL arrived by late train
| last night, and L have signed no register.
/ am not known here at ALL There is moth
ing to hinder me from walking away at
any moment"
Have you made up your mind, then,
whether you will mention the purchase Of
the poison at the inquest? No? Then
should say that If no one knows you here
you had better not show yourself till that
point has been settled in your own mind.
| BY the way, what have you done with the
poison phial? You have not been idiot
enough to throw 1t out of the window for
some clever detective to pick up?'
| mo, l haven't thrown it out Of the win
| dow he said. sullenly.
What have you done with 1t, then?' Her
| eyes ranged through the small apartment in
search of a possible hiding-place. 'You
| have dropped IL behind the grate!' she ex-
claimed, suddenly, clasping her hands. A
look at Mr.. Minivers face told her that
| her guess was correct one mot bad
| place so long as no one suspects that any
thing is hidden. in the room," said the
lady in slow deliberate tones; but very
bad place if it should be known that you
have occupied this room. for you can't get
| IT out again."
The smile with which the signora said
| this made the young mans blood run cold.
She meant him to understand that he was
| in her power. And so, unfortunately, he
was. The druggist could prove the pur-
chase of the poison; the nurse would swear
| that it had been administered without her
| knowledge, and when the phial containing
! the poison, or the fragments of 1t, were
discovered behind the register-stove in his
| bedroom and when, finally. it was proved
that he would inherit the bulk of his uncle s
wealth, the chain of evidence would be
complete. And 1t was impossible to fish up
the phial again. 1t would be necessary to
pull down the crate before it could be
reached. The wretched man sat down on
the bed, covered his face with his hands
and groaned aloud.
| "Never-r-r mind, my dear Alfred" said
the soothing voice of the signora. II have
no i'll will towards you-very much the re-
verse. AS for the past-it is gone. 1t is
| forgotten. Trust in me, and all will be well
You stay here and pretend to be i'll. Go to
bed and make them bring you up some tea,
That will account for your not hearing OF
your uncle's death to-day, and will give us
time to arrange our plan of defense, will II
not? Tomorrow we Will settle what is best
to be done, and will give you my word OF
honor that l will say nothing to the po.
lice-to-day"
With a malicious accent on the last wore
the signora withdrew, leaving Mr.. Minivel
a prey to the gloomest apprehensions. He
was sick with anxiety and foreboding, ane
he thought that on the whole the best ant
safest thing to do was to take the Italiar
woman's advice.
Next morning he rose late, dressed, ant
fell to pacing his room In state Of miser
able dread and perplexity. He did not dar,
to go down to get something to eat, les
some chance visitor should recognize hin
as the nephew of the man who had died il
the hotel the day before-nay, il was Ger
tain that several relatives would be in tn,
hotel by this time. and it was more thar
| probable that one of them would meet hin
If he had left his room. Yet he could no
stay in his room an indefinite time. Surel,
the signora would be able to suggest some
thing. She could not have forgotten him, o
her promise Of assistance.
She had not. Shortly after eleven sh,
taped at the door of Mr.. Minivers room
and he at once admitted her.
There is to be what they call an in
quest" she burst out, falling into the near
est chair II am afraid that all must b.
told. and what will become of you. my poo
friend. / trenible to think"
Mr. Miniver moistened his dry lips ant
said nothing.
"If am summoned must appear, for |
1 were to try to away 1 would be ap
prehended-that Is what they tell me- An,
l If give evidence L must tell the truth.
dare not take false oath. And when the,
come to know about your going to tn
chemist's-where you wrote your name II