Evening star., 1903-08-22

save for the atssadanos OF Rs<sss sA ths
funeral. he had not snterod Sc. for there
ciung to him Q memory that was not pleas
Peters had dread Of her. But agsan It =
well to state all tho truth. and to state Il
fully 1t II necessary to say that. In spite OF
Peters dread Of her. there was still an un-
known quality. an unknown quantity, that
drew men toward her with force that tt
was difficult to resist. For Peters had look
ed into her eyes, and he had felt the touch
her lips upon his hand. and to this day he
has not forgotten that which he cannot well
forget.
He married-and she knew It. She wrote
him note about 1t. 1t was mere friendly.
worldly note, such any one might write
But later she wrote once more-wrote TO
say to him that she going to sell her
house, and that she expected to go abroad
There were some few things that she wish
ed to hand to him-mementoes of the doc
tor
Peters went to her. He would later
that he had stayed away. For he
knew as he saw her again that in her
beautiful eyes she held more power than
any other woman in the world-she had
more magnetism in her touch, and he could
guess only too well that there was more
sweetness in her lips. But it was the sweet
ness of hell. He came out of that place
that day staggering like drunkard-with
him was the memory Of woman who had
gone upon her knees to him, not once. but
to leave honor and good name behind, and
to fly. anyhow, anywhere. 1t is an awful
thing to see the soul of any man or any
woman laid bare-and Peters cannot help
but carry the sight of hers down to his
grave.
She left the place. he knew not when or
how. But she was not yet through with
Holdworthy Peters.
1t was a week or so later that he re-
turned home one evening to find-what?
Nothing more nor less than the magnificent
arm chair that once had been birthday
present to old Bartholomew. The doctors
widow had sent 1t.
After hard day, Peters sank into this
chair with sigh of relief. And as he sat
within it he dreamed And as he dreamed
he woman, none other than the doc
tors wife, who offered him from time
to time, viii unusual persistence, what
seemed to be a wineglassful of wine. He
steadily refused it. She forced 1t on him.
There was a struggle-a dream struggle.
and then
Just then Holdworthy Peters woke-woke
to find that he was struggling feebly with
his young wife She was shaking him with
unusual violence. He resisted this and
sank back into his chair. He wanted to
be left alone She shouted in his ear, she
grappled with him. she tried to lift him
from the chair. Peters Strengthened up and
made a sudden effort. and then staggering
to his feet fell prone upon the floor He
knew nothing further lor a space or time.
Some people came in among them ply
sfcian. who did things to Peters that he
constantly attempted to resist. He wanted |
sleep and plel.ty of it. He thought he
told them so, but what he uttered was in
artculate jargon
He was sick for whole week AL the
end of that time he fully recovered.
What was it. doctor?" he asked of his
physician.
The doctor leaned forward. Its poison"
he replied in a low voice. land nothing
else Where did you get it?
Peters glanced around the room. And as
he did SO, his brain auickened and there
came into his mind the details of the death
of John Bartholomew.
Doctor he exclaimed. "the chair-go.
sit in it, 1t is a present to me-and a re-
markably fine piece of furniture at that
The doctor went. Suddenly he jumped
ing he bent his face close to the woodwork
that surrounded the head piece
Great Scott? he exclaimed, thrusting
his head out of the window for an instant.
This is what did the trick. And there's
enough there to kill more men than you.'
Two days later Peters stood in a furniture
shop The proprietors remembered this
piece of furniture; they had sold 1t to
young woman who had paid them in cash
You sent it," Peters suggested eagerly,
ito 200 Baltic street" That was the ad-
dress of the late Bartholomew. They
looked it up and shook their heads. They
said that it had gone somewhere else. They |
furnished the address and Peters followed |
it I'D
There was nothing there but a dlngy 1T |
tie chemists shop-the place was vacated. |
Peters afterward discovered that the po- |
lice had found that this chemist. a man |
of the name of Goldstein. had been mixed |
up in too many nefarious schemes to make /
his further sojourn in the city safe.
That the story. This woman, who |
ever she may have been. that married |
DR.. John Bartholomew-and she married |
him primarily for his money, that was clear |
this woman had determined to rid herself |
of him. And she did 1t by this means. |
Just what was the poison with which her |
chemist had saturated the wood of the |
chair Peters finally discovered. His ply |
sician gave 1t a name But since that time |
Peters and his wife have had the chair |
completely cleaned of the dangerous COM |
pound and that chair. Notwithstanding it |
was the instrument that caused the death |
of old Bartholomew. and notwithstanding |
that it was an instrument by which the |
private vengeance of woman spurned |
by him was to be wreaked upon Hold |
worthy Peters-that chair is still young |
Peters finest piece of furniture.