The Newark journal., 1905-05-12
THE POISONED CIGAR
By JOHN N. RAPHAEL

IT majesty's embassy at the court ot Floritaria, sat waiting. The room was a comfortable one, for the members Of the Floritaria embassy had little to dc beyond making themselves comfortable, and Vernon, whose private income was very large one, had made this sitting room of his delightful combination of mans room at college and the bou- doir of a woman of fashion.
 The whole of one side of it opened into conservatory. in which were flowers of almost every kind, from orchids almost beyond price to cabbage roses, and there were number of strange-looking and strange smelling plants in that eonserya- tory as well, for George Vernon was an ardent botanist
 Vernon sat deep down in a low bas- ket armchair. watching the smoke of his cigarette as it eurled gracefully toward the ceiling. The little crystal clock upon the mantelpiece tinkled out the chimes that marked the quarters, and Vernon reused himself up out of his chair, gave himself shake and laughed
 The baron will be here in five min utes." he said. T wonder which of us will leave the room in an hours time. " And as he said the words he opened a case of glasses. placed sodawater upon the table by it. put away the cigarettes, and brought little gold box, marked Cigars
 Baron Heinrich von ReitZenstein," !" announced the servant at the door. And the baron came in. brought his heels to- gether in true German military fashion, and bowed to Vernon. Here am, you see. punctual to the minute. Herr Yer non" said Baron von Reitzenstein.
 Vernon looked at him without an- swering. Both were types in their way of that most polished thing on earth, a real man of the world, and although both of them knew that death was to be the lot of one of them within the next hour. slight shudder was the only sign of such knowledge either of them showed. "A drink, baron?" said George Vernon Thank you. yes. Only little soda. May serve you? So." And both men touched glasses in the German style and drank.
 Health and long life toto which ever one of us fate allows to leave this room" said Vernon. smiling, and, Health and long life to one of us. re- piled the baron.
 Let me just run over the terms Of our agreement" said George Vernon, l mt ha nt our quarrel. We have quarreled. and only the death of one of us can settle it" The baron bowed
 Very well. then. Neither of us is a Frenchman, and we both look upon the ordinary duel, with it's seconds, it's pub licity. it's probable harm lessness, and it's reconciliation afterYli es quite ridic- ulous." The baron bowl4 aa4In .1o avoid the punishment ana the disgrace or the survivor, we have agreed to end our quarrel by the cigar test, a method that | learned in South America.
 .In this box" and Vernon opened the cigar-box with little key that was at- tached to his watch chain, .'are several cigars. I have steeped one of them in a preparation of that little plant with the long fibrous leaves and the red flower, which you can see in the conservatory The juice of it is deadly poison, but it is odorless and tasteless. Whoever smokes the cigar steeped In this juice will die in a few minutes, but his remains will show no trace of the poison, and his death will be quite painless.
 The doctors will ascribe it to heart failure, and nobody need ever know the truth. The survivor will throw the re-