Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-14

Pres. Cash.
Fabian Dare felt the hatred of the
slave for the man who had bought him
and he believed, from what Elsa had
told him, that Vandraken's death
would free him from his detested per.
sonality.
Neither of them knew, in their de-
mented state, that Won Tarsenheim's
death had really liberated their en-
tangled souls, and that the effects of
the hypnotic operation were passing
away with the death of the hypno-
fist.
And so they stood facing one an
fother.
V~andraken was the first to speak
1--WE cannot both live he said;
land yet, if either of us kills the 9TH
err"
THAT is only a superstition"
But suppose it should be true -
said Vandraken.
Eyes, suppose it should be true?"
echoed the other. "Yet nothing but
your death, Vandraken, can get me
back my SOUL"
(Which you sold to me- don't for
SSI ludl- WHICH you SOlu W LIE.
you had no right to buy it,! l don't
stand by my bargain! Human gold
cannot buy a soul"
81 cannot live in the same world
with your facet" moaned Vandraken.
Sooner or later | shall destroy it!
There is only M way out of it one
Of us must commit suicide!"
Eyes, that is it," painted Fabian,
snatching at the idea. I'VE will leave
it. to fate. One OF us must die, but
neither must kill the other. MOI |
dare not kill you. Superstition, or no
superstition, 1 dare not kill you, and
you shall not kill me, We will toss
UP who commits suicide"
Fabian's eyes wandered to the lit
tie red tablets scattered on the floor.
He stopped and picked n up and
threw it on the table which stood be-
tween him and Vandraken. The phial
containing the white tablets was al
ready on the table. He took one out.
1t was exactly the anne shape and
size as the red one. An idea had sug-
gested itself to him which appealed
to his imagination.
"We will fight a duel" he said to
V~andraken, such a duel as has never
been fought before. Let the devil
choose his own!'
What do you ~propose?"
eve will leach turn out a lamp, at
the same moment, you understand?
Then we come back to this table, in
the dark. We each pick up a tablet.
we each swallow the tablet we pick
up our words On honor on that. Do
you accept the termG?"
ITS a good idea.' assented Van
draken. II give you my word of honor
and accept yours"
"You have my word, Vandraken."
VERY well, then, there is nothing to
wait for"
The lamp hung on the rough-hewn
walls, at either end of the room. The
two young men approached them
through the shadows cast by the
vaulted ceiling, and watched each
other as they stood with hands up
raised, ready to urn them out.
Are you ready?" called Vandra-
ken.
YES" came the answer
'Then out with them"
The duellists could hear each other
breathing as they felt their way
through the darkness towards the ta-
BILE, both sharing the same terror of
touching the awful thing in the ma.
chine as they CROPPED about the room.
81 am at the table," announced Fa-
bian, at last.
"Have you swallowed your tablet?"
asked Vandraken hoarsely.
mo! We will do that at the same
time. Can't you find the tablet"
YES" answered Vandraken, as his
o~utstretched hand touched it. Then
the fingers of the two men met as
they fumbled and CROPPED on the table.
The little tablets ratified family as
they picked them up and dropped
them again.
"Well!" painted Fabian. "Why don't
you swallow what you have in your
hand and make an end of it? Are you
a coward? I think I have the white
one under my fingers. 1t feels white
it looks white through the darkness.
I wonder if you know what you have
done to me with your money? No! no!
you don't you have no con-
science!"
But the death of Won T~arsenheim
having released Vandraken's soul, his
conscience was able 10 prompt MIN
once more, and his mind was recover
ing its balance. Perhaps it was the
thought of how deeply he had wronged
the other man, or the belief hat by
one great act of magnimity he
might make atonement for his life,
which made him strike a match.
Cheat" cried Fabian Dare.
But as he said it, he saw that it was
the red tablet which he held in his
fingers, and before his shaking hand
could get it to his mouth Vandraken
had snatched it from him and put it
in his own mouth. Then the match