The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-12-28
CHAPTER XIX.
AN UNWITTING CHAMPION.

AN YIN WHITING CHAMflON.
Never during my enforced asso-
citation with him had l greater
! cause to wonder at Herzog's power
Of control than in the moments fol-
lowing Lord Alphington's draught
of wine. He told me that the afro
pine was nearly instantaneous in
it's fatal effects, but there was
nothing in his demeanor to show
that he was in the presence of a
man who might be expected to fall
dead. On the contrary, he busted
himself with his almonds and rails
ms in the detached manner of one
WIN has had to make himself dis
agreeable from a sense of duty.
My own feelings at that juncture,
so far as my noble host was con-
cerned, were those of perfect COM
placence-for the simple reason
that knew that | had done him no
injury. While dressing for dinner
I had thoroughly washed out the
Dubbed tube, replacing the original
infinitesimal contents with pure
water. Hence my dismay when
Herzog had asked to examine the
tube on approaching the house, and
my relief when he did not appear
to detect that had tempered with
1t. knew that / should have to
reckon with him afterward, but I
was fighting for my life hour by
hour till Janet's return, and every
minute gained was of untold value.
argued that my terrible custod-
ian could not, for considerations of
his own safety, reveal my identity
there, II he ever did 1t directly at
all. He would have to do it in such
a way as not to implicate himself,
and that could not be so long as he
was avowedly my companion. If he
was accused of nothing more helm
Gus. he would at least be held
guilty of aiding my escape from
prison.
l wondered at his marvellous con-
tcealment of emotion when a quar-
ter of an hour had elapsed and the
premier chatted on in no way the
worse for my bungling effort Of
jugglery.
AS / sat taking an idiotic part in
the pefrunctory conversation neces-
sary for the consumption of Lord
Alphington's usual modicum of
port, l was more seriously con-
cerned with Ralph Gardens atti-
tude. There lay my most immi.
nent danger. He sat for the most
part silent, and when he spoke at
all it was to his noble relative on
some subject Of private interest.
The great man himself was prob
ably too bored to notice the cleo
trical tension among his guests,
but so marked was Gardens re-
fusal to hold converse with Herzog
or myself that fully expected to
spend that night in Jail and to be
delivered to the hangman on the
morrow.
For all my preparedness ! could
not repress a start when the crisis
came, as 1t did shortly after we en-
tered the drawing room. Lord AL
phington had said good night and
had retired to the library on the
plea of important business to at
tend with private secretary, who
had just arrived. Lady Muriel was
chatting to HerZOg, who. to my sur
prise, had put himself in her way
on entering the room; l was stand
ing at an open French window,
looking out over the moonlit sea;
and before turned my back on the
room Garden had been examining
some photographs at the table.
Suddenly a light tap on the
shoulder caused me to wheel
around and face him. The way In
which he looked at me was in It,
self an accusation.
Il want Il word with you," he
said peremptorily. "Shall It be
here or shall we step into the gar
DEM"
Here. by all means. There is too
heavy dew to make 1t pleasant on
the grass In thin Shoes" l an
swored carelessly.
well, then, to put It straight, l
don't believe your name is Martini"
he blurted out. 81 once knew some
one exactly like you, who ought to
be In very different place from
this. Carry your memory back to
Woolwich 10 years ago. You are
Arthur"
And then, before he could utter
my name, and set me the problem
whether to lie or confess. Lady
Muriels clear voice rang out
across the room. uttering the very
word she had arrested on his lips.
81 say. Ralph she called to him,
"you must have been at Woolwich
with Arthur Rivington--you know
who l mean. the poor fellow who
was falsely convicted of murder,
and escaped the other day to
America"
Garden turned round to her MS
though someone had fired pistol
n