The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-11-26
STARS DAILY
SHORT STORY
DEATH IN THE
G RE E NJ Fl o u S Z
BY Harold Carter.

$50 far from being our prey.
said the doctor. laying down the
law In the Anglo-Indians club. the
vegetable world wages incessang
war with Us and frequently wins
The germs OF smallpox. scarlet
fever and other xymosic diseases
are minute fungi. vegetable para.
sites. not animal"
But. doctor. said Greene. you
we're saying that certain plants ex.
list which are capable 81 seizing a
man in their tentacies and literally
sucking the life out Of him I have
read Of such In sensational fiction.
but In real life"
DO you remember the death Of
Col Fitzpatrick" asked the doctor
quietly.
We all remember how the col.
orel had fallen into the miniature
pond In hts greenhouse. probably
during an apOplectic attack. and
was found drowned
Drowning was not the cause OF
death. said TIE doctor Now that
these years have elapsed may
perhaps acqualnt you with as hor-
rid a murder as has ever been plan
ned
.Lal Chundrai" Easped Green.
yes said tho doctor slowly.
"He had been appointed by the an.
archist committee 20 secure the
eoloneIs death. All this came out
afterwafd But as the evidence "
accidental death was positive. we
could not even place him under
arrest The fiendish ingenuity of
the scheme throws a shining light
into the dark corners Of the Indian
mind
Never mind. tell u.s.. said
Greene.
"col Fitzpatrick. ais you know
said the doctor. had a hobby for
marine growths He had construct
ed upon hts estate iu England a
huge greenhouse. filled with rank
tropical grOwths In the center was
a large pond. surrounded with an
artificial rockery containing cav
erns Of great depth
Among other groWths be Rad
the weed aEeiepteris. which. as you
may possibly know. catches and de-
yours spiders. insects and even
young birds That Is about the limit
OF It's powers But IN the green
house. fed with fertilizer and kept
at an even temperature he col.
OneIs plants grew tremendously.
Their long creepers trailed along
walls and roof. shutting ont the
sun.
One day a maid who entered
through curiosity. came out scream.
ing hysterically When she re-.
covered she told how the plant had
caught her round the waist with
an immense creeper. while two
CLASSY eyes stared into her own
That a creeper might have touched
her was not improbable, but the
story Of the eyes was obviously
the delirium Of a frightened girl.
4Lal Chundra had the task OF
caring for the greenhouse -Four
days before the colonels death ne
had warned him that the plant
should be cut down lie was heard
70 do -, and the colonel laughed
at him Four days later the
e0l0ners body was found lying
among the creepers The life had
been sucked out Of him by tentacles.
as hideous blue WeIts upon the
body dlsclosed
Drowning was given officially
as the cause Of death. Lal Chun.
dra who inherited aoodly sum
from his master wepf In a heart.
broken sort Of way, and, alleging
that 10 enter the place meant Ger
tain death. obtained permission
from the authorities to have the
entire structure burned 10 the
ground But I. who had found the
coloneis body, who had entered the
greenhouse unobseryed and I'm per.
feet immunity had certain sus.
pleiOns
LaI Chundra had departed for
.Isdia Immediately after the events