Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31


chine number eight.
AT times a vague uneaslneSS took possession
of Menlo. 1t seemed to him once or twice as
if Number Eight became agitated as the story
came to him little by little, particularly when
Menlo sent the name of Alice. But as Number
Eight continued with unfagging zeal and de-
votion to receive the story, Menlos uneasiness
abated.
A MONTH passed. Hope had given Menlo
back his strength. and he allowed no small
fears to interfere with the JOY he took in oper
ating his secret system On wonderful Sat
urday Menlo had finished sending to Number
Eight the exact location where the bottle of
poison might be found. He added to his last
message this vital sentence:
Location of bottle of extreme importance.
Prosecution admitted left laboratory before
wife fell, without going into private office.
Proves did not have bottle near me when wife
murdered
Menlo went back to his cell on that eventful
night full of great hope. Sunday passed
without event. till at night he noted a subdued
prison commotion. He looked out into his cell
gallery and saw guards carrying black casket
He listened and heard guard whisper sui
eide great pity went sweeping over Menlo.
Some poor devil could not wait. he thought
As the sun rose and lighted the white walls
of Menlo's cell the next day, the guards came.
He was frightened and recoiled. They told
him briefly and with cruel insufficiency that a
change was to be made which would affect his
future They would tell him nothing more.
Menlo feared his system of communication had
been discovered, and paled He was told to
remain in his cell, and that he would not again
return to the shoeshop. With numb horror he
heard the words. and he staggered to his cot
and threw himself down in an agony of bitter
anguish. He realized that Number Eight was
yet unpossessed of important facts without
which the whole carefully arranged structure
might fall.
What did it all mean The day passed. The
ed into ~ tb.
days end charnel house of dead souls and
dead hopes. Menlo sat brooding waiting. for
what he did not know. And an hour later
the guards and found him, and led him.
a bewildered, broken man. down the long steel
corridors he had never before seen at night
In the office of the warden were several
strange men and officials He searched their
faces with sullen defiance; for nothing mat
tered now. Finally the warden spoke
MEMO, am ordered by the Governor of the
State to release you at once on full and uncon-
ditiOnal pardon
Scarce hearing, not understanding stricken
dumb, Menlo gained but vague impression of
this new crisis. And then the words sank
into his consciousness, he implored in Gods
name to know what it all meant. The warden
spoke again.
"A prisoner killed himself last night He
left confession in his cell. He is the one who
murdered your wife He was here for forgery
Baxter by name,-Number Eight in your ma
chine division. Maybe you noticed him.
IT was true that Harlow Baxter was the muir
derer. 1t was true that the odllid and silent
man at number eight machine was none other
than he who had killed Menlos wife; the same
man who, day by day, had watched the gradual
unfolding of Menlo's story with growing chill
of fear and haunting dread At last had come
the day when Menlo had sent by his secret
cipher the location of the poison bottle
Baxter. in the confession found within his
CELL had told how the fear of discovery had
grown quickly into certainty. He saw before
him the picture of life at hard labor and with
the single idea of ending the miserable life that
was his, and righting the terrible wrong to
Menlo, Baxter had written his confession and
strangled himself. In the hurried scrawl of a
man eager for death, Baxter had told of great
forgery in his younger days. He had stolen
thousands of dollars from Alice Menlo's father
while paving suit to the daughter No one
knew it but she.
He had come back that fatal night to ask for
money. She had refused him. and he had in
suited and threatened her. and she had fled in
her cab She had gone direct to Menlo at his
laboratory to seek his protection and demand
Baxters arrest. Baxter in fear that she would
reveal his forgery before he could escape. had
followed her to make last threat and appeal
He had witnessed the scene between Alice and
Menlo. had watched Menlo rush out and had
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