Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-03-10
CHATTER NII.-lContfnnad.l

IiEAJ i Tn Ali H-OuI4NutU-J
When riding home after this inter
esting converse ton. the Major could
not but admit to himself that Arkel
had Frightened up wonderfully in his
1ntellects since first taking charge of
the case. The man was not brilliant,
not even clever; vet in the present in
stance he displayed more readiness Of
resource than Jen would have given
MN credit for. The theory Of the drug
ging was worthy Of investigation, and
the Major determined to see if any
thlng could be discovered likely to
support this view Of the matter. He
still held TO his belief in Jaggard's hon
estE, for IL was incredible that an old
servant Of thirty years standing
should turn traitor all at once; but ne
thought 1t probable that some one
might have taken him by surprise
and drugged him. But as the window
was closed, the person in question
must have been concealed in the room
Here Jen's train of thought became
confused
Jaggard was far from the condition
OF connected thought, or coherent
words He turned and tossed upon his
poor bed with bright eyes, burning
skin, and babbling tongue. His head
was sWathed In bandages. and the
housemaid who watched beside him
had frequently to replace the clothes
he tossed off in his violent movements.
This nurse was a sickly, dark-eyed
creature. who was strongly attached
to JaRgard and it was her love for
him that made her proffer her services
to look after him. and that chained to
his bedside. She reported to her mas
ter that DR.. Etwald had been that
morning and was coming again in the
afternoon, but that there was nothing
70 be done until the delirium had ex-
pended itself
Ay thought Jen, as he stood by
the bed, or until the man dies. If he
dies without regaining his senses, we
will never know the truth"
He bent down to replace the bed
clothes which the sick man had thrown
off, and, as he did so, faint perfume
siekly and rich, struck his nostrils. It
seemed to come from the bandages at
the back Of the head. and on bending
down for a closer inspection, Jen saw
that one Of these was of finer linen
than the rest. The fabric was cam
brio. and with start which made the
blood turn to ice in his veins. Jen real
lied that it was a woman's handker-
chief
How came this here?" he asked the
housemaid, pointing to the scrap of
linen.
oh, that was on the first night
sir" she FASTENED to explain. TT was
put on his head when in the room
where he fell. sir. The doctor, sir
says as 1t amt safe to take it away
yet"
A curtain interposed between the
head Of the patient and the light of the
window. This Jen drew aside, and
lightly removed the outside wrappings
OF the wound. The housemald looked
on in horror. for she did not dare to
prevent her master from meddIing, yet
she felt sure that he was doing wrong
But Jen was bent upon making the
discovery as to whom the handkerchief
belonged; and in a few minutes he had
the outside bandages removed, and
saw the handkerchief discolored with
dry blood lying over the wound With
deft fingers he lightly touched the four
corners In one of them was the mi
tials M d."
M. D." said the Major to himself
Margaret Dallas. the mother of Isa-
bella How did her handkerchief come
into the room on that night? And the
perfume?"
It struck his sense of smell with a
belief that he had smelt it before.
Nothing is so strong to waken mem
DRY as odor and in less than half a
minute the mind of the Major leaped
back to where he had smelt it before.
It was the perfume of the dried poison
of the devil-stick.