Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-06

heroine insane and conclude with her
shrieks dying away gradually as doors
were closing behind her in mad
house. The issue of the paper had APP
peared containing an explanation of
that chain of circumstances which had
convicted the murderer. Though they
were not to save him, / felt bound TO
show my skill in finding key to them
which if brought to light would save
the victim. But. relying as 1 did on
double tragedy ut the end, l proposed
to bring out the key when it was too
late to do any good. You see, didn't
intend to spoil the tragic effect by be
ing chicken hearted, especially as the
people involved were merely creatures
Of my own brain. Besides, l remem-
bered the instructions of the manag
ing editor, and / was to attract the
attention of the reading public. which
increases the circulation of the paper
and brings in the advertisements, the
ultimate object of the whole thing
About a week after the appearance
of the issue containing the explana
ton of the incidents that had proved
Haycroft guilty, while 1 was engaged
writing the removal of Gwendolin to
a madhouse a servant Knocked at my
door to say that a man was downstairs
who wished TO see me.
Get out of here" / cried. land tell
the man to get out too. I'm doing
work that must not be interrupted"
The maid went away and returned
to say that she thought the man was
having a fit. 1t required something OF
The sort to cause me 10 break of from
my work, and, throwing down my pen,
l FASTENED away. The man had buried
his face In the lounge pillows and was
giving way to violent spasmodic con
tortions. Hearing me enter. he arose
and faced me. / never saw greater
agony on any face. He looked from
me TO the maid and pointed to the
door. ] told her to leave us and closed
the door behind her. Then / turned
TO my visitor.
How did you get on TO it," he asked,
his eyes starting out of his head.
Get on to That!'
MY making up that prescription
wrong"
What prescription
THAT killed the man in your story"
AitIth the man NY Si'iN
peated. my eyes bullying with astOnish-
ment. had been writing Of an imag-
mary lunatic. and my first Impression
was that had n real one before me.
You called him ChestertOn.'
''WeH?"
"Oh, my God. He was Middleton.
You might rs well have given the real
name as one 80 like it,
stood staring at the man for awhile.
then said 70 him:
"3fy friend, you must pardon me for
excusing myself. but have no time To
devote to cranks. / am putting the
finishing touches 10 the serial you
speak of. and the copy must be ready
this afternoon. The hero has been ex-
ecuted. the girl who loved him has
gone mad, and
didn't finish the sentence. for the
fellow fell in Il 1T true enough. I pick
ed him up and laid him on the lounge.
As soon as he quieted down bit he
started up and began 10 talk in a
hoarse whisper just as people on the
dramatic stage do when they have
something narrowing 10 communicate.
I'm a drug clerk. One day a pre-
scripiion came In end / put II up.
Hours after il had gone out found p
small vial Of deadly poison standing
on the board where I had mixed the
medicine. l had taken Il up by mis-
take and put enough TO kin any one
into the mixture. ! darted out 70 stop
the patient from taxing IT, = boy
rushed past me selling newspapers
and crying. Sudden death Of Banker
Middleton That vas the name Civ
en- when TIE raedlcine was called for.
Il went back TO the store. told my