Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-07-18

| do The land that was once worth
Hess had shown gold and was pour
ing in money. She must get it away
| from the girl by some means. How
she did not know.
AT first there came the idea of hir-
| ing the girl as a servant and inveig.
ling from her the deed to the land. 1t
was given up, and the girl sent away,
leaving her address. That night Mrs.
Brent saw the stars fade and the white
! light of morning break over the city.
She was struggling with temptation. a
temptation Of an ordinarily good WON
an who had allowed greed to enter her
heart and stifie all else.
"She began to visit the little room,
and to work around the various
charitable institutions in order that
she might cover her action. One day
in the laboratory at the city hall
where she had gone on some char
table quest there came the opportu-
nifty to steal culture tube containing
typhoid fever germs. In an instant it
was in her handbag, the decision was
made, and she was Fastening to Ell
leen's room.
THE girl was playing, or was at
tempting to play, on the dulcimer,
when her aunt arrived The instru-
ment had been one much loved by her
father, and lonely days spent in the
city had reminded the little girl many
times OF when fortunes were better
and when she had listened to the
strains of the instrument as played by
her father.
"This was sentiment in which
Mrs. Brent had INDUCED her, and she
had given her the money wherewith to
buy the plaything.
Eileen looked up with a smile OF
happiness on her face as the woman
she believed to be only charity work
er entered the room.
81 am thirsty. the aunt said, after
the first greeting. Could you get me
a glass Of water?'
"She wanted time in which to make
her plans. The girl laid down
the dulcimer and left the room. In a
flash it came to the aunt. The girl
loved to play the instrument, and to
turn the pages of the music as she
practiced. She must now and then
touch her fingers to her lips to moist
en- them. Hastily Mrs. Brent drew
forth the culture tube and applied
some of the germs to the strings. Ten
minutes later she was chatting with
the girl over her chances of obtain
ing employment, and two weeks later
she was sitting by the bedside of a
fever ridden patient watching the first
effects of her work.
Eileen was out of the way now, ty-
phoid was doing its work. Soon the
eyes which cleaned with fever would
be glazing in the stiffness OF death.
That gold bearing land in the west
was hers. Hers at the cost of a hui
man life.
Mrs. Brent had finished the story,
and Williams and / standing there
by the bed, wondering at the Unsuitable
greed which could drive a woman to
take the life of child that she might
gloat over the money which would
come to her through her death.
"The woman had sunk back on her
pillow. She seemed unconscious
Williams strobe few feet away and
stood looking at the floor.
Tell me how you guessed all this,
she said feebly..
II didn't guess it. was my answer.
1T simply worked out. knew that
Grimes had nothing to do with it. For
II learned that he acted In that way
with every case The physician was
out of the question. Then was left
by. the simple system of elimination,
one person. This woman who had
seemed to have taken so much of an
interest in this little girl, who could
be nothing to her.
There are hundreds of such cases
in the city. Why should this one be
singled out for such marked atten-
ton? I determined to learn the rea-
son. obtained her description from
the ianitor and in the guise Of q book
agent / sought among the charity
workers until I found her. went to
her house as a book agent, but /
talked to her of many other things
And Of two in particular money and
death.