The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-13

1, bursting lF, una Die to remain longer 1 silent. saTfiis is all so wonderful-st 1 thrining-wilI you not tell us more For what were these three men search 1 ing-for the jewels ?''
 Monsieur Is as familiar with Che
 facts as I, 7 he answered in a sarcastic l tone. He knows that Drouet was ] Filled while searching for a packet of l letters which would have compronis- l ed most seriously a great lady. He
 knows that II. Vantine was killed
 while ndeavoring to open the drawer after its secret had been revealed to him by the maid of that same great
 lady, who was hoping to get a reward for them. Morel met death directly at the hands of Crochard because he ! was traitor and deserved It., More and more fascinated stared at him. What secret was safe, I ask ed myself, from this astonishing man:
 ..But even yet,'' I stammered, q do
 not understand. We have opened the secret drawer of the cabinet there
 was no poison. How could 1t have
 killed Drotet ana MT. vantine2''
 Very simply. said M. Pfgot coldly.
 Death came to Drouet and M Van
 tine because the maid of madame la 1 duchesse mistook her left hand for her right. The drawer which contained the letters is at the left of the cabinet
 -see, and he pressed the series of springs, caught the little handle and pulled the drawer open You win no tice that the letters are gone The drawer which Drouet and M Vantine opened, and here his voice became a little strident under the stress of emo on cid ,lxI net, exactly opposite the other and opened by similar combination But there is one great difference. About the first drawer there is nothing to harm any one; the other is guarded by the deadHest poison the world has ever known Observe me, gentlemen!'' As he spoke he bent over the desk and pressed three fingers along the right edge. There was a sharp click and section of the inlay fell out ward, forming handle, just as I had seen it do on the other side of the
 desk.
 M- Pigot hesitated an instant Then. catching the handle firmly with his armered hand, he drew 1t quickly out. There was 3 sharp clash as Of steel
 on steel and the drawer stood open!
 M. Pigot, cool and imperturbable held out to us, with little smile. a hand which showed not a culver of emotion-his gauntleted hand; and I saw that on the back of it were two
 tiny depress1ons. At the bottom of
 each depression lay drop of bright
 red liquid What nerves of steel this man possessedi
 That liquid gentlemen he said in his smooth voice, Ifs the most power ful poison ever distilled by man. Those two tiny drops would kill a score of
 people. and kill them instantly. It's odor betrays it's origins-and, indeed, the air was heavy with the scent of
 bitter almonds-s'but the poison or
 dinarfly derived from that source is as 1 nothing compared with this It's dis
 tillation was supposed to be one of the lost arts, but the secret was rediscov-
 cred by this man Crochard. No secret, indeed, is safe from him No man can stand against him. Even the secret Of this drawer was known to him, and
 he availed himself of it when need arose.
 l NJ. Pigot paused. his head bent in 1 thought.
 Now, M Sinmon,'. he said briskiy 1 in, an altered voice, Eff you will have
 the kindness to hold the drawer for a
 moment in this position, I will draw
 the serpent's fangs. There is not the slightest danger he added, seeing 1 that Simmonds very naturally hesi- l tated.
 l Thus assured, Simmonds grasped the handle of the drawer. and held it l open, while the Frenchman took from
 his pocket a tiny flask of crystal "A little farther he said; and as
 Simmonds,. with. evident effort, drew l the drawer out to it's full length, a tiny. two tined prong pushed itself forward from underneath the cabinet.
 There are the fangs,'' said M. Pigot. l He held the mouth of the flask under 1 first one and then the other, passing l his other hand carefully behind and above them. .HThe poison is held in l place by what we in French call at l traction capillaire-I do not know the
 English; but I drive it out by intro
 ducing the air behind it-ah, you seer He stood erect and held the flask up to the light. It was half full of the red liquid.
 Enough to decimate France" he said. screwed the stopper carefully 1 into place and put the flask into his pocket. Release the drawer, If you please, monsieur he added to Sim
 nonds.
 It sprang back into place on the in-
 stant, the arabesqued handle snappin g lup with a little click.
 1 You will observe it's ingenuity said
 Nj. PiEot sIt is really most clever.