Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-11-18
The Mystery of
the Boule Cabinet
BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1918. by Burton 3. Stevenson
STEVEN ON
Copyright, 1918. by Burton E. Stevenson.

two ~things-either the fellows friends
dldnt have any friends. here in New
York at least. But even then. one
would think that whoever rented him
a room would wonder what had be-
come of him. and would make some
inquiries"
l suggested. Perhaps he had just
reached New York. and went direct
to Vantine's."
Godfrey's face lighted up.
From the steamer. of course! l
ought to have guessed as much from
out OF France more than 10 days or
so. EXCUSE me a moment"
He hurried way. and five minutes
passed before he came back
Il 'phoned the office to send some
men around to the boats hic came
In yesterday. If he was a passenger,
some n of the stewards will recog-
nize his photograph. There were three
boats he might have come on-the
Adriatic and Cecelie from Cherbourg.
and La Touraine from Havre. There
is nothing else that know Of" he
%linEhuisen thinks he has discovered the
nature of the poison. He says it is
some very powerful variant of prussic
acid"
Yes. SAID. Il heard him say
something of the sort last night.
II had a talk with him this after
noon about 1t. and he was quite
learned Godfrey went on. This is IL
great chance for him to get before the
public. and he's making the most of
IT. 1 gathered from What he said that
ordinary prussic acid. which is deadly
enough. heavens knows. contains only
per cent of the poison; While the
strongest solution yet obtained CON
talns only 4 per cent. Freylinghuisen
says that whoever concocted his par
ticular poison has evidently discov-
cred Il new way Of doing it-or redis-
covered an old waymso that lit is at
least 30 per cent effective. In other
words. if YOU can get a fraction of a
drop of it In a mans blood, you kill
nm by paralysis quicker thar if you
put a bullet through his heart"
Nothing a SAY u man. them" I
questioned.
Nothing on earth. Oh, 1 don't say
and chopped your arm off at the
shoulder an instant after you We're
struck on the hand, you mightn't have
Il chance to live: but it would take
mighty quick work. and even then, it
would be nip and tuck. Freyling-
don't. l think some one has dug up
one of the old Medici formulate. Maybe
1T was placed in the secret drawer. so
hat there would never be any lack of
ammunition for the mechanism"
Godfrey l said. are you still bent
on fooling with that thing?"
More than ever; I'm going to find
that secret drawer. And if the fangs
strike-well. I'm ready for them. See
here what / had made today"
He drew from his pocket something
that looked like a steel gauntlet. such
as one sees on suits of old armor. He
slipped it over his right hand.
You see it covers the back OF Inc
hand completely" he said. half way
down the first joint of the fingers. 1t
is made of the toughest steel and
would turn a bullet. And dc you see
how it is depressed in the middle,
LESTER"
YES" I said. Il was wondering why
you had 1T made in that shape"
II want to get a sample of that
poison. My theory is that when he
fangs strike the hand. the shock drives
out a drop or two of the poison. /
don't want those drops to get away: 1
and l shall very carefully bottle them.
Think what they are, Lester-the poi
son of the Nedici!"
l sat for a moment looking at him.
half in amusement, half in sorrow. 1t
seemed a pity that his theory must
ESIAS SoAAioAilN6 0OWI, " WAS SO DC
turesque. and he was so interested and
enthusiastic over it. And it would
make such a good story! He caught
my glance. and put the gauntlet back
into his pocket.
Well. what is it?" he asked quietly.
For answer. l got u the cable
gram and passed it across to him. He
read 1T with brows contracted.
"Ihat seems to out a puncture in
our little romance. doesn't it?" /
asked. at last.
He nodded thoughtfully.
Yes. it does." and he read the mes
sage again. word by word. "Armand's
man hasn't called YETI"
No. l didn't get the message till
about 3 O'Clock. I suppose he'll be
around tomorrow"
you will have to urn the cabinet
over to him, Of course? ~
why. yes, 1t belongs to him. AT
least. 1t doesn't belong to Vantine."
He slipped the message into It's en-
velope and handed it back ia me.
could see that he was perplexed and
upset.
We'll. in spite Of this" he said fin
ally, Il am still interested in that cabi-
net. Lester. and l wish you would keep
possession OF it as long as you can. At
least. l wouldn't give 1t up until he
delivered to YOU the other cabinet
which vantine really bought"
vi, ! u udhc MIN 90 INaL, l agreed
quickly. That will no doubt take a
few ~days--longer than that IL Van
!, tines cabine Is in Paris"
Godfrey raised a finger to the waiter,
J asked for the check and paid it.
And now let us go down and have a
tended doing. You will think me fool
ish. Lester. but aver that c%ablegram
hasn't shaken my belief In the exist
ence OF that secret drawer"
And all the rest?" asked.
yes" he answered slowly. land all
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