The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-12-04
her TELLTALE HANDS

AA& tuAcc years aIQ u eLudl luutTl
tance prospecting, speculating an,
trading. / had studied medicine ant
when l found myself with only few
hundreds Of my former thousands left
! bought out an obscure pharmacy IL
Balleran.
One chill October evening ! sat IL
my little Office back OF the store apart
ment when heard the front door oper
sharply and close as abruptly. A veiled
woman, young could guess from the
rare grace OF her movements, brushed
hastily past the counter.
Listen and act quick" she directed
There is your fee"
stared hard. My strange client
had placed hundred dollar bill on
the table.
Il wish you to procure and bring
to me In a saucer or some hollow
dish.' went on the young woman.
some corrosive fluid that will-will
remove a blemish from the skin"
There are number of such acids"
I said
Bring me the strongest, the surest,"
she said, and / arose, went out into
the pharmacy and returned with a
saucer one-half filled with the dead
Iiest abrasive chemical ! had in my
stock.
III place finger in that, 1t viii
1o-what?"
If briefly" | answered, 1T will re-
move the outer cuticle"
Leaving no discolorations7"
None"
And the pain?"
is inconsequential"
started forward, for just then, com
pressing her lips sturdily, she placed
the tips of her fingers first of one
hand and then of the other fiat deep
into the acid. She held them up be-
fore her for inspection. The strange
ict accomplished. her hands, which
aad been delicately white before. were
white still, but my professional eye
traced the unnatural smoothness on
ing fluid had removed the heavy outer
} cuticle, as where one woaild peel O
plum or a pear
There was an expression OF salts
faction, of puzzling triumph in the
face of my handsome client. She
drew pair of gloves from the pocket
of her dress. She fixed her eyes
steadily upon me.
Il can trust you to forget this
circumstance" she spoke. Yes, /
see the gentleman in your face. There
is further to do. Fill bottle with
some harmless liquid and follow me
to the door. When it is open warn
me to be very cautious in using it.
The fee will be doubled If you help me
to act out my part successfully"
Blindly. know not why, followed
her instructions. ! went to the door
with her / voiced the warning she
had directed. Distinctly / was aware
that she meant the words for the
hearing of two men lurking in the
next doorway.
she spoke in clear loud voice. Il
wish to use it in some wood burning
ornamental work. Obi"
With a scream she stumbled. She
fell, or rather pretended to fall fiat
upon the pavement. The bottle cracked
to splinters. Wringing her hands as
she regained her feet, she ran towards
me crying distractedly.
"Oh, my hands, my handsl-1 have
burned all the flesh off my fingers!"
| read her purpose l made great
ado of escorting her back into the
pharmacy, of examining her hands, Of
treating them with curatives Then
she went away for the second time.
At the end Of two weeks there came
to me letter enclosing second one
hundred dollar bill. 1t was pinned to
sheet of paper bearing the words:
AS gentleman and true friend al
ways-silence."
! hesitated about using the money,
but bad business necessitated it. A
business rival took away half OF my
trade. Then had fire-uninsured. l
went from bad to worse and the sher-
iff sold out my few poor property ef-
fects.
wandered away from the city along
a country road. l must have tainted
from illness and hunger in it's center.
Then I was conscious OF being lifted
into an automobile
When / came back to myself again |
occupied bed in a cozily furnished |
room. Outside there was bird song. |
The clear sweet scented air suggested |
some sumptuous garden. Then my |
client of that eventful evening in the
past entered the room.
She it was who had found me In |
he road and I was her guest at
beautiful villa many leagues from city
She was nurse, sister, friend-ah,
within my heart of hearts far more
han that before that delightful week
snded
She had been companion to a wealthy
woman in far distant country.
n that household a terrible murder
lad been committed She had been in
hat room just before the crime was
'erpetrated. had accidentally upset
J bottle of ink and left the impress
Il. 4