The Washington times., 1914-11-08

Lloyd Lonergdn, ana M'ss Moe 1fnee'
about subtle poisons than I do. Have l
not written books on the subject!
ironically.
And they will trace It back to you in
a straight line" she warned. u Will
Il can go elsewhere" he replied
coldly
You would leave me-"
"The moment you cross my WILL" en-
pliatically.
Il became her turn to pace. Torn be-
tween her love Of the man and tho dan
ger which stared her in the face, she
was for the time being distracted. All
the time he watched her with malevo-
Ie, curiosity, knowing that In the end
she would concur with his evil plans.
VERY well.'' she said finally. But
listen; we shall be found out. Never
| doubt that Your revenge will cost US
both our lives. / feel it"
Bah. The law will have no hand in
my end. always carry a pellet; and
thot ring Of yours would suffice regi-
| ment. She will not die. She will merely
become a kind Of paralytic; the kind
that can move little, but not enough;
always wheeled about in chair. I'll
bring in the peaches; rosy and downy.
One bite, after q given time. will do
the trick. if they suspect and throw
| them out We have lost nothing but the
peaches. A trusted messenger will carry
| them to the Hargreave house. And
| then Well sit down and watt
Meantime. in the library Of the Har-
| greave house. Florence and Jim were
puzzling over the blank sheet Of paper
IN wager" said Jim, ''the water
1Sshed all The writing away The fire
lurn> it over to Jones. Jones'l find a
| way TO solve it. Trust him.
What are you two chattering about -
| asked Susan, who was arranging some
flowers On the table,
Secrets" said Jim, smiling.
"Humph.'
Susan puttered about for a few min
utes longer. then crossed to the recep-
tion-room, intending to go upstairs. At
I that moment the maid was admitting q
messenger with a basket Of fruit.
For Miss Hargreave," said he He
cap awkwardly, and swung on his heel,
closing the door behind him. He was
In hurry to deliver another message.
20, what lovely fruit"' cried Susan,
pausing. I'm going to steal one" she
laughed. She selected a peach and be-
gan eating it ON the way up to her
/ room
The maid passed on into the library.
What's this?" inquired Florence, as
the maid held out the basket. She So
lected a peach end was about to set
| her white teeth into It when Jim inter
posed.
''Wait a moment, dear Florence
| lowered the peach. Jim turned to the
maid. who sent it?'' o.
i don't know, sir. A messenger
brought it, saying it was tor Miss Har-
| greave."
Let me see if there is card" But
| Jim searched in vain for the card of
! the donor. At once all his suspicious
arose. Don't touch them. Better let
the maid throw them out Fruit from
| unknown persons might not be the
healthiest thing in the world
! What do you Think"
That in all probability it is poisoned.
But there's 40 need trying to prove my
| theory right or wrong. Ask Jones.
He'll tell you to throw them away"
'Horrible"" Florence shuddered. But
| they do not want to poison me. I'm too
valuable They want me alive"
| who can say" returned Jim gloom
| lily. They may have learned that they
| cannot beat us, no matter what card
| they turn up. / may be wrong, but
take my advice and throw them away
Good Lord, what's that"
startled.
Some one cried
20. Miss Florence! exclaimed the
maid. terror stricken as she recalled
Susans act Miss Susan took peach
from the basket ana was ealIlB IL on
| the way to her ROOM
! Good heavens gasped Jim. Il was
right The fruit was poisoned"
Jim had head enough TO send for a
specialist he knew. The specialist ar
rived about twenty minutes after Su-
ed like a certain poison which had for
its basis the venom Of the cobra.
VIII she live?"
30. yes. But she'll be a wreck for
I. sxl
where | can visit her frequently. And
I'll take that peach along for analysis.
No police affair.""
NO. We dare not call them in" said
Jim.
| the ambulance. Keep her quiet. She'll
! have a species Of paralysis; but thatll
work off under the treatment. A strange
| business"
| 80 it is agreed Jim grimly.
Florence lInelt beside her friends S bed
! and cried softly.
you called me just in time. An hour
later, nothing would have saved her.
She would have been paralyzed for
! life"
Jim accompanied the doctor to the
/ door and went in search Of Jones. He
found the taciturn butler eying the
fruit basket his face gray and drawn,
| though his eyes blazed with fury.
Poison
pltlbS boh polSoii, lOo, Sdiu Jim
We can't do anything. We've just got
| 10 sit still. But in the end we'll get
them. That she devil -
No, my friend; that he devil. The
" oman is mad over him and would COM
NIT any crime at his bidding. But this
is his work. We want him. He wasn't
without courage to send this fruit,
knowing that l would instantly suspect
the sender. Yet | have no definite proof.
] could not hold him in a court Of law.
He will have bought the fruit piece by
piece, the basket in basket shop. He
will have injected the poison himself
when alone. Poor Susan! That mes
senger was without doubt some one over
whom he holds the threat Of the death
chair. That's the way he works"
Jim tramped the room while Jones car
ried the fruit TO the kitchen. The butler
returned after a while.
What about that blank sheet of
paDer?"
ut has to be dipped into solution;
after that You can read ii by heating.
have aiready dipped il into the solu-
tion, Yhe moment the heat leaves the