The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-12-30

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her room.
The maid passed on into the library.
What's this" inquired Florence, as
the maid held out the basket. She
selected a peach and was about to set
her white teeth into it when Jim in
terposed. .."
wait a moment, dear" Florence
lowered the peach. Jim turned to the
maid. WHO sent it,"
Il don't know, sir. A messenger
brought it, saying it was for Miss
Hargreave."
Let me see Il there Is a card
But Jim searched in vain for the card
of the donor. At once all his suspi-
cions arose. Don't touch them. Bet
ter 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 they are poi
soned. But t .ere's no need trying to
prove my theory right or wrong. Ask
Jones. He'll tell you to throw them
away"
"Horrible!" Florence s%huddered.
But they do not want to poison me.
I'm too valuable. They want me
alive"
Who can say?" returned Jim
gloomily. They may have learned
that they cannot beat us, no matter
what card they turn up. l may be
wrong, but take my advice and throw
them away. . . . Good Lord, what
that" startled.
Some n cried!""
90, Miss F1orence!" exclaimed the
maid, terror stricken as she recalled
Susan's act. Miss Susan took a
peach from the basket and vas eating
it 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 Sus-
ans first cry. To his keen eye 1t
looked like a certain poison which had
for it's basis the venom of the cobra.
"Will she live?"
20, yes. But she'll be a wreck for
some months. Send her to the hos
pital where l can visit her frequently.
And I'll take that peach along for
analysis. No police AFFAIR.""
mo. We dare not call them in"
said Jim.
That's your affair. I'll send down
the ambulance. Keep her quiet. She'll
have a species of paralysis; but thatll
work off under the treatment. A
strange business"
$50 it is" agreed Jim grimly.
Florence knelt beside her friends
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!""< "a =. -
"a pretty bad poison. too" said Jim.
I'VE can't do anything We've just
got to sit still. But In the end we'll
get them. That she devil . :"
mo, my friend; that he devil. The
woman is mad over him and would
commit any crime at his bidding. But
this is his work. We want him. He
wasn't without courage to send this
fruit, knowing that I would instantly
suspect the sender. Yet, / have no
definite proof. I could not hold him
in court in law. He will have bought
the fruit piece by piece, the basket IN
a basket shop. He will have Injected
the poison himself when alone. Poor
Susan! That messenger was without
doubt some one owe whom he holds
the threat of the death chair. That's
the way he works"
Jim tramped the oom while Jones
carried the fruit to the kitchen. The
butler returned after a while.
What about that blank sheet Of pa.
per-" "
TT has to be dipped into a solution;
after that you can read 1t by heating.
1 have already dipped it into the solu-
ton. The moment the heat leaves the
sheet the writing disappears again.
The ink is waterproof. I'll show you"
Jones got a candle from the mantle.
lit it, and held the sheet of paper very
close to the flame. Gradually, almost
imperceptibly, letters began to form on
the blank sheet. At length the mes
sage was complete.
Dear Hargreave-The Russian min.
lister Of police is at the Blank hotel
under the name Of Henri Servan. He
is Investigating the work Of the Black
Hundred in this country and a free
you from their vengeance If you sup
ply the evidence needed"
Nov, what evidence can he want?"
asked Jim.
Such as will prove Braine an unde-
sirable Citizen"
"And then"
Quietly pack him of to Russia,
where he. is badly wanted"
"Who sent this message?"
"One of our mysterious friends. We
have a few, as you already know. But
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