Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-07

promptly, and while Simmonds went to
the phone and called up police head
quarters, the manager dismounted
from his throne. went down among the
girls, n had them back at their
work in short order.
Godfrey came over to me and laid
his han on my shoulder.
Why, Lester" he said, you look as
though you We're at your last gasp"
Il am" / said. Tn going to have
nervous p%rostration if this thing keeps
up. YOU'RE not looking particularly
happy yourself
Il am not happy. I've let hat fellow
kill a man right under my nose-lit-
orally, under my nose!-and Their get
away"
Kill a man?" 1 repeated. DO you
Go upstairs and look at the right
hand of the man lying there" said
Godfrey, CURLY, and you'll see what
l meant"
l sat staring at him, unable To be-
lieve hat l had heard Alright; unable
to believe that Godfrey had really ut
tered those words the right
hand of the man lying there
that could mean only n thing .
Simmonds Joined US with a twisted
smile on his lips. and 1 saw that even
ne was considerably shaken.
Il got Grady" he said, and told him
what had happened. He says he's too
busy to come up, and that I'm to take
charge of hings."
Godfrey laughed a little hooking
Taught.
Grady forsees his Waterloo" he
said. Well, it's not far distant. But
Pm glad for our sake, Simmonds-
you're going to get some glory out of
this thing, yeti"
Il hope So" and Simmonds' eyes
cleaned an instant. The ambulance
will be around at once" he added.
Wed better get our shoes
on, and go back upstairs, and see IL
anything can be done for that fellow
There can't anything l@ one for
him." said Godfrey YEARLY; but we'd
better nave a look at him, / guess
and he led the way out into the hall.
Not until simmonds spoke did L re-
member that | was shoeless. Now I
sat down beside Godfrey, got fun
blingly into my shoes again, and then
followed him II Simmonas slowly up
the stair.
l thought l knew What was passing in
Godfrey's mind: he was blaming him
self for this latest tragedy; he was
telling himself that he should have
blamed himself in that way when
things went wrong-and then. to have
the murderer slip through his very
fingers! l could guess what a mighty
shock that a been to his self-conti-
dence!
The latest victim was lying where he
had fallen, just inside the doorway
leading into the inner room. Simmonds
stepped to the window, threw open
the shutters, and let a flood OF after
noon sunshine into the room. Then he
knelt beside the body, and held up the
limp right hand for US to see.
just above the knuckles were two
blood oozing away from them, and
the flesh about them swollen and dis
colored.
II knew what it was the instant he
yelled La mort!'" aid Godfrey quiet
ly. And he knew what it was the
instant he felt the stroke. 1t is evil
dent enough that he had seen 1t used
before, Or heard of it, and knew that
it meant instant DEATH"
! sat down, staring at the dead man,
and tried to collect my senses. So this
tiendish criminal, who slew with pois-
on. had been lurking in Nantine's
house. and had struck down first Drou.
himself! But why-why. 1t was in
credible, astounding, my brain reeled
at the thought. And yet it must be
true!
| looked again at the third victim,
and saw a man roughly dressed. with
bushy black hair and tangled beard: q
very giant of a man, whose physical
strength must have been enormous
and yet 1t Lad awaited him nothing
against that tiny pin-prick on the
hand!
And then a sudden thought brought
me bolt upright.
But Armand" I cried. Where is
Armand?"
Godfrey looked at me with a half
pitying smile.
What. Lester!" he said, don't you
understand, even yet? 1t was your fas-
cinating M. Armand who did that"
and he pointed to the dead man.
l felt as though / had been struck a
heavy blow upon the head; black cir
cles whirled before my eyes.
Go over to the window" said God
frey. peremptorily, "and get some fresh
air"
Mechanically l obeyed, and stood
clinging to b window sill, gazing
down at the busy street, where the tide
of humanity was flowing up and down,
all unconscious of the tragedy which
had been enacted so close at hand. And,
at last, the calmness of all these people,
the sight of the world going quietly
along as usual, restored me a portion
OF my self control. But even vet I did
not understand.
WAS 1t Armand" I asked, turning
back into the room, who lay there in
the corner?"
Certainly it was" Godfrey an
swered. Who tlse could 1T be-"