Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-01-06

shrieks made my hair stand on end.
How l got down the stair | dc not
know, but l. too, turned back along the
lower hail, expecting any instant to
come upon | knew not what horror.
j reached an open door, passed Trough
it and found myself in the laundry. IN
the midst of a group OF excited ana
indignant women, who greeted my APP
pearance with a fresh series of
screams.
Unable to go farther, | sat Imply
down upon a box and ookcd at them.
j dare say the figure i made was
ridiculous enough, for the screams
gave place to subdued giegles, but
was far from thinking of my appear
ance, or of caring what impression l
produced. And L was still sitting there
when Godfrey anne back, breathing
heavily. chagrin and anger in his eyes.
The employees of the aundry, con-
scious that something extraordinary
was occurring. crowded about him, but
he clbowed his way through them to
the desk where The manager sat.
"A crime has been committed up
stairs" he said. This gentleman with
me is Mr.. Simmonds, of the detective
bureau n at the words Simnonds
showed his shield. We shall have to
notify headquarters" Godfrey went on,
=" and l would advise that YOU keep
Your girls at their work. don't sup
pose you var to be mixed up in it,
Sure not" agreed the manager
promptly, and while Simnlonds went to
the phone n called up police head
quarters. the manager dismounted'
from his throne, went Town among the
girls. and had them back at their
work in short order.
Godfrey came over to me and laid
his hand on my shoulder.
why, Lester" he said. you look as
though YOU We're at Your last gasp
II am.' l said. I'm going to have
nervous pr%ostration il this thing keeps
up. You're not looking particularly
happy yourself.'
Il ann not happy. I've let that fellow
kill Il man right under my nose-lit-
orally. under my nose!-and then get
away"
Xii a man" 1 repeated. do YOU
Go upstairs and look at the right
Godfrey. curtly, and you'll see what
| meant"
i sat staring at him. unable TO be-
lieve that L had heard alright: unable
TO believe hat Godfrey had really ut
tered those words the right
hand of the man lying there
that could mean only one thing
Simmonds Joined us with Il twisted
smile on his lips. l saw that ven
he was considerably shaken.
Il got Grady" he said. 'and old him
what had happened. He says he's too
busy to come up. and that I'm to take
charge of things
Godfrey laughed n little mocking
Taught.
Grady forsees his Waterloo!" he
said. We'll, it's not far distant. But
I'm glad for Your sake. Simmonds-
you're going to get some glory out of
this thing. YETI
ar 49, -~-
cleaned an instant. The ambulance
will be around at once he added.
Wed better get our shoes
on, and go back upstairs, and see if
anything can be done for tina fellow
There can't anything be done for
him." said Godfrey YEARLY: but we'd
better have Il look at him. l guess
and he led the way out into the hall.
Not until Simmonds spoke did | re-
member that l was shoeless. Now l
sat down beside Godfrey, GO FUN
blingly into my shoes again, and then
followed him and Simmonds slowly up
the stair.
] thought knew what was passing in
Godfrey's mind: he was blaming him.
telling himself hat he SHOULD have
foreseen and prevented it; he always
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
dcnce!
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
linn right hand for. us tn soc
just above the knuckles We're two
tiny incisions, with a drop or two OF
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,'" said Godfrey quiet
ly. And he knew what it was the
instant he felt the stroke. 1t is evil
dent enough that he had seen it 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
fiendish criminal, who slew with pois-
on, had been lurking in Vantine's
house. and had struck down first Drou-
ct and then the master of the house
himself! But why-why! 1t was in
credible, astounding. my brain reele6
true!
/ looked again at the third victim.
and saw a man roughly dressed. with
bushy black hair and tangled beard; a
very giant of a man. whose physical
strength must have been enormous
and yet it Lad awaited him nothing
against that tiny pin-prick on the
hand!
And then a sudden thought brought
me bolt upright.
but Armand" 1 cried. where is
Armand?"
Godfrey looked at me with a half
| plying smile.
What. Lester..'' he said. don't you
understand. even yet? 1t was your fas-