The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-01-07

promptly, and while Simmonds went 70
the phone and called up police head
quarters, the manager dismouited
from his throne, went down 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. ;ss-,
why, Lester" he said, you look as
though you were at your last gasp"
Il am" / said. Pm going to have
nervous prostration IL this thing keeps
up. You're not looking particularly
happy yourself" ......
Il am not happy. rye let that fellow
kill 4 man right under my nose--lt-
orally, Under my nose!-and then get
KIN a manT" I repeated. DO you
GO upstairs and look at the right
hand OF the man lying there" SAID
Godfrey, CURLY, and youth see what
l meant"
/ sat staring at him, unable to be-
lieve that / had heard Alright; unable
to believe that Godfrey had really ut.
hand OF the man lying there :.
that could mean only one thing
Simmonds Joined us with n twisted
smile on his lips, and saw that even
he was considerably shaken.
IT 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 things"
Godfrey laughed q little hooking
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"
cleaned an instant. The ambulance
win 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 A done for
him." said Godfrey YEARLY; but we'd
better have a look at him, l guess"
and he led the way out into the hall.
Not until Simmonds spoke did re-
member that was shoeless. Now ]
sat down beside Godfrey, got 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
self for this latest tragedy; he was
foreseen and prevented 1t; he always
blamed himself in that way when
things went wrong-and then, to have
the murderer slip through his very
fingers! / could guess what mighty
shock that had been to his self-confi-
dence H..
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 food 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
tiny incisions, with 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 mortl'" said Godfrey quiet
ly. And he knew what 1T was the
instant he felt the stroke 1t is evil
before, or heard OF 1t, and knew that
1t meant instant death"
1 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 reeled
truei
l 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 availed him nothing
against that tiny pin-prick on the
hand!
And then a sudden thought brought
me bolt upright.
But Armand" cried. Where is
ArmandT"
Godfrey looked, at me with a half
plying smile.
What, Lesterl" he said, don't you
understand, even yet? 1t was your fas-
cinating NJ Armand who did that"
and he pointed to the dead man.
! felt as though had been struck q
heavy blow upon the head; black cir
cles whirled before my eyes.
go over to the window" said Cod
frey, peremptorily, land get some fresh
air"
Mechanically obeyed, and stood
clinging to the 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 az usual, restored me q portion
Of my self control. But even yet I did
not understand.
Was It 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?"