The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-01-07

promptly, and while Simmonds went tc
the phone and called up ponce heau-
quarters. the manager dismounteo
from his throne, went down among tne
girls, and had them back at tHelf
work in short order.
Godfrey came over to me ana iaio
his hand on my shoulder.
why, Lester" he said, you look as
though you were at your last gasp."
Il am" 1 said. I'm going to have
nervous prostration if this thing keeps
up. You're not looking particularly
happy yourself"
u am not happy. I've let that fellow
kill a man right under my nose-llt-
orally, under my nose!-and then get
awayi"
KIN a MANI" I repeated. DO you
Go upstairs and look at the right
hand of the man lying there" said
Godfrey, CURLY, and you'll SEQ what
l mean!"
l sat staring at him, unable to be-
lieve that 1 had heard Alright; unable
to believe that Godfrey had really ut
tered those words the right
hand of the man lying there F.
that could mean only one thing . :.
Simmonds joined US with a twisted
smile on his lips, and 1 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 a little hooking
Taught.
Grady forsees his Waterloo!" he
said. We'll, it's not far distant. But
I'm glad for your sake, Stmmonds-
you're going to get some glory out Of
this thing, yeti"
II 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 If
anything a be done for that fellow"
There ant anything be done for
him." said Godfrey YEARLY; but we'd
better have a look at him, I guess"
and he led the way out into the hall.
Not until Simmonds spoke did I re-
member that l was shoeless. Now 1
sat down beside Godfrey, got FUN
blingly into my shoes again, and then
followed him and Simmonds slowly up
the stair.
I thought 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
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
shock that had been to his ~self-conf-
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 he
limp right hand for us to see.
Just above the knucklas wera two
tiny inoisfons, with a drop or two Of
blood oozing away from them, and
the flesh about them swollen and dis
colored.
81 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 1t used
before, or heard of it, and knew that
it meant Instant DEATH"
I sat down, staring at the dead man,
and tried to collect my senses. So this
fendish criminal, who slew with pois-
on, ha9 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
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: a
very giant Of a man, whose physical
strength must nave 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" cried. Vber 10
Armand?"
Godfrey looked at me with a half
plying smile.
What, Lester!!" he said, don't you
understand, even yet? 1t was your fas-
c1nating M. Armand who did that"
n ne pointed to the dead man.
felt as though had been struck a
heaVy dow upon the head; black cir
cles whirled before my eyes.
60 over to The window" said God
frey, peremptorily, and get some fresh
air"
Mechanically I obeyed, and stood
cllnsing to the window sill, gazing
down at the busy street, where the tide
OF humanity was flowing up and down.
al unconscious Of the tragedy which
mao 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 yet l did
not understand.
was 1t Armand" I asked, turning
PACK into the room, who lay there in
the ~corner?"
Certainly 1t was" Godfrey an
- {I'GnfinJtad aavf tuanLk