Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-20
tcopyrIeh.. 1920. Robert NJ. Mcpr,do 4 O.

n little talk which j had with Mr.
| 'ritheredgc here confirmed tho posi-.
bility OF it, Odell met tho attor.
ncy's eye and shook his head re,.
suringly. Down Mt Headquarters
| Peters had to:d US OF mysterious I'm.
truder at the hour OF Mrs. I.orn.,,
death. who passed up tho stair, 10
me attic. and whom he firmly be-
| heved to be ghost. He did no so.
IL. nut caught glimpse OF tho lipb.
II carried and heard II sag: "The frs,
one goncl So shall they all 20. on.
| by one!'
The she devil" Lorne groaned
| But what was it that happened a
Few hours before you tricked her into
| hetraying hcrsclf?"
With Rannie's help / proved vo.-
terday that your eldest stcpdaupb-
| ter was being slowly poisoned Inv nm
''nliSturc or white arsenic I'm he,
FOOD; and that narrowed the possible
suspects down to Miss Meade. Mr.
Gene Chalmers and the three ser-
wants. During tho morning 1 heard
footsteps ascending to tho very to,,
| of the house, and something I'm tbo,.
| htclthy. almost noisclcss tread r..
called Peters story OF the phos, 10
my mind.
"On an impulse / followed. bpt ~
person ahead was always. Just bcvopd
my range OF vision until / haI,od T.,
the doorway OF the storage-room M,
one win tile barred windows. The,
saw Miss Meade with ber ,r,,t
sien"er arms she was moving two
huge. heavy trunks. which were ni,ee
~
seemed 10 put forth no effort in a
'"s" that would normally require tn.
."e'sy OF Two husky men. / did no. sec
.aee at once: but when she turn.
toward me tho mask was off.
an" ! Knew that my search was end
VI even before ! heard her insane
sp'ech' Eat that. my prct,ics.
nave enough left Tor Cissic's last dos,
III fool them ali.'
made my escape before she wa.
aware or my presence, and decided
'nat the only way TO convince an
VI you OF hcr guilt would be to trIck
her into betraying herself Tn.
greatest thing In her life was hc,
lore. or obsession, for Rannic: ana
l determined TO play upon that
gathered you IN as witnesses. laid
my trap and sprung II an you know.
would feel cuipabie I'm having
Drought on the scene which resulted
III MISS Mcades death, but there was
no otacr way to bring her machina-
irons hahle TO her: and DR.. Adams has
since Informed me her cage wa, In.
durable and that future existence
would have meant for her mere
tortured blank. Her superbum,,
strength was. OF course, part q,
her madness."
she is better dead" Titheredrs
observed in his dry judicial tones.
IL !" only pity that acr malady
DID not manifest Itself "A few short
weeks ago; but we have. you TO think.
sergeant. that she was prevented
from carrying out her hdcous schemeI
TO exterminatc the family"
We owe you our lives" Richay
Lorne declared brokenly. "Whcnf3
think Of my poor wife could
mad myself. and 1t is as well ne
haDs that her sister. is beyond my
reach. Sergeant Odcil, shalI mott
speak of reward at this moment: but
you will not ind me unappreciative
81 the mastery way In which you
have handled this case and brough,
1t to n successful conclusion, nor un-
mindful OF the debt that and mine
owe TO you
Odcll rose.
III was only in the line OF my
professional duty. sir" he said
quietly. My one regret lies in the
solution OF the problem-that an al
nicted. unfortunate member OF your
own family should prove TO have
performed the dreadful. se!f-appoint-
cd work OF those unseen hands"
THE END.