South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-06-19
THE MARIONETT7ES-By O. Henri

Chandler could not turn his head.
but he rolled his eyes in the dlrec-
ton Of the speaker.
Did I say where this-money is?"
NO. answered the physician. Il
only inferred. from your scarcely In
telligible words. that you felt a So
licitude concerning its safety. IL IT
is in this room"
Doctor James paused Did he only
seem 10 perceive a flicker OF under
standing. a CLEAN OF suspician upon
the ironical features OF his patient?
Had he seemed too eager? Had he
said too much? Chambers next
words resored his confidence.
"Where-should II be" he gasped.
but in-the safe-there ?"
With his eyes he indicated a cor
ner OF the room, where now, for the
first time. the doctor perceived a
small iron safe. haf-cOncealed by the
trailing end OF a window curtain.
Rising, he took the sick mans
wrist. His pulse was beating in great
throbs. with ominous intervals be-
tween.
Lift your arm" said Doctor
James
You know can't move, Doc
tor"
The physician stepped swiftly to
the hall door, opened IL. and listen
ed. All was still. without further
circumvention he went 10 the safe.
and examined It, OF a primitive make
and simple design. II afforded little
more security than protection against
fingered servants. To his sifll
II was a mere toy. a thing of straw
and pasteboard. The money was as
good as in his hands. With his
clamps he could draw the knob.
punch the tumblers and open the
door in two minutes. Perhaps, in
another way. he might open & In
one.
Rneeling upon the floor. ne laid
his ear TO the combination plate. and
slowly turned the knob. As he had
.surmised, it was locked at only a day
com'-upon one number. His keen
ear caught the faint warning click as
the tumbler was disturbed; he used
the clue-the handle turned He
swung the door wide open.
The interior OF the safe was bare
mot even a scrap of paper rested
within the hollow iron cube.
DIR. James rose TO his feet and
walked back 10 the bed.
A thick dew had formed upon the
dying mans brow. but there was a
hooking. grim smile on his lips and
in his eyes.
Il never-saw it before" he said.
painfully, medicine and-burglary
welded! Do yOu-maks the-com-
binatiOn pay-dear Doctor?"
Than that situation afforded, there
was never a more rigorous test Of
Doctor James greatness. Trapped
by the diabolic humor OF his victim
into a position both ridiculous and
unsafe, he maintained his dignity as
well as his presence of mind. Taking
out his watch, he waited for the man
to die.
You were-just a shade-too-
anxious about that money. But I
never was-in any danger-from you.
ANeNA A~ONAOAs IL . 6dLts GGIIeCLlX
safe. It's all-in the hands-of the
bookmakers. Twenty - thousand
Amy's money. I played it at the
races-lost every-cent OF IL. I've
been a pretty bad boy Burglar-eD-
cuse me-DoCtOr, but I've been q
/ square sport. 1 don't think ever
met-such anN1S-carat rascal ats
! you are, Doctor-excuse me-Bur-
glar. in all my rounds. Is II contrary
to the ethics-of your-gang, Bur
glar. to give a victim-excuse me
patient, a drink of water?"
Doctor James brought him a drink.
He could scarcely swallow It. The
reaction from the powerful drug was
coming in regular. intensifying
waves. But his mOribund fancy
must nave one more grating fling.
Gambler - drunkard - spend
thrift-I've been those, but-a doc
tor burglar!"
The physician INDUCED himself 10
but one reply 70 the others caustAc
Itaunts. Bending low 10 catch Chand-
ler's fast crystallizing gaze, he point
! ed 10 the sleeping lady's door with a
| gesture so stern and significant that
| the PROSTATE man half-hfted hf,
head, with his remaining strength To
see. He saw nothing; but he caught
/ the cold words OF the doctor-the
| last sounds he was TO hear:
| Il never yet-struck a woman"
It were vain TO attempt TO con
such men. There is no curriculum that
can reckon with them in its ken
They are offshOots from the types
whereof men say, He will do this. p
or He will%o that" We only know
that they exist; and that we can OBJ
| serve them and 10 tell one another OF
their bare performances, as children
watch and speak of the marionettea.
Yet II were a droll study in egoism
to consider these two-one an assas-
sin and a robber, standing above his
victim; the other baser in his Of
lenses, If a lesser lawbreaker, lying.
abhorred, in the house Of the wife he
/ had prosecuted, spoiled and smitten.
one a tiger, the other a dog-woIf-to
I! consider each Of them sickening at
the fOulness Of the other: and each
Iflourishing out of the mire OF his
manifest guilt his own Immaculate
standard-of conduct, IL not OF
honor.
The one retort OF Doctor James
must have struck. home 10 the others