Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-11-19
CHAPTER XII
In Which a RolIs-Royce Runs
Arnok

satisfied grunt, but he had spoken no
word. And the girl, glancing through
the door, saw him, with his shirt
sleeves rolled up above his elbows,
carefully mixing two liquids together
and stirring the result gently with a
glass rod. He was completely alb
sorbed in his task, and with a faint
smile on her face she went back TO
the sofa and waited. She knew too
well the futility of speaking to him
on such occasions. Even when he
came in, carrying gloves on his hands,
she made no remark, but waited for
him to relieve her curiosity.
He placed the mixture on the table
and glanced round the room. Then
he pulled up one of the ordinary stuff
armchairs to the table and removed
the linen head-rest, which he carefully
soaked with the contents of the
saucer, dabbing the liquid on with
sponge, so as not to crumple the linen
In any way. He used up all the liquid,
and then, still with the same meticu-
lous care, he replaced the head-rest on
the chair, and stood back and sur
Veyed his handiwork.
look all right?' he asked briefly.
Quite" answered the girl. whats
the gamer"
'Drummond has got to sit in that
chair" he returned, removing the
saucer and the sponge to the bath
room, and carefully peeling off his
gloves. Hes got to sit in that chair,
my dear, and afterward that linen
affair has got to be burnt. And what
ever happens''-he paused for mo-
ment in front of her-"don't you touch
It."
Quietly and methodically, he con-
tinued his preparations, as if the most
usual occurrence in the world was in
progress. He crossed to the sideboard
and extracted new and undecanted
bottle of whisky. From this he with
drew about dessertspoonful Of the
spirit, and replaced it with the con-
tents of small phial which he took
out of his waistcoat pocket. Then he
forced back the cork until it was right
home, and with the greatest care re-
placed the cap of tinfoil round the top
of the bottle. And the girl, coming
over to where he was working, saw
that the bottle was again ss new.
what consummate artist you are,
cheri y she said, layingla hand on his
shoulder
The Reverend Theodosius smiled and
passed his arm round her waist.
Zone of the earliest essentials of our
occupation, my little one, is to
learn how to insert dope into an ap-
parently untouched bottle"
''But do you think you will get him
to drink even out of new bother"
81 hope so. / shall drink myself.
But even if he doesn't, the preparation
on the chair is the essential thing
Once his neck touches that"
With an expressive wave of his
hand he yenished once more into the
bathroom, returning with his coat.
Don't you remember that Italian
cologist-FransioH2 he remarked
'We met him in Naples three years
ago, and he obligingIy told me that he
had in his possession the secret of one
of the real Borgia poisons. / remem-
Der had most interesting discus
sion with him on the subject. The
internal application is harmless; the
external application is what matters.
That acts alone, but if the victim can
be induced to take it internally as
well it acts very much better"
"Fransioli?" She frowned thought
fully. Wasn't that the name of the
man who had the fatal accident on
Vesuvius?"
That's the fellow" answered the
Reverend Theodosius, arranging a
siphon and some glasses on tray.
"He persuaded me to ascend it with
him, and on the way up he was foolish
enough to tell me that the bottles con-
tanning this poison had been stolen
from his laboratory. l don't know
whether he suspected me or mott was
an Austrian baron at the time, if
remember aright-but when he pro-
ceeded to peer over the edge of the
crater at most dangerous point l
thought it better to take no risks. So
-er-the accident occurred And |
gathered he was really a great loss to
science"
He glanced at his watch, and the
girl laughed delightedly.
ut will be interesting to see if his
claims for If GRO frun no continued
thoughtfully. II have only used it
once, but on that occasion / mad
vertently put too much into the wine,
and the patient died. But with the
right quantities it produces he
stated, and l saw him experiment on
a dog-a type of partial paralysis, not
only of the body, but of the mind. You
can see, you can hear, but you can't
speak and you can't move. What ulti-
mately happens with a human being
l don't know, but the dog recovered"
A quick double knock came at the
door, and with one final glance round
the room the Reverend Theodosius
crossed to his desk and sat down.
Come in" he called, and a small
dapper-looking man entered.
Number 13, sir" said the new
conner briefly, and the other nodded.
II am expecting man here shortly
49," remarked the clergyman, "whose
voice shall want you to initiate over
the telephone"
"Only over the telephone, sir?"