and tried to build up
a new life on the ruins of the old. But they would not have it, none of
them; so I say, burn it! that no memory of me may remain in this
miserable world."

"Keep to the facts!" I severely retorted. "It was while carrying this
poem from one newspaper to another that you secured that bit of print
upon the blank side of which yourself printed the obituary notice with
which you savoured your revenge upon the woman who had disappointed
you."

"You know that? Then you know where I got the poison with which I tipped
the silly toy with which that weak man fooled away his life?"

"No," said I, "I do not know where you got it. I merely know it was no
common poison bought at a druggist's, or from any ordinary chemist."

"It was woorali; the deadly, secret woorali. I got it from--but that is
another man's secret. You will never hear from me anything that will
compromise a friend. I got it, that is all. One drop, but it killed my
man."

The satisfaction, the delight, which he threw into these words are
beyond description. As they left his lips a jet of flame from the
neglected fire shot up and threw his figure for one instant into bold
relief upon the lowering ceiling; then it died out, and nothing but the
twilight dusk remained in the room and on the countenance of this doomed
and despairing man.

THE STAIRCASE AT HEART'S DELIGHT

In the spring of 18--, the attention of the New York police was
attracted by the many cases of well-known men found drowned in the
various waters surrounding the lower portion of our great city. Among
these may be mentioned the name of Elwood Henderson, the noted tea
merchant, whose remains were washed ashore at Redhook Point; and of
Christopher Bigelow, who was picked up off Governor's Island after
having been in the water for five days, and of another well-known
millionaire whose name I cannot now recall, but who, I remember, was
seen to walk towards the East River one March evening, and was not met
with again till the 5th of April, when his body floated into one of the
docks near Peck's Slip.

As it seemed highly improbable that there should have been a concerted
action among so many wealthy and distinguished men to end their lives
within a few weeks of each other, and all by the same method of
drowning, we soon became suspicious that a more serious verdict than
that of suicide should have been rendered in the case of Henderson,
Bigelow, and the other gentleman