The National tribune., 1896-05-07

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| i'll and evidently out of sorts all day, and
needed something TO distract his thoughts
As we drove away together l attempted to
draw him into conversation.
Ferdinand l said, you don't seem well.
/ wish you would 60 away for week or two.
You need change of scene.'
Il am quite well, he replied. 1T is i'm
possible, as you know, for me to be away at
present Your marriage will take place
within the week
after that he would say no more, and we
remained silent until we reached Mrs,
| Leetham's house. As we entered l noticed
| that Ferdinand's face was drawn and pale,
and that he looked strangely agitated.
again declared my conviction that he was
| ill., and he again denied the imputation.
80 am WE'LL said he. Come, let us enter
| the ballroom. You have not put on your
gloves. Be quick-we are very late as it is }
He was already buttoning his own gloves
as he spoke. / drew mine from the pocket
of my dress-coat and began putting them
on. i noticed that my partner watched me
keenly as L did so, and that he drew long
breath rs ] fastened the last button.
There; now for the ballroom said he,
and turned along the hall to the door of the
brilliantly-lighted apartment, where dancing
had already begun. The musicians were
playing dreamy waltz rs we entered, and
under the music ran ripple OF pleasant
laughter and light-hearted conversation. l
looked around the room in search Of Lillian
she was opposite the door talking to our
hostess. They both saw us and came over
to where we stood. As they drew near /
suddiny saw n terrified expression steal into
their eyes, and the next moment Mrs. Lee
than screamed:
90 DR.. HOlford look at DR.. MonterO!'
al turned on Ferdn like fash
Never, rs long rs / live, shall forget his
face. He stood near the door, his body fixed
in an awful rigidity, his face working con-
vulsively, his eyes positively horrible in their
attempt to convey some message which his
tongue refused to utter. l rushed to his
side, but before / or any Of the bestauders
could reach him lie fell 10 the ground, aud
lay there apparently lifeless. / was kneel-
ing by hin on the instant, and another medi-
cal man came hurrying up in response TO
call for help. The music stopped, the light
chatter and merry laughter died away, and
people looked Oh awe-struck while we made
Il lasty examination.
ale was dead. | felt sure Of il from the
moment / saw him fall and the merest
glance at him showed us the worst. And he
was not only dead but cold and rigid. 1T
seemed as if light and life had gone out of
him at one fell stroke.
There was, of course, an end to all merry
making for that night, and presently the
house was deserted save by those who re-
manned to attend to poor Montero. Two or
three hours later we removed the body to
my house, and at midnight / found myself
gazing on the cold face of my dead partner
and wondering what had caused his death.
For neither nor the other medical man who
had seen him die could accurately say what
killed him. It was not heart disease, nor
apoplexy, nor q seizure of the ordinary kind.
1t was some mode and form of sudden death
with which we were unfamiliar.
81 went into our work-room and began
to think the matter over. The sight of
Monteros works on toxcolopy lying loosely
arranged on his desk suggested a thought Of
sinister aspect TO me. Had he poisoned
himself? j went across tie room and began
to turn the books over. Some Of them /
knew, others were quite unfamiliar 10 me.
As handled them, wondering if they con-
tanned any clew 10 the sad fate of my poor
friend, slip OF paper, written all over in a
faded ink, fell from one and auttered 20 the
floor. / picked it mp and read it. il ran
as follows: One Of the most celebrated
poisoners of Italy was accustomed to poison
his victims by rubbing the inside of their
gloves OF gauhtlets with preparation which
soaked into the flesh and produced death
within a few minutes
Il let the paper fall from my hand, over
whelmed by a terrible conviction that Fer
dinand had chosen this ingenious mode of
terminating his life. hastily left the work.
room and returned TO the chamber where
his dead body lay. lifted his right hand
and examined it. 1t was cold and still, and
could at first see no mark on it. Present
Iy, however, / noticed that there was
slight discoloration about the palm, and that