The Meeker herald., 1896-12-05
A ONE MAN JURY.

I
the wrist Of Magnus Weatherman, thu
banker. whose sudden seizure just al
he arose from the breakfast table had
alarmed his family. 1t was now two
hours since the man stretched out on
the b&l had groaned, whirled and
fallen to the floor. At the side of the
couch was DIR. Raymond, Mrs. Wealth
erman, nervous maid and the little
| child whose presence was overlooked
or forgotten. DR.. Raymond laid the
clinched hand on the cover. He il
dead,' be said, slowly, quietly.
II he had expected the wife to make
an outcry or to faint his caution was
needless She bit her lip, rose un-
steadily and rather wildly tried to say
something. But there was no over
whelming sorrow on her face. The
silence grew oppressive and the child
began to cry, not from realization, but
from the strangeness. The maid hasti-
ly picked him up and fed the room,
| sobbtng rs she stumbled out
AIRS Woathor,,,an t,.-..aa ~s~i. -
the bed where lay the quiet and mas
| sive figure. "He-he is dead" she re-
peated, as though to impress the fact
upon her brain. at is hard to compre-
bend" DIR. Raymond looked at her
gravely with no touch of sympathy.
1t was evidently not needed He no.
ticed that she even remembered to
hold her handsome head at the angle
at which she had been so admired In
her portrait exhibit at the institute
reception, and there was n delicate
pink flush coming back to her lovely
and girlish face. He moved uncertain
ly toward the door. II must send for
someone" she said unevenly. II will
telegraph Gerald Weatherman-his
brother-down in Hyde Park. VIII you
take the message, DIR. RaymondY'
Certainly answered the doctor.
He glanced at the still figure on the
bed with its set face and followed
Mrs. Weatherman down the broad stair
case. She led the way to the library,
but the physician paused in sudden re
membrance. Pardon me-" he said,
''Tll be here when you have the mes
sage written. left my gloves and
case in the dining ROOM
He rapidly walked down the hall
into the big sunny room which had wit
messed the beginning of the tragedy.
The disorder Of the table and the cloth
half pulled off, together with the added
touch of an upset chair, told the story.
1t had been on this spot that the dead
man had lain two hours before. The
doctor carefully moved around the
place in order not to step on it. He
had been friend of Weatherman, one
OF the few that the rather cold, re-
pressed man had permitted himself.
He knew his history; he was bound to
him by knowledge which often makes
tha family J,hysfnion unwilling
father confessor. There had been
time in his friendship when he had
witnessed that rare thing, the reveal
ment of Il strong mans heart, and the
memory had scared into his brain.
There was beginning 10 tnroD III ms
inmost soul bitter resentment tnat
there was no mourning, no outcry, no
heartbreak, nothing but decorous
silence over the corpse of the man up
stairs, He deserved more. He had al
ways deserved more than he received.
One of the gloves had dropped to
the floor half under the tablecloth. AS
he picked 1t up there rolled out from
under the table. drawn in its wake,
tiny bottle resembling the ones he car
ried in his case He reached for it
and looked at it first casually, next
surprised and puzzled, then with
white, settled. comprehendinS express
sion. symptoms could not be forgot
ten. Involuntarily he stiffened and
stared in the direction from which he
had come Il do not want to believe
1t" he said. argumcntatively. II could
not answer for myself fiercely. Great
Godw as his relentless professional
habit pressed facts upon him, why
did find it?'
There was soft rustic and Mrs.
Weatherman came in. She was paler
than when she left the death bed, and
her eyes were dark with emotion. 1T
is written she said, approaching the
table. II can't think Of what else to
do-you will-see to things?"
Even as she spoke her eyes searched
the table with flashing persistence,
Travelled over the floor and came back
anything but anxiety. She leaned
against the table and her nostrils di
lated. She was breathing fast. The
doctor took her in with relentless eyes.
Yes" he said, Il will attend to things.
OF course, there will be an inquest"
The woman before him was stricken
with a sudden wave Of paralysis. She
turned suddenly and sat down. An
Inquest" she said, harshly. "What-
what for? Surely"
"It is customary" he said, keeping
his eyes on the glove he was drawing
on "a mere. form. I will testify"
Your There was an Involuntary
appeal in her voice.
Yes" DR. Raymond said, gently.
He opened his case; there was bottle
In his hand. ~ must have dropped
this bottle of arsenic on the floor when
first came in." he said, meditatively.
'1 found 1t under the table" The
rows Of bottles In the homeopathic
case were exposed to view. They were
all in place and not a one missing. He
looked at her and at the bottle in his
hand. There was nothing in her face
but the hypnotist or snake. In her eyes
he read: what is he going to doT
and in her little nerveless hands, with
her sparkling rings, awful baubles at
this instant. he read panic and horrible
koar Slo1yly he sfra ichtenad I'm and