Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-03

goods delivered to it. l called at the office of the Manhattan Chemical company to investigate on my own account. The office and store occupy the basement of an old ramshackle | building, whose upper stories are rented out as business offices. The laboratory and 51anufsch1ring depart mcnt are downstairs in the cellar The store contains only few chairs and long counter behind which rise shelves containing rows of bottles with brilliantly colored labels. few painted signs upon the walls vaunt the merits of Dr. Henderson's Cough Cure and Dr. Henderson'c Liver Spe- ciiic. I did not expect to find anyone in on New Years day. I was. there fore, surprised to see solitary clerk sitting with his feet upon desk and apparently absorbed in the reading of newspaper-a pale young man of the washed-out blond type, with Wa tery green-blue eyes and a scant mus tache which fails to conceal a weak mouth. He rose to greet me with an air of surprise which docs not speak well for the brskncss of trade in the establishment. Indeed, if we are to judge by the aspect of things in the office of the Manhattan Chemical com pany, business in patent medicines does not appear to be flourishirg just at present. By the way, did you ever hear of Dr. Henderson's remedies?"
 ''No; I cannot say that 1 have,' an- swered Dunlap.
 "That is the curious part of it." said Sturgis. 'I have been unable to discover any advertisement published by this firm; and it is only by profuse advertising that such a concern can live"
 "Yes, of course,' exclaimed Dunlap, somewhat impatiently; but what has all this to do with Chatham?'' 'I don't know,' replied Sturgis; possibly nothing; perhaps a great deal.
 ''I asked to see Dr. Henderson," he continued, lat which the sleepy clerk stared at me in open-mouthed amaze | ment. Dr. Henderson was not in; it was quite uncertain when he would 1 be in. Indeed. as far as l was able to judge, Dr. Henderson appears to be rather mysterious parsonage. No one knows much about him. Even his clerk admits that he has seen him only once or twice in the IS months 1 during which he has had charge of the office. The doctor attends to the manufacturing part of the business himself; his laboratory, which is ! down in the cellar, is a most jealously 1 guarded place. No one is ever ad- mitted to it under any pretext. He is evidently afraid that some one may | ha of wall 1,1 remedies.''
 'You say that as if your words were meant to convey some uneXpressed meaning" said Dunlap, studying the reporters face.
 "No," Sturgis answered, thought fully, but l am trying to attach some ulterior significance to the facts. There is certainly something mysterious about Dr. Henderson and the Manhattan CheGica1 company; but whether the mystery is legitimate or not, and if not, whether it is in any way connected with the Arbogast case, is more than I am at present | able to determine"
 After short pause he continued:
 "When l found that there was no chance of seeing Dr. Henderson him. self, l inquired at a venture for the manager. For an instant a puzzled look lent expression to the otherwise vacuous features of the young man. Then a sudden inspiration seemed to come to him. Oh! ah! yes, he ex- claimed, you mean MT. Smith, 'Yes,' said l, catching at a straw. Well, but MT. Smith is not in, either.' I offered to wait for MT. Smith. and started to- ward the door of the private office in the rear, because it bore in prominent letters the inscriptions: NO ADMIT 1 TANCE.' l had turned the knob be- fore the clerk could stop me; but the door was locked. Mir. Smith, it seems, comes to the office only once a week to receive the clerks report and to pay him his salary. tried to make spe- cial appointment to meet MT. Smith, on the plea of important business. l left a fictitious name and address so that MT. Smiths answer might be sent to me. That was all I was able to do for the time being; but thought it worth while to keep an eye open on the Man haitian Chemical company; so l have engaged private detectives to watch it for me night and day until further no- tice. And there the matter stands"
 Dunlap rose wearily from his chair. He looked anxious and careworn.
 MT. Sturgis,'' he said, Eff you can find any part of that $25o,C0O, a good share of whatever you can recover for the bank is yours.'
 The reporter flushed and bit his lip; but he answered quietly:
 ''You mistake me for a detective. MT. Dunlap; I am only reporter. I shall be paid by the Tempest for any work may do on this case. You would bet. ter offer your reward to the police"