Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-09-18

ical company"
"And what is the Manhattan Chem
ical company"
"That is the question asked peo-
pie connected with the commercial
agencies They replied that they
knew very little concerning this firm;
because, although 1t has been in ex-
istence for couple Of years, it ap-
parently never asks anyone for cred
1t, preferring to pay cash for all the
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 ramshaclkle
building, whose upper stories are
rented out as business Offices The
laboratory and manufacturing depart
ment are downstairs in the cellar.
The store contains only few chairs
and a long counter behind which rise
shelves containing rows of bottles
with brilliantly colored labels. A few
painted signs upon the walls vaunt
the merits of DR.. Henderson's Cough
Cure and DR.. Henderson's Liver Spe-
cific. did not expect to find anyone
in on New Years dry. ! was, there
fore, surprised to see a solitary clerk
sitting with his feet upon desk and
apparently absorbed in the reading of
newspapers pale young man of
the washed-out blond type, with wa
terry green-blue eyes and scant mus
tache which fails to conceal a weak
mouth. He rose to greet me with an
air of surprise which does not speak
we'll for the briskness 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 flourishing just
at present. By the way, did you ever
hear of DR.. Henderson's remedies?"
"No; cannot say that 1 have" an
swered Dunlap.
"That is the curious part of it,"
said Sturgis. 81 have been unable to
discover any advertisement published
by this firm; and it is only by profuse
advertising that such concern can
| live.'
eyes, of course" exclaimed Dunlap,
somewhat impatiently; "but what
| has all this to do with Chatham?"
IT don't know" replied Sturgis;
possibly nothing; perhaps great
deal.
II asked to see DR.. Henderson," he
continued. sat which the sleepy clerk
stared at me in open-mouthed amaze
ment. DR.. Henderson was not in; it
was quite uncertain when he would
be in. Indeed, as far as l was able
to judge, DIR. Henderson appears to be
a 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
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 most jealously
guarded place. No one is ever adj
mitted to it under any pretext He is
evidently afraid that some one may
discover the secret of his valuable
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 am trying to attach
some Interior significance to the
facts. There is certainly something
mysterious about DIR. Henderson and
the Manhattan Chemical 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 / 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 venture for the
manager. For an instant puzzled
look lent expression to the otherwise
vacuous features of the young man.
Then sudden inspiration seemed to
come to him. oh! ah! yes,' he ex-
claimed, you mean Mr.. Smith, Yes
said |, catching at straw. Well, but
Mr.. Smith is not in, ether l offered
to wait for Mr.. Smith, and started to-
ward the door of the private Office in
the rear, because it bore in prominent
letters the inscription: NO ADMIT
TANCE.' l had turned the knob be-
fore the clerk could stop me; but the
door was locked. Mr.. Smith, it seems,
comes to the office only once week 10
receive the clerks report and to paw
him his salary. triedito make a spe-
cial appointment to meet Mr.. Smith, on
the plea of important business. left
fictitious name and address so that
Mr.. Smiths answer might be sent to
me. That was all was able 10 do for
the time being; but thought it worth
while to keep an eye open on the Man
haitian Chemical company; so have
engaged private detectives to watch it
for me night and day until further no.
tice. And there the matter stands"
Dunlap rose YEARLY from his chair.
He looked anxious and careworn.
"Mr. Sturgis,' he said, "if you can
find any part of that se5o,ooO, 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 detective, Mr..
Dunlap; am only reporter. shall
be paid by the Tempest for any work l