The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-01
Ill,
WHAT A DOOR Hin

face. Eut the surprise which should have
accompanied cit was lacking, and however
quickly the three nearest the deceased
mans heart strove to cover I'D their first
instructive acceptance Of a fact Sc sug-
gestiVe of hidden troubles, could not but
see that the prosperous stock broker had
mad grlefs, aDxieties, or hopes to. which
this sudden end seemed to those who knew
nm best, natural sequence.
began to regret the chance which had
brought me into such close relations with
TINS family, and felt the closed envelop
IN my pocket weighing on my breast like
lead.
Meanwhile he whom they called Leigh
ton was saying in highly strained tone,
which he Vainly endeavored to make nat
ural;
May not Dr. Bennett be mistaken?
There is the chloral bottle on the shelf
over the fireplace. We are not in the
habit Of seeing 1t there. Does not its
presence in this room argue that father
felt the need of it. Prussic acid can only
be obtained through a doctor, and l am
confident you never prescribed him such
a dangerous drug Dr.. Bennett"
NO. for it is totally inapplicable to his
case. But you will find that he died from
taking it, Leighton; all his symptoms
show it. and we have only to determine
now whether he took it in the choral in
the glass Of wine he drank, or by means
OF some other agency not yet discovered.
! regret to speak SO unequivocally, but l
never lrince matters where my profession
is concerned. And, besides, the coroner
would not show you this consideration
even If l did. The fact is too patent
They were nov inside the study and I
did not hear Leighton's reply, but when
they all came out again, | saw that the
but that he had been informed Of the part
l had been called upon to play in this
matter. This was apparent from the way
he greeted me, and the questions he put
concerning his child's conduct during the
last terrible moments of her grandfather's
life.
AS he did this 1 had fuller opportunity
for studying his face. 1t was the most
melancholy one l had ever seen, and what
struck me as being worthy of remark was
that this melancholy seemed a settled one
and quite apart from the present grief
and disturbance. Yet he had been heavily
shaken by his fathers sudden il not mex
picable death, or appeared to be, which
possibly is not >luite the same thing.
Il do not understand why my father
should have called anyone in from the
street TO witness his sufferings while he
had sons in the house, he courteously
remarked, but having felt this necessity
such help, am glad that
chance favored him and us with person
OF such apparent good feeling as your
self"
scarcely needed him. I was ponder
ing over the letter and whether l should
pass it over to this man. But instinct
withheld ME, or rather my lawyerlike
habits which happily acted as a restraint
upon my natural impulse. l had re-
ceiyed no intimation as yet that it was
intended for any Of Mr.. Gillespie's sons.
you will Oblige us by waiting for the
Coroner?" he went on. "He has
telephoned that he will be here imme-'
diately.''
II shall wait" said And 1t was by
his invitation I now stepped into the par
lor.
A quarter of an hour, half hour,
passed before the front door bell rang
again. From the hubbub which ensued, I
knew hat the man we wished for had ar
rived, but it was a long while before he
entered the room in which l sat, during
which tedious interim l had to possess
my soul In patience. But at last l heard
his step on the threshold, and looking up,
I beheld spare, earnest man who ap-
preached me with great seriousness, and
sat down near enough to indulge In con-
f1dentfal talk without running the risk Of
being heard by anyone.
You are Mr.. Outhwaite,'' he began.
IT have heard Of your firm and have more
than once seen Mr. Robinson. Had you
any acquaintance with Mr.. Gillespie or
his family before to-night?''
''No. sir; Mr.. Gillespie was known to me
only by reputation.'
Then it was pure chance which led
you to be q witness of his final moments?"
Pure chance, II we do not believe in
Providence" I returned.
He surveyed me quite intently
RELATE what passed.
Now here was a dilemma. Did my dutv
exact revelation of the facts which I had
hitherto felt obliged to keep even from
the deceased mans sons? 1t was a ques-
ton not to be decided in a moment. so I
made UP my mind to be guided by devel-
onments, and confined my narration to a
recapitulation Of my former plain account
OF Mr.. Gillespie's grandchild had been
present at the moment her grandfather
expired.
| answered that she had been clinging
to him all the time he remained erect, but
shrank back and ran out Of the room the
moment he gave signs of alling to the
floor.
Did he speak to herr"
"Not that I heard
did he say anything?"
"A few inarticuate words no names"
HE did not ask for his sons?"
mo"
For none of them?"'
''No."
''How came the alarm to be spread?"
Il went up with the child and called
the young men down.
Coroner Frisbie stroked his chin still
looking at me int emily
WAS there an empty phial or piece
of paper lying about on the study table or
on the floor when you went in?'
I started.
''Paper?" I repeated. What kind of
paper?"
Such as IS used by druggists and ply
sicians in rolling up their prescriptions
The prussic acid which Mr.. Gillespie has
evidently taken must have been bought in
liquid form. The bottle which held it
should be lying about and possibly the pa
per IN which it was wrapped That is,
IT this poison was swallowed ntionally
by Mr.. Gillespie"
1 recalled the exact look Of the scrap
OF paper 1 had put into an envelop at
TINS gentleman's request. It was not such
one as is used by druggists in wrapping
UP parcels. and I felt my breast grow
lighter by a degree.
II did not see any such paper"
Where is the little girl?" he now
Quer1ed. II must see her"
had made UP my mind to one thing IF
the child said that I had been given a
paper by her grandfather I would ack-
nowledge it and produce the enyelop. But
if she had forgotten the fact or had been
too frightened to notice it, would pre-
serve silence in regard to it little long
err in the hope of being shown way out
of my difficulty.
I was therefore not sorry to hear him
ask for the little girl.
II take it that you are not anxious to
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