The Raymer enterprise., 1911-04-20

Natural causes" queried Valen-
tine. Doctor Zabriskie shook his head.
Stepping to the side OF the bed he
barred the dead mans left breast
Look there" ne pointed. A minute
red puncture like pimple. hardly
bigger than a pinhead, discolored the
lean flesh The inspector. man OF
few words. raised his eyebrows ques-
toningly. You think" he was be-
ginning, when the more volatile Ia
briskie interrupted In tense whisper,
hand to mouth:
That's what killed him. The heart
was punctured by some exceedingly
fine weapon-so fine that there was
no external bleeding He must have
died instantly"
Valentine nodded as he rose from
inspecting the tiny spot. scarcely no.
uceable to the unskilled eye. He had
700 much faith in Zabriskie's skill to
question his diagnosis.
Anything been disturbed" he
asked In that mutiled tone with which
the most hardened observers pay
homage to the king OF terrors.
Nothing. Neither his niece nor
the woman OF the house know any.
thing as yet, except the bare fact Of
death. AS coroner, OF course. the case
comes within my Jurisdiction. but SO
far am here merely as the nearest
regular practitioner. 1t rests between
you and me. Undoubtedly a crime has
been committed. but whoever did It
has made clean getaway, guess"
I'D like to look around" said Valen.
tine, stepping into the back parlor
where Caleb Winnett had his office
is this where you found him." point.
ing TO a roomy revolving chair which
was pushed back from the tidilyar.
ranged table.desk,
Exactly He was all hunched over
on his right side, one arm nearly
touching the floor This chair here. '
pointing TO an ordinary cane straight
backed seat, stood facing his left.
The folding doors were closed when
arrived"
Inspector Valentine took a position
directly behind the empty swivel
chair and his eyes swept the we'll
ordered room. A bookcase occupied
one recess, small steel safe the
| other; there was no window. the mid
die room being lighted from the rear
extension or from the front parlor.
like hundreds Of similar New York
| houses A few steel engravings OF
commonplace subjects hung on the
walls: the furniture was OF the black,
walnut and hair-cloth epoch; a plain
tapestry carpet worn white in spots
covered the floor, save a rag,r rug for
a lootrest before the desk
Evidently the dead millionaire had
| not cared 10 sQuander his money on
modern furniture or fal.lals. All was
dingy and dreary; the furnishings Of
the parlor and sleeping room were
equally ordinary and COlorless And
yet that sordid clearinghouse back
parlOr had doubtless witnessed many
a tragedy. eliminating in one that had
cost the avaric!Ous wcb-spinner his
life.
Go out and make some calls; come
back in an hour" was Valentine )
curt request to Zabriskie when he had
completed his eaglelike survey. and
don't talk"
The doctor nodded, stepped into the
| third room for his case Of instruments
and medicines and tiptoed to the door
Valentine. at his heels. closed and
| locked II after him Then, lighting
| every gas.burner, his manner changed
instanter; he became as alert as a
terrier nosing out rat. Now on hia'
| knees, now peering into corners, then
lsung and shaking every paper on the
desk, he literally turned that dingy
apartment inside out and upside down,
| vet his methods were so adroit that
not even the lynx.eyed Caleb Winnett
himself could have told that his sane
tum had been Invaded.
At the end OF twenty minutes thor
ough search, the detective gave a
grunt OF satisfaction and rose TO his
feet. He had been cropping among
the heavy chenille fringe at the bot
tom OF the double portiere which halt
screened the folding doors. Approach
Ing the food Of light under the four
armed chandelier he held in his fingers
a small gltterIng object. rounded and
fat. Laying It in the palm OF the
other hand, he turned II over and over
A small hole on the palmer and under
side proved the thing TO be the gold
and silver tiligree head OF woman's
long hatpin, That was all. for
search as he would. the missing shank
was not to be found. nor did either o'
the other rooms yield any better re
suit
Precisely at the expiration Of thirty
inmates Doctor Zabriskie raped or
the door. which Valentine opened
then closed.
You're sure as TO the manner o.
DEATH" was the query which me-
him.
Perfectly" was the quiet reply.
"A stiletto?" asked Valentine. biz