The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-10-15
CHAPTER I1I-(Contlnued).

money, or asy for help; and then,
| while he was waitin, he suddenly gave
the thing up and killed himself. The
address has no bearing whatever, that
l can see. on the question of suicide.
And III say this, Mr.. Lester, If this
isn't suicide, it's the strangest case I
ever had anything to do with"
Yes" l agreed, "it it isn't suicide,
That's it," and G%oldberger nodded
emphatically. Here's the ambulance"
he added, as the bell rang.
The bearers entered with the stretch
er, placed the body on it, and carried it
away. Goldberger paused to gather up
the articles he had taken from the dead
mans pockets.
You gentlemen will nave to give
your testimony at the inquest" he said.
$50 will Parks and Rogers. 1t will be
day after tomorrow, probably at 10
o'clock, but I'll notify you of the hour"
Very we'll" I said; well be there"
and Goldberger babe US good bye, and
left the house. And now" I added, to
Vantine, Il must be getting back to
the office. They'll be asking the police
to look for me next. Man alivei' and
j? glanced at my watch, its after 4
o'clock"
Too late for the office said vantine.
Better come upstairs n have a
drink. Besides. L want to talk with
you"
al iedSt, IL let lltm KNOW L m SUN
alive" l said, and l called up the Of
flee and allaYed any anxiety that may
have been felt there concerning me. I
must admit that it did not seem acute.
Il feel the need of a bracer after all
this excitement" Vantine remarked, as
he opened the cellaret. Help yourself.
! dare say you're used to this sort of
thing"
Finding dead men lying around?"I
queried with a smile. "No-it's not so
common as you seem to think"
Tell me, Lester" and he looked at
devil came in here just to get a chance
to kill himself quietly? ?"
mo, 1 don't" I said.
Then What did he come in for?"
II think G%oldberger's theory a pref
ty good one-that he had heard of you
TO ask help: and While he was waiting,
suddenly CAV it up
And killed HIMSELF" vantine com
pleted.
I hesitated. I was astonished to find.
at the back of my mind, a growing
doubt.
See here. Lester" vantine demand
ed, '1f he didn't kill himself, what
happened to him?"
Heaven only knows" I answered, in
despair. I've been asking myself the
same question, without finding a rea-
sonable nswer to it. As I said to
Goldberger. it's a blank wall. But if
anybody a see through it. Jim God
frey cam"
Vantine seemed deeply perturbed. He
room, then stopped in front of me and
looked me earnestly III the eye.
Tie me. Lester" he sid, do you be-
eLeVe that theory of Godfrey's-that
that insignificant wound on the hand
caused death?"
HTt caaro ohc,,rl oo,, 40 $50.
Godfrey Is a sort of genius at divining
such things"
"Then you dc believe it?"
Is asked myself the same question be-
fore [ answered.
Yes, I do" I said, finally.
Vantine walked up and down the
room again, his Eyes on the floor, his
brows contracted.
Lester" he said, at last, 81 have a
queer feeling that the business which
brought this man here in some way
concerned the Boule cabinet I was tell
ing you about. Perhaps 1t belonged to
him"
Hardly" 1 protested, recalling his
shabby appearance.
A any rate, l remember, as + was
looking at his card, that some such
thought occurred to me. 1t was for
wait"
Its possible, Of course" I admitted.
But that wouldn't explain his excite
ment. And that reminds me-" 1 added.
L haven't sent off that cable"
ANY time tonight will do. 1t will be
delivered in the morning. But YOU
haven't seen the cabinet yet. Come
down and look at it,"
He led the way down the stair. Parks
met us In the lower hall.
There's a delegation of reporters
outside. sir" he said. They say
they've got to see you"
Vantine made a movement Of impa-
thence.
Tell them" he said, " that / pos
1tively refuse to see them or to allow
my servants to see them. Let them get
their information from the police
Very well, sir" said Parks. and
turned away grinning.
Vantine passed on through the ante
room in which we had found the body
OF the unfortunate Frenchman, and
into the room beyond. Five or six
pieces of furniture, evidently just I'M
packed, stood there, but, ignorant as /
am OF such things, he did not have to
point out to me the Boule cabinet. 1t
dominated the room, much as Madame
de Montespan, no Goubt, dominated the
| court at Versailles.
l looked at 1t for some moments. for
1T was certainly a beautiful piece of
work, with q wealth of inlay and in
crustation little short of marvellous. But
! may as well say here that I never
really appreciated it. The forid style
OF the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Louis
is not at all to my taste; and I am too
Nttle Of a connoisseur to admire a
beauty which mas no personal appeal
for me-. So I am afraid that Vantine
found me a little cold.
Certainly there was nothing cold
about the way he regarded it. His
eye cleaned with a strange fire as he
looked at it; he ran his fingers oveI
the inlay with a touch almost rever-
ent; he pulled out for me the little
drawers with much the same ali
that another friend of mine takes dowr
his Kilmarnock Burns from his book
shelves; he pointed out to me the grace
OF Its curves in the same tone that one
uses to discuss the masterpiece of
great artist. And then, finding no echo
to his enthusiasm, he suddenly stopped
You don't seem to care for it," HI
said. looking at me.
That's my fault and not the fault o.
the cabinet" / pointed out. "pm no
educated up to it; I'm TOO little OF al
artist, perhaps"
He was flushed, as d man might b,
should another make a disparaging re.
w~u wIr s.utx~x.k IT. a. 49,. Il