The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-10-08


-
G~oldberger looked him over carefully
as he stepped into the room; but there
could be no tive opinions about Parks.
He had been with Vantine for eight
or 10 years. and the earmarks OF the
competent and faithful servant were
apparent all over him.
DO you know this mani" COLDER
ger asked. with d gesture toward the
body.
mo. sir.' said Parks. Il never saw
him till about an hour ago. when
Rogers called me downstairs and said
there was a man to see Mr.. Vantine."
WHO is RogersT"
He's the footman. sir He an
swered the door when the man rang"
We'll, and then what happened?"
Il took his card UP to MIR Vantine
sir"
did Mr.. vantine know him9"
/, NO. sir he wanted to know what
he wanted"
Il don't know. sir: he couldn't speak
English hardly at all-he was French.
/ I think"
Goldberger looked down at the body
again and nodded.
go ahead" he said.
And he was SO excited" Parks
added. shat he couldn't remember
4 AAh I'LL no uAu AuOWs
What made you think he was ex-
cited7"
"The way he suffered, and the way
his eyes glinted. That's wha makes
me think he just come In here to kill
himself quiet LIKE shouldn't be sur
prised IL you found that he'd escaped
from somewhere. ] had a notion to
Vantine-I wish now i had-but I took
his card up. and Mr.. vantine said for
him to wait: 50 I come downstairs
again. and showed the man in here, and
said Mr.. Vantine would see him pres
emily. and then Rogers and me went
back to u lunch and we a there
eating TIL the bell rang. and I came
In and found Mr.. Vantine here"
DO you mean to say that you and
Rogers went AVA and left this
stranger here by himselfr'
THE servants dining room Is right
at the end of the hall. sir. We left
the door open 30 that we could see
right along the hall. clear to the front
door. II he'd come out into the hall,
we'd have seen him"
And he didn't come out into the
nall while you were there7"
did anybody come Inf"
"oh. no. sir; the front door has a
snap-lock- 1t can't be opened from
the outside without a key"
s you are perfectly sure that no
n either entered or left the house by
the front door while you and Rogers
were sitting there?"
Nor by the back door either, sir;
to get out the back way. you have to
pass through the room where we were"
where were the other servants?'
"rhe cook was in the kitchen, sir.
This is the housemaid's afternoon out"
Ire coroner paused. Godfrey and
Simmonds had both listened to this
Interrogation, but neither had been idle.
They had walked softly about the room,
mad looked through a door opening
into another room beyond, had ex-
amined the fastenings OF the windows.
n "a ended by looking infinitely
over the carpet.
What Is the room yonder used for7'
Godfrey. pointing to the con-
Meeting door.
TITS a sort Of store room Just now,
SIR, said Parks. Mr.. Vantine is Just
Dack from Europe, and we've been un-
packing In there some Of the things he
bought while abroad"
Il guess that's all" said Goldberger.
after a moment Send in MI. Van
tine, please"
Parks went out. and vantine came
In q moment later. He co~rroborated
exactly the story told by Parks and
myself but he added one detail.
Here Is h mans card" he said,
and held out a square of ~pasteboard.
GoldDerger took the card, glanced at
It. and passed 1t on to Simmonds.
That don't tell US much" said the
latter, and gave the card to Godfrey.
that 1t contained q single engraved
line:
M. Theophile d,AureIle.
GFTNwaa,k 49, 49,
suggested" said Godfrey. That's evil
dent, too. from the cut OF his clothes"
Yes. and from the cut OF his hair"
added Goldberger. you say you didn't
know him, Mr.. Vantine?"
Il nev before saw him, to my
knowledge" answered Vantine. THE
name is wholly unknown to me-"
We'll" said Goldberger, taking pos
session OF the card again and slipping
II into his pocket, suppose we lift him
onto that couch by the window and
take a look through his clothes"
The man vas slightly built, so that
Simmonds and Goldberger raised the
body between them without difficulty
and placed 1t on the couch. / saw
Godfrey's eyes searching the carpet.
What I should like to know" he
said, after a moment, is this: IL this
fellow o poison, what did he take
1t u Of? Where's the paper, or bottle,
or Whatever IL WaST
Maybe it's in his hand" suggested
Simmonds, and lifted the right hand,
which hung trailing over the side Of
the couch.
Then. as he raised It into the light,
q sharp cry burst from him.
Look here" he said, and held the
hand so that We all could see.
1t was swollen and darkly discolored.
'See there" said Simmonds, some
thing bit him." and he pointed to two
deep incisions OF. the back of the hand,
just above the knuckles, from which a
few drops OF blood had oozed and
dried.
with a little exclamation Of surprise
and excitement, Godfrey bent for an
instant above the injured hand. Then
he turned and looked at us.
This man didn't take poison" he
said, In a low voice. He was Killed.
CHAPTER III.
THE WOUNDED HAND.
He was killed." repeated Godfrey,
with conviction; and, al the words, we
drew together a little. with a shiver Of