Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-10-15
CHAPTER ~.
HI

CHAPTER Nv.
THE THUNDERBOLT.
1t was about 8 o'clock that evening
that Godfrey tapped at my door, and
When 1 let him in, l could tell by the
way his eyes were shining that he
had some news.
Il can't stay long" he said. 1--WE
got to get down to the office and put
the finishing touches on that story"
put nevertheless he took the cigar L
proltered him and sank into the chair
opposite my own.
L knew Godfrey, so I waited patient
ly until the cigar was going nicely.
then
"Well?" I asked.
Its like old times, isn't it, Les
Ter! and he smiled across at me.
How many conferences have we had
IN this room? How many Of your cigars
nave l made away with?"
NO half enough recently" said.
You haven't been here for months"
I'm sure to drift back, sooner or
1ater, because you seem to have a
a of getting in on the interesting
cases. And I want to say this, Les
ter. that of all 1 ever had, not one has
promised better than this one does. If
1T only keeps up-but one mustn't ex-
pect too much.'
"You'v been working on it. Of
course?"
I haven't been idle, and just now
I'm feeling rather pleased with my
SER. me physician finished
his .postmortem half an hour or SO
ago."
"Well?" 1 said again.
Ihe stomach was absolutely nor
NAL. 1t showed no trace of poison of
any kind"
He stretched himself, lay back in his
chair. sent a smoke ring ~circling to-
Ward the ceiling n watched it, smil-
ing absently.
Rather a facer for our friend.
Goldberger," he added after a minute.
Whats the matter with Goldberger?
He seemed rather peeved with you this
afternoon"
mo wonder. He's Grady's man and
head the detective bureau-he got the
JOB through his pull with Tammany-
he's stupid, and I suspect he's rocked.
The Record says he has to go"
So, of course, he will CO." I COM
mented, smiling.
frey seriously, land that before long.
But meanwhile it's a little difficult for
me, cause his people don't know which
way to Jump. Once he's out, every
thing will be serene again."
/ wasn't interested in Grady; SO I
SNAAAO ooSA ~ Liz SdS0 AL duU
Look here. Godfrey" I said, III 1t
wasn't poison, what was it?'
But 1t was poison"
inserted at the hand?"
He nodded.
"Goldberger says there's no poison
known which could be used that way
n which would act SO quickly"
"Goldberger is right in that" agreed
Godfrey; but there's a poison UNI
known that will-because it did"
1T wasn't a snake bite"
"Oh. no. snake poison wouldn't kill
lance. That fellow practically dropped
where he was struck"
Then what was it?"
Godfrey was sitting erect again. He
was not smiling now. His face was
very stern.
THAT is what 1 am going to find
out, Lester" he said; that is the prob
lem I've SET myself to solve-and it's
a pretty one. There is one thing GER
tain-that fellow was killed by some
agency outside himself In some way.
a drop or two of poison was intro
duced into his blood by an instrument
something like a hypodermic needle,
and that poison was SO powerful that
almost instantly it caused paralysis Of
the heart. After all, hat isn't so re-
markable as it might seem. The blood
in the veins of the hand would be car
~NSN oHSN ~ AASh AooA w v
seconds"
But you've already said there's no
poison so powerful as that"
i said we didn't know OF any. I
wouldn't be SO sure that Catherine de
Medici didn't
What his Catherine de Medici to do
with it?"
"Nothing-except what has been
done MAJ always be done again. Those
old stories are, no doubt. exaggerated;
but 1t seems fairly certain that III
queen of Navarro vas killed with a
pair Of poisoned gloves. the Duo dan
jou with the scent OF a poisoned rose
and the Prince de Porcian with the
smoke Of a poisoned lamp. This case
isn't as extraordinary as those"
No" I agreed, and fell silent, shiv-
ering a little. for there is something
horrible n revolving about the poi-
soner.
After all" went on Godfrey, at last
there is thing that neither you nor
] nor any reasonable man can believe,
and that is that this Frenchman came
from heaven knows where-from Pads,
perhaps-with Vantine,s address In his
pocket, n hunted up the house and
made his way into it simply to kill.
himself there. He had some other OBJ
Iject. I'M he met his death while trying
to accomplish it,
Have % found out who he Il )"
No: he's not registered at any OF
the hotels; the French consul v
1880 LtE. -