The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-10-22

'}uu Yourself mentioned Florence a
moment ago he said. You meant, /
suppose, That such a poison did, at one
time, exist there?"
something OF the sort. perhaps"
agreed Hughes "rhe words were pure
~ instructive, but | suppose some such
Thought was running through my
head
"Ncll, the poison that existed in
Florence i've centuries ago. exists here
today There's the proof OF IT," and
Godfrey pointed to the body.
Hughes drew a deep breath Of won
der ana horror.
"Rot what sort OF Il devilish IN
strument is IT," he cried, his
nerves giving way for an Instant, his
voice mounting shriny. above all,
who Yields it?"
He stared about the room. as
though half expecting to see some
mighty and rernorseless arm poised.
ready to strike. Then he shook him
SELF together.
II beg pardon" he said, hopping the
sweat from his face; but I'm not used
TO this sort of thing; and I'm fright
ened-yeS, really believe I'm fright
ened' and he laughed, n little un-
steady laugh.
80 am IT, said Godfrey; so is Les
ter; so is everybody. You needn't be
ashamed OF it,"
What ~frightens me" went on
Hughes, evidently studying his own
symptoms. lis the mystery of it
there Is something supernatural about
it-somcthing l can't understand. How
does it happen that each of the vic
TINS Is struck on the right hand?
Why not on the left hand? Why the
hand at all?"
Godfrey answered with a despafring
shrug.
THAT is what we've got to find OUT
he said.
we shall have to call in the police"
suggested Hughes. Maybe they can
solve it,"
Godfrey smiled, a little skeptical
smiles. quickly suppressed.
least, they will have to be given
the chance" he agreed. Shall l at
tend to it?"
Yes" said Hughes; land you would
better do it right away. The sooner
they get here the better"
very we'll" assented Godfrey, and
left the room.
Hughes a down heavily on the
couch near the window, and topped
his face again, with shaking hand.
Death he was accustomed to-but
death met d~ecently in bed and result
ing from some understood cause.
Death in this horrible and mvsterious
form shook him; he could not under
stand 1t, n his failure to understand
appalled, him. He was a physician. If
was his business to understand; and
yet here was death in a form as mys-
ferrous to him as to the veriest layman.
IL compelled him to pause and take
stock of himself-always a d]isconcert-
ing process to the best of us!
mat was a trying half hour. Hughes
sat on the couch breathing heayily
staring at the floor, perhaps passing his
own ignorance in review, perhaps Won
der1ng il he had always peer right i'm
prescribing this or that. AS for me,
| was thinking of my dead friend. |
remembered Philip Vantine as / had
always known him-a kidly, witty.
Christian gentleman. 1 could see his
pleasant eyes looking at me in friend
ship as they had looked a few hours
before; l could hear his voice, could
feel the clasp of his hand. That such
a man should be killed like this, struck
down by q mysterious assassin, armed
with a poisoned weapon .
back to that. A woman! Poison was
a woman's weapon But who was she?
How had she escaped? Where had she
concealed herself? How vas she able
to strike so surely? Above all, why
should h have chosen Philip Van
tine, OF all men, for her victin-Philip
Vantlne, who had never injured any
woman-and then l paused. For /
realized that l knew nothing of Van
tine, except what he had chosen to
tell me. Parks would know. And then
| shrank from the thought Must we
probe that secret? Must we compel a
ma to betfay his master?
My face was burning. No, we could
not do that-that would be abomin-
able > . The door opened and
Godfrey came in. This time, he was
not alone. Simmonds and Goldberger
followed him., and their faces showed
that they We're as shaken and non
plussed as L. There was a third man
with them whom l did not know; but
but | soon found OFT that it was Frey
linghGisen, the coroner's physician.
They all looked at the body, and
Freylinghuisen knelt beside it and ex-
amined the injured hand; then he sat
down by DR.. Hughes, and they We're
soon deep in q loW-toned conversa-
ton. whose subject l could guess. I
could also guess what Simmonds and
Godfrey We're talking about in the far
why ~Goldberger, instead of getting to
work, should be walking up n down.,
pulling impatientiy at his moustache
and glancing at his watch now and
then. He seemed to be waiting for
some one, but not Lntil 20 minutes
later did | suspect Who it was. Then
the door opened again to admit a short,
heavy set man. With ford face, stub
bly, black m~oustache, and little, close
set eyes, preternaturally bright. He
SiiuCou 3BoUe TIE ROOM, nOuQeQ TO
Goldberger, and then looked inquir-
ingly at me.
This is Mr.. Lester, Commissioner
Grady said G~oldberger, and l realized
that the chief of the detective bureau
had come up from headquarters
to take personal charge of the case.
mfr. Lester is Mr.. Nantine's attorney
the coroner added, in explanation.
Glad TO know you Mr.. Lester" said
Grady, shortly.
And now, | guess, We're ready to
begin" Went on the coroner.
moi quite said Grady. grimly. I'VE
will excuse all reporters, first and he
looked across at Godfrey. his face
~darkening.
/ felt my own face flushing, and start
ed to protest, but Godfrey silenced me
with 4 little gesture.
It's all right, Lester" he said. MIR
Grady is quite within his rights. III
withdraw-unti1 he sends for me-
You'll have a long wait. thcni" re-
itorted Grady, with a sarcastic laugh.
THE longer | wait, the worse it will
be for you. Mr.. Grady said Godfrey
quietly, opened the door and closed it
behind him.
Grady stared after him for a moment
1 ~, n.{y ,eNtaE - :, I, f.N rt1S.- -.