Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-10-22

quickly?" Hughes inquired.
Godfrey looked at him strangely.
You yourself mentioned Florence a
moment ago" he said. You meant, i
suppose, that such a poison did, at one
time, exist there?"
Something of the sort, perhaps"
agreed Hughes. 1.-THE words were pure
ly instructive, but / suppose some such
thought was running through my
head
Well, the poison that existed In
FLORENCE five 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 n horror.
But what sort of a devilish in
nerves giving way for an instant, his
voice mounting shrilly.' above all,
who yields it?"
He stared about the room, as
though half expecting to see some
mighty and remorseless arm poised,
ready to strike. e he shook him
self together.
II beg pardon" he said, hopping the
sweat from his face; but Pm not used
to this sort Of thing; and I'm fright
ened-yes, I really believe I'm fright
ened." and he laughed, a little I'M
steady laugh.
S am l." said Godfrey; so is Les
~ ~ \ . SSCl yDOQy. LOU uGGQn De
ashamed of it."
What frightens me-" went on
Hughes. evidently studying his own
symptoms. lis the mystery of it
there is something supernatural about
1~t-something I can't understand. How
does it happen that each of the vic
tins is struck or the right hand?
Why not on the left hand? Why the
hand at all?"
Godfrey answered with a despairing
shrug.
That is what we've got to find out"
he said.
I'VE shall have to call in the police"
solve it."
Godfrey smiled, a little skeptical
smiles, quickly suppressed.
A least, they will have to be given
tend to it?'
Yes" said Hughes; and you would
better do it right away. The sooner
they get here the better"
Very WELL" assented Godfrey, and
left the room.
Hughes sat down heavily on the
couch near the window, and hoppe
ms face again, with Shaking hand.
Death he was accustomed to-but
death met decently in bed and result.
ing from some understood cause.
Death in this horrible and mysterious
form shook him; he could not under-
stand 1t, and his failure to understand
appalled, him. He was a physician; it
was his business to understand: and
yet here was death in a form as mys-
ferrous to him as to the veriest layman.
1t compelled him to pause and take
stock of himself--always a d~isconcert-
ing process to the best of us!.
That was a trying half hour. Hughes
sat on the couch breathing heavily,
staring at the floor, perhaps passing his
w Ignorance in review, perhaps won
dering if he had always Deer right in
prescribing this or that. AS for me.
l was thinking of my dead friend. /
remembered Philip Vantine as l had
always known him-a kidly, witty,
Christian gentleman. I could see his
pleasant eyes looking at me in friend
before; / could hear his voice, could
feed the clasp of his hand. That such
a man should be killed like this, struck
down by a mysterious assassin, armed
with a poisoned weapon =
A woman! Always my mind came
back to that. A woman! Poison was
a woman's weapon But Who was she?
How a she escaped? Where had she
concealed herself? How was she able
to strike so surely? Above all, why
should she have chosen Philip Van
tine, of all men, for her victim-Philip
Vantine. who had never injured any
woman-and then l paused. For I
realized that 1 knew nothing Of Van
tine, except what he had chosen to
tell me. Parks would know. AND then
l shrank from the thought Must we
probe that secret? Must we compel a
man to betray 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 were as shaken and non-
plussed as 1. There was a third man
with them whom ! did not know; but
but | soon found out that it was Frey
linghuisen, h 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 were
soon deep in a low-toned CONVERSE
ton. whose subject 1 could guess. 1
could also guess what Simmonds and
Godfrey were talking about in the far
Their corner; but could not guess
why Goldberger, instead of getting to
work, should be walking up and down,
pulling impatiently at his moustache
and CHANGING at his watch now and
then. He seemed to be waiting for
some one, but not until 20 minutes
later III l suspect who it was. Then
the door opened again to admit a short,
heavy set man. with ford face, stub
bly, black moustache, and little, close-
set eyes. preternaturally bright. He
glanced about the room, nodded to
Goldberger, and then looked inquir-
ingly at me.
''Thi is Mr.. Lester, Commissioner
Grady" said Goldberger, and I realized
that the chief Of the detective bureau
had come up from headquarters
to take personal charge Of the case.
Mr.. Lester is Mr.. Vantine'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.
Not quite" said Grady, grimly. I'VE
Will excuse all reporters, first" and he
looked across at Godfrey. his a
darkening.
/ felt my. own face flushing, and start
ed to protest, but Godfrey silenced me
with q little gesture.
TITS all right, Lester" he said. INF.
Grady is quite within his rights: TIL
withdraw-until he ends for me"
you'll have a long wait, hen!" re-
torted Grady. with a sarcastic laugh.
THE longer I wait, b worse ~ viii
be for you. Mr.. Grady SAID GoaIrey