Newspaper Page Text
MONDAY, JANUARY 19,
The Hand of fate deals
strange cards in a game in
which the poison of the Me
dici and the seventeenth
century cabinet of Mme. de
Montespan play a tragic
part in twentieth century
New York.
PROLOGUE.
If a literary miner were to ap
praise this story he would say
of it:
“it pans out a big percentage
0/ thrills."
There's “pay dirt" in this mys
tery story for every lover of an
exciting tale and an interesting
plot. It is one of the master
pieces of its author, who is a rec
ognized leader in the field of the
detective story.
Round a beautifully inlaid cab
inet dating from the days of
Louis XIV. which stands in a
Fifth avenue mansion weaves a
story of plot and counterplot,
mystery, suspense and surprise.
Jim Godfrey, shrewdest of re
porters, and the detective bu
reaus of New York and Paris are
trying to unravel the intricately
entangled clews. And the read
er, too, will go along with them,
breathless and absorbed, getting
now a hint, again coming up
against a blank wall, until, like
them, he comes to the amazing
explanation. And the one who
baffles reporters, detectives and
readers is Crochard, the invinci
ble, a creation in detective fic
tion.
CHAPTER I.
The First Tragedy.
• F.LLO!" 1 snid as J took down
tho receiver of my desk
OJS phone in answer to the call.
I "Is that you, Lester?” ask
ed Philip famine's voice.
"Yes. So you're back again!”
“Got in yesterday Can von come
up to the house aud luncli with me to
day?"
"I'll be clad to," I said and meant
It, for I liked Philip Vantine
"I'll look for you, then, about 1:30."
And that is how it happened that an
hour later 1 was walking over toward
"Washington square, just above which,
on tile avenue, the old Vantiue man
sion stood. It was almost the last sur
vival of the old regime.jfor the tide of
business had long since overflowed
from tile neighboring streets into the
avenue.
Philip Vantine had been born in the
house where lie still lived and declared
that lie would die there. He had no
one but himself to please in the matter,
since he was unmarried and lived
alone, and be mitigated the increasing
roar and dust of the neighborhood by
long absences abroad.
Vantine was about fifty years as age.
the possessor of a comfortable fortune,
something of a connoisseur in art mat
ters. a collector of old furniture. His
reasons for remaining single in no way
concerned his lawyers, a position
which our firm had held for many
years, and ttie active work of which
had come gradually into my hands.
He came forward to meet me, and
[we shook bands heartily.
“it’s plain to see that the trip did
you good.” I said.
"Yes.” he agreed: “I never felt more
Bt. Rut come along; We can talk at
table. There's a little difficulty. I want
you to untangle for me.”
I followed him upstairs to his study,
where a table laid for two had been
placed near a low window.
"I had lunch served up here,” Van
tine explained, as we sat down, “be
cause tills is the only realiy pleasant
room left In the house.”
He paused and glanced about the
room. Every piece of furniture in it
iwas the work of a master.
"1 suppose you found some new
things while you were away?” 1 said.
"Y’es-nnd it’s that I wanted to talk
to you about. 1 brought back six or
eight pieces. I’ll show them to you
presently. They are all pretty good,
and one Is a thing of beauty. It’s
more than that—it’s an absolutely
unique work of art. Only, unfortu
nately. it Isn’t mine.”
•‘it Isn't yours?”
"No. and I don’t know whose it is.
If I-dld. I'd go buy it That’s what 1
want you to do for me. It's a Boule
cabinet—the most exquisite I ever saw.
It came from I’aris, and it was ad
dressed to me. The only explanation
1 can think of is that my shippers at
Paris made a mistake, sent me a cabi
net belonging to some one else and
sent nnSe to tbe other person.”
"You had bought one. then?”
•'Yes, and It hasn't turned up. But
beside this one it's a mere daub. My
man I’urks got it through the customs
yesterday. As there was a Boule
cabinet on my manifest, the mistake
[ wasn't discovered until tbe whole lot
| was brought up here and uncrated
I this morning."
i “Weren't they uncrated in the cus
i toms?"
I "No I're been bringing things In
Ifnr a pond many years, and the cns-
Itoms people know I'm not a thief.
IComc in." lie added, answering s tap
(at tbe door.
} The door opened and Vantine's man
came in
• A gentleman to see you. sir," be
suld and handed Vantine a card.
The Mystery of the Boils Cabinet
' By Burton E. Stevenson ZZZHIIII^IZZ
V Copyrighted 1913 by Burton E. Stevenson.
V antitu- ~,i it iin.tr limnki.t
“1 don't know him,” lie said. "Wlltil
does he want?"
“He wants to see you. sir—very had.
1 should say. 1 think he's a French
man, sir. Anyway, he don't know
much English. Shall 1 show him out.
sir?”
“No,” said Vantiue. after an instant's
hesitation. “Tell him to wait.”
“I tell you, Lester." he went on as
Parks withdrew, “when 1 went down
stairs this morning and saw that cab
inet I could hardly believe my eyes. 1
thought I knew furniture, but 1 hadn’t
any idea such a cabinet existed. The
most beautiful 1 had ever seen is at
the Louvre. It stands in the Salle
Louis XIV., to the left ns you enter.
It belonged to Louis himself. Of
course I can’t be certain without a
careful examination, but I believe that
cabinet, beautiful ns It Is. is merely
the counterpart of this one.”
He paused and looked at me, his
eyes bright with the enthusiasm of the
connoisseur.
“Boule furniture." be continued, “is
usually of ebony inlaid with tortoise
shell and Incrusted with arabesques in
metals of various kinds. The incrus
tation had to be very exact, and to
get it so the artist clamped together
two plates of equal size and thickness,
one of metal, the other of tortoise shell,
traced his design on the top one and
then cut tld*in both out together. The
result was two combinations, the orig
inal. with a tortoise shell ground and
metal applications, and the counter
part. applique metal with tortoise shell
arabesques. The origlnnl was really
the one which the artist designed and
whose effects he studied. The coun
terpart was merely a resultant acci
dent. with which he was not especially
concerned. I' ndersta nd ?"
“Yes. I think so.” I said.
“Well. it's tlio original which has the
real artistic value Of course theeoun
terpart Is often beautiful, too. but in a
much lower degree.”
"1 can understand that." I said.
“And now. Lester.” Vautine went on,
his eyes shining more and more, "if
m.v supposition is correct, if the Grand
Louis was content with the counter
part of this on billet for the long gal
lery at Versailles who do you suppose
owned tile original?”
I saw what lie was driving at.
"1 believe it belonged to Mine, de
Monfespnn." he said.
"Really. Vantine." I exclaimed, “i
didn't know .von were so romantic
You quite take my breath away!"
Fie flushed a little at the words, and
! saw how deeply in earnest he was.
"Tile crave of tin- collector takes him
a long way sometimes." he said.
"What I want you to do is to cable tdy
shippers. Armand & Son, Rue du Tem
ple. find ont who owns this cabinet
and buy it for me "
"Perhaps the owner won’t sell.”
“Oh. yes. lie will I Anything can be
bought—for n price.”
“You mean you’re going to have this
cabinet, whatever the cost?”
“I mean just that ”
“At least you'll tell me where to be
gin,” I said. “1 don't know anything
of the value of such things.”
“Well,” said Vantine, "suppose you
begin at 10,000 francs. We mustn't
seem too eager, it’s because I'm so
eager that 1 want you to carry it
through for me. i can't trust myself.”
“And the other end?"
“There isn't any other end. Of
course, strictly speaking, there is, be
cause m.v money isD't unlimited, but I
don’t believe you will have to go over
500.000 francs.”
I gasped.
"Y’ou mean you’re willing to give
1100.000 for this cabinet?”
Vantine nodded.
“Maybe a little more. If the owner
won’t accept that you must let me
know before you break off negotia
tions. But come and see It”
He led the way out of the room and
down the stairs, but when we reached
the lower hall be paused.
“Perhaps I’d better see mjr visitor
first" he said. "You’ll find a new pic
ture or two over there in the music
room. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
I. sfnrtPd on. and he turned through
a doorway at the left.
An instant later I heard a sharp ex
clamation; then his voice calling me.
“Lester, come here!" he cried.
I ran back along the hall, into the
room which he had entered. He was
standing just inside tbe door.
“Look here.” be said, with a queer
catch In bis voice and pointed with a
trembling band to a dark object on the
floor.
I moved aside to see It better. Then
m.v heart gave a sickening throb, for
the object on the floor was the body of
a man.
It needed but a glance to tell me
that tbe man was dead. There could
be no life in that livid face, in those
glassy eyes We stood for a moment
shaken ns one always is by sudden and
unexpected contnet with death.
“Who Is he?" I asked at last
“I don’t know," answered Vantine
hoarsely. “I never saw him before.”
Then he strode to the bell and rang It
violently. "Parks,” be went on stern
ly as that worthy oppenred at the door,
“what has been going on in here?”
"Ooing on. sir?" repented Parks, with
a look of amazement.
Then his glance fell upon the hud
dled body, and he stopped abort, bis
eyes staring, tii.-s mouth open.
“Why—why,” be stammered, “that's
the man who was waiting to see you,
sir."
“You mean he has been killed in this
house?" demanded Vantlne.
“He was certainly alive when he
came in. sir." said Parks, recovering
something of his self possession. “May
be he was just looking for a quiet
place where he could kill himself. He
seemed kind of excited.”
“Of course.” ugreed Vantiue. with a
sigh of relief, "that's the explanation.
Only 1 wish he had chosen some place
else. 1 suppose we shall have to call
the police. Lester?”
“Yes.” I said, "and the coroner. Sup
pose yon lenve it to me. We’ll lock
up this room, and nobody must leave
the house until the police arrive.”
“Very well.” assented Vautine, visi
bly relieved. “I’ll see to that,” and
he hastened away, while I vAmt to the
phone, called up police headquarters
and told briefly what had happened.
Twenty minutes later there was a
ring at the bell, and Parks opened the
door and admitted four meu.
"Why, hello. Slmmonds!" I said, rec
ognizing in the first one a detective
The Man Was Dead.
sergeant. Back of him was Coroner
Goldberger, whom I had met In two
previous cases, while the third counte
nance, looking at me with a quizzical
smile, was that of Jim Godfrey, the
Record’s star reporter. The fourth
man was a policeman In uniform, who
at a word from Simmonds took his
station at the door.
“What is it?" asked Godfrey.
“Just a suicide. 1 think,” and I un
locked the door into the room where
the dend man lay.
Simmonds, Goldberger and Godfrey
Btepped Inside. I followed and closed
the door.
“Nothing has been disturbed,” I said.
“No one lias touched the body.”
Simmonds nodded and glanced In
quiringly about tbe room, but God
frey’s eyes. 1 noticed, were on the face
of the dead man. Goldberger dropped
to his knees beside the body, looked
into the eyes and touched his flDgers
to the left wrist. Then he stood erect
again and looked down at the body,
and as 1 followed his gaze I noted its
attitude more accurately than 1 had
done in tbe first shock of discover
ing it
It was lying on Its right side, half
on its stomach, with Its right arm dou
bled under it and its left hand clutch
ing at the floor above its head. The
knees were drawn up as though in a
convulsion, and tbe face was horribly
contorted, with a sort of purple tinge
under the skin, us though the blood had
been suddenly congealed. The eyes
were wide open, and their glassy stare
added not a little to the apparent ter
ror and sufferiug of the face.
The coroner glanced at Simmonds.
“Not much question as to the cause,”
he said. “Poison, of course.”
“Of course,” nodded Simmonds.
“But whut kind?" asked Godfrey.
"It will take a postmortem to tell
that,” aud Goldberger bent for another
close look at the distorted face. “I’m
free to udrnlt the symptoms nren’t the
usual ones.”
I told all I knew—how Parks had
announced a man's arrival, bow Van
tine and I had come downstairs to
gether, how Vantine had called me
and finally how Parks had identified
the body as that of the strange caller
“How long a time elapsed after
Parks announced tbe man before you
and Mr. Vantine came downstairs?"
asked Goldberger.
“Half an hour perhaps.”
Goldberger nodded.
“Let's hHve Parks in." he said.
I opened the door and called to
Parks, who was sitting ou the bottom
step of the stair.
Goldberger looked him over cnrerul
ly as he stepped Into the room, but
there could be no twq opinions about
Parks. He hud been with Vantine for
eight or ten years, and the earmarks
of tt-s cofuneic-ut and faithful servant
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA.
were apparent ail over him.
“Do you know this man?" Gold
berger asked, with a gesture toward
the body. -
“No, sir." said Parks; “1 never saw
him till about an hour ago. when
Rogers culled me downstairs and said
there was a man to see Mr. Vautine."
"Who Is Rogers?"
“He's the footman, sir. He answer
ed the door when the man rang."
“Well, and then what happened?"
“1 took Ids card up to Mr. Vantlne.
sir.”
“Did Mr. Vantlne know him?"
"No. sir; he wanted to know whnt
he wanted."
“What did he want?"
"1 don't know, sir lie couldn't
speak English hardly at ail He was
French. 1 think He was so excited
that he couldn't remember what little
English he did know."
"What made you think ho was ex
cited?"
"The way he stuttered and the way
his eyes glinted. After Mr Vantlne
said he would see him presently Rog
ers and me went back to our lunch.”
“Do you mean to say that you and
Rogers went away and left this
stranger here by himself?"
“The servants' dining room is right
at the end of tin- hall, sir. We left the
door open If he’d come out into the
hall we'd have seen him "
“And he didn't come out into the
hall while you were there?”
"No, sir "
"Did anybody come In?"
"Oh. no, sir; the front door has a
snap lock. It can’t be opened from tin
outside without a key.”
“So yon are perfectly sure that no
one either entered or left the house
by the front door while you and Rog
ers were sitting there?”
“Nor by the back door either, sir; to
get out tlie back way, you have to pass
through the room where we were.”
"Where were the other servants?"
"The cook was In the kitchen, sir
This is the housemaid's afternoon out.”
The coroner paused Godfrey and
Simmonds had both listened to this in
terrogation.
“What Is the room yonder used for?"
asked Godfrey, pointing to the connect
ing door.
“It’s a sort of storeroom Just now.
sir.” snid Parks. “Mr. Vantine is Just
back from Europe, and we've been un
packing in there some of the things
he bought while abroad.”
“Send in Mr. Vantine, plense," snid
Goldberger.
Parks went out. and Vantine came in
a moment Inter. He corroborated ex
actly tlie story told by Parks and my
seif, but he added one detail.
“Here is the man’s curd.” he said,
and held out a square of pasteboard
It contained a single engraved line;
“M. Theoplille D’Aurelle.”
“He’s French, ns Parks suggested,"
said Godfrey. “That’s evident, too.
from the cut of bis clothes.”
“Yes. and from the cut of his hair,"
added Goldberger. “You suy you didn’t
know him, Mr. Vantine?”
“I never before saw him, to my
knowledge." answered Vantine. “The
name is wholly unknown to me.”
“Well." said Goldberger. taking pos
session of tin* card and slipping it Into
his pocket "suppose we lift him on to
that couch by the window and take
a look through his clothes.”
The man was slightly built, so that
Simmonds and Goldberger raised the
body between them without difficulty
and placed it on tbe couch. I snw God
frey's eyes searching the carpet.
"What 1 should like to know.” he
said after a moment. “Is this; If this
fellow took poison what did he take it
out of? Where's the paper or bottle
or whatever It was?"
“Maybe It’s in his hand," suggested
Simmonds. and lifted the right hand,
which hung trailing over the side of
the couch.
Then ns he raised It into the light a
•harp cry hurst from him.
“Look here!” he said, and held the
hand so that we all conld see.
CHAPTER 11.
The Wounded Hand.
IT was swollen and darkly discol
ored.
“See there!" said Simmonds
“Something bit him.’’ And he
pointed to two deep Incisions on the
back of the hand Just above tho
knuckles, from which a few drops of
blood had oozed and dried.
With a little exclamation of aurprlse
and excitement Godfrey bent for an
Instant above the injured band.' Then
he turned and looked at us.
"This man didn't take poison," be
said in a low voice. "He was killed!”
At the words we drew together e
little, with a shiver of repulsion.
Goldberger, taking a deep breath,
voiced the thought which bad sprung
into my own brain.
“Why, it looks like a snake biter’ he
•aid, his voice sharp with astonish
meat.
The quick glance which all of us cast
about the room wstf! of course, as In
voluntary as the chill which ran up
our spines
“No; 1 don't think It was n snake.”
said Godfrey and agnlu bent close
above the hand. “Smell It. Mr. Gold
berger,” he added
The coroner put his nose close to the
hand and sniffed.
"Bitter nlinonds!” he said.
"Which means prussic acid," said
Duel of wits between a
clever reporter and the
greatest criminal of modern
times the theme of this re
markable romance. Com
missioner Grady of New
York and “Crochard the In
vincible” of Paris.
"See there/* eald Slmmonds. "some
thing bit him."
Godfrey, “and not snake poison.” He
fell silent a moment, his eyes on the
swollen hand. “It might, of course,
have been self indicted,” he added,
quite to himself.
“A mnn doesn't usually commit sui
cide by sticking himself in the hand
with a fork." Goldberger said.
“No,” agreed Godfrey blandly, “but
I would point out that we don't know
as yet that it Is a case of suicide, and
I’m quite sure that, whatever It may
be, it Isn't usual."
“Did any reporter for the Record
ever find a cuse that was usual?"
queried the coroner.
It was a shrewd thrust and dne that
Godfrey might well have winced under.
He himself laid been accused more than
once of a too luxuriant imagination. It
wns perhaps a realization of this Which
had persuaded him years before to
quit the detective force and take serv
ice with the Record. What might
have been a weakness In the first posi
tion was a mighty asset in the latter
one, and he bad won an immense sue
cess.
Please understand thnt I set this
down in no spirit of criticism. I had
known Godfrey intlmntely. I admired
sincerely his ready wit, his quick in
sight und bis unshakable aplomb. His
former connection with the police ami
his cureful mulntennnce of the friend
ships formed at thnt time gave him an
entree to places dented to less fortu
nate reporters. I had never known
him to do a dishonorable thing. More
over, a lively sense of humor made him
an admirable companion.
“We’ve got our living to make, you
know," he said. “We make it as hon
estly as we can. What do you think,
Blmmouds?”
“I think.” said Simmonds. who, if
he possessed an imagination, never
permitted It to be suspected, "that
those little cuts on the hand are mere
ly an accident They might have been
caused in half a dozen ways. Maybe
he hit hla hand on something when he
fell; maybe ho jabbed It on a buckle:
maybe he had a boll on his hand and
lanced it with his knife.”
"What killed him, then?” Godfrey
demanded.
“Poison, and it’s in his stomach.
We’ll find it there.”
“How about the odor?” Godfrey per
sisted.
"lie spilled some of the poison on his
hand as lie lifted It to his mouth. May
be he had those cuts on hls hand and
the poison Inflamed them. Or may
be he’s got some kind of blood dis
ease.”
Goldberger nodded his approval, and
Godfrey smiled as he looked at him.
“I suppose you think this fellow wns
murdered?" snid the coroner. “That’s
what you said a minute ago.”
"Perhaps I wns a little hasty,” God
frey admitted, and I suspected that,
whatever his thoughts, he bad made
up his mind to keep them to himself.
“I’m not going to theorize until I've
got something to start with. The facts
seem to point to suicide, but if he
swallowed prussic acid where’s the
bottle? He didn’t swallow that, too,
did he?”
"Maybe we’ll find It in his clothes.”
suggested Klmmouds.
Thus reminded, Goldberger fell to
work looking through the dead man’s
pockets. The clothes were of a cheap
material and not very new, so that. In
life, be must have presented an ap
pearance somewhat shabby. There
was a purse In the inside coat pocket
containing two hills, one for ten dol
lars and one for five, and there were
two or three dollars In sliver and four
five-centime pieces in a small coin
purse which he carried In his trousers’
pocket The large purse had four or
five calling cards In one of Its com
partments, each bearing a different
name, none of them his. On the back
of one of them Vantlne's address was
written in pencil.
There were no letters, no papers, no
written documents of any kind in the
pockets, the remainder of whose con
tents consisted of such odds and ends
as any man might carry about with
him—a cheap watch, a penknife, a
half empty packet of French tobacco,
a sheaf of cigarette paper. f<>vr or live
keys on a .ring, a silk handkerchief,
and perhaps some other articles which
I have forgotten, but not a thing to
assist in establishing his identity.
“This proves that he’s French,” said
Godfrey.
“His best girl?"
For answer, Godfrey held up the
watch, which he had been examining.
He had opened the case and Inside It
was a photograph—the photograph of
a woman with bold, dark eyes and
full lips and oval face, a face so typi
cally French that it was not to be mis
taken.
"A lady's mnld. I should say," added
Godfrey, looking at It again. “There
is one fact which we hnve apparently
overlooked, but it proves beyond the
shadow of a doubt that this fellow
didn’t drift in here by accident. lie
came here of intention, and the inten
tion wasn’t to kill himself, either."
“How do you know that?” demanded
Goldberger incredulously.
Godfrey picked up the purse, open
ed it and took out one of the cards.
"Ity this,” he said, and held It up.
“You have already seen what is writ
ten on the back of it—Mr. Vantlne's
name and the number of this house.
That proves, doesn’t It. that this fel
low on mo to New York expressly to
see Mr. Vantlne?”
“Perhaps you think Mr. Vantlne kill
ed him,” suggested Goldberger sarcas
tically.
"No.” said Godfrey. "He didn’t
have time.”
“Thanks," said Vantlne drily.
"I suppose, then, yon think it wns
Parks,” said Goldberger.
"It may quite possibly have been
Parks,” agreed Godfrey gravely.
“Nonsense!" broke in Vantlne impa
tiently.
"Of course it’s nonsense," assented
Goldberger. “It’s nonsense to say that
he was killed by anybody. He killed
himself.”
“I’ll cable to Paris,” said Slmmonds.
"If he belongs there we’ll soon find out
who he is.”
"You'd better call an ambulance and
hnve him taken to the morgue," went
on Goldberger. “Somebody may iden
tify him there. There’ll be a crowd
tomorrow, for. of course, the papers
will be full of this nffnir"—
“The Record at least will have a very
full account,” Godfrey assured him.
“And I'll call the lnquekt for the day
after,” Goldberger continued. “I'll
send my physician down to make a
post mortem right away. If there's
any poison In this fellow's stomach
we’ll find It.”
Godfrey did not speak, but I knew
whnt wns In his mind, ne wns think
ing that if such poison existed the ves
sel which had contained it had not yet
been found. The same thought no
doubt occurred to Slmmonds. for after
ordering the policeman In the hall to
call the ambulance he returned and
began a careful search of the room,
using his electric torch to Illumine
every shadowed corner. Godfrey de
voted himself to a similar search, but
both were without result. Then God
frey made a minute Inspection of the
injured hßiid, while Goldberger lodltcd
on with ill concealed Impatience, and
finally Godfrey moved toward the
door.
“I think I’ll be going.” t > suld. “But
I’m Interested in what your physician
will find. Mr. Coroner. Will you be at
home tonight. Lester?”
“Yes, I expect to be,” I answered.
"You’re still at the Marathon?”
“Yes.” I said; “suit 14."
“Perhaps I’ll drop around to see
you,” ho said. And a moment later
we heard the door close behind him as
Parks let him out
“Godfrey’s u good mnn." snid Oold
berger, "but lie’s too romnutlc. Take
this onsq. Here’s a mnn kills himself,
and Godfrey wants us to believe that
death resulted from n scratch on the
hand. Why, there’s no poison on earth
would kill a man as qnlck ns that for
he must have dropped dead before he
could get out of the room to ummou
help If It was prussic acid he swal
lowed It”
“How do you explain the address on
the card. Mr. Goldberger?” I asked.
“My theory Is thnt this fellow renlly
had some business with Mr. Vantine.
Probably he wanted to borrow some
money or ask for help, and then while
he wns waiting he suddenly gave the
thing up and killed himself. The ad-
dress has no bearing whatever, that I
can see. on the question of suicide.
And I'll say this. Mr Lester, If this
Isn't suicide— Here's the ambulance.”
The hearers entered with the stretch
er, placed the body on It and carried
it away. Goldberger paused to gather
up tbe articles he had taken from the
dead man’s pockets.
"You gentlemen will have to give
your testimony at the inquest,” he
said; "so will I’urks and Rogers. It
will Ijb day after tomorrow, probably
at 10 o’clock, but I'll notify you of tbe
hour.”
“Very well,' I said; “we’ll be there,”
and Goldberger bude us goodby and
left tbe bouse. "And now,” 1 added
to Vantine, "I must be getting back to
the office. They'll be asking the police
to look for me next Man alive"—und
1 glanced at my watch—“lt’s after 4
o'clock!”
"Too late for the office,” said Van
tine. “Better couie upstairs und have
a drink. Besides, 1 wuut to talk with
yon."
"At least I’ll let them know I'm still
alive,” I said, and 1 called up the of
fice and allayed any anxiety that may
have been felt there concerning ine. I
must admit that it did not seem acute.
SEVEN
"Tell me, Lester," said Vantlne, und
he looked at me earnestly, “do yon
think that poor devil came in here Just
to get a chance to kill himself quietly?”
"No. 1 don’t,” 1 said.
“Then what did he come in for?”
“1 think Goldberger's theory a pret
ty good one—that he had heard of you
as a generous fellow and came in here
to ask help and while he was waiting
suddenly gave it up”—
“And killed himself?” Vantlne com
pleted.
I hesitated. I was astonished to find
at the back of my mind a growing
doubt
"See here. Lester,” Vantlne demand
ed. “if he didn’t kill himself, what
happened to him?”
"Heaven only knows,” I answered
In despair. "I've been asking myself
tlie same question without finding a
reasonable answer to It But If any
body can Bee through it Jim Godfrey;
can."
Vnntine seemed deeply perturbed.
“Tell me, Lester,” he said, "do you
believe that theory of Godfrey’s—that
that Insignificant wound on the hand
caused death?"
I asked myself the same question
before 1 answered.
"Yes. I do,” I said finally.
“Lester, 1 hove a queer feeHng that
the business which brought this man
here in some way concerned the Boule
cabinet I was telling you about Per
haps it belonged to him.”
“Hardly,” I protested, recalling his
shabby appearance.
“At any rate, I remember ae I was
looking at his card that some such
thought occurred to me. It was for
that reason 1 told Parks to ask him to
wait”
“It’s possible, of course,” I admit*
ted. “But that wouldn’t explain his
excitement. And that reminds me,” I
added, “I haven’t sent off that cable."
“Any time tonight will do. It will
bo 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 reporter*
outside, sir,” he said. “They say
they’ve got to see you.”
Vantlne made a movement of Impa
tience.
“Tell them," he said, "that I posi
tively 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 turn
ed away, grinning.
Vantlne puased on through the ante
room in which we bad found the body
of the unfortunato Frenchman and
into the room beyond. Fire or six
pieces of furniture, evidently Just un
packed. stood there; but. Ignorant as
I am of such things, he did not have
to point out to me the Boule cabinet
1 looked at it for some moments, for
It was certainly a beautiful piece of
work, with a wenlth of inlay and in
crustation little short of marvelous.
But 1 may ns 'well say here that I
never really appreciated It The florid
style of the fourteenth and fifteenth
Louis Is not at all to my taste. lam
afraid that Vantlne found me a little
cold.
“You don’t seem to care for It,” he
said, looking at me.
“That’s my fault and not the fault
of the cabinet’’ I pointed out “I’m
not educated up to It I’m too little of
an artist perhaps.”
lie was flushed, as a man might be
should another make a disparaging re
mark about his wife, and be led the
way from the room at once.
"Remember, Lester,” he said a little
sternly, pausing with his hand on the
front door, "there Is to be no foolish
ness nbout securing thnt cabinet for
me. Don’t you let It get away. I’m
in deadly earnest. Let me know as
soon ns you have any news.”
Wns Vantine quite normal? I wonder
ed on my way home. Could any man
be normal who was willing to pny
SIOO,OOO for a piece of furniture, espe
cially u man who could not afford such
extravagance? 1 knew the size of Van
tine’s fortune. It wns large, but SIOO.-
000 represented mor* than a year’s
Income. And then I smiled to myself.
Of course Vantine was merely Jesting
when he named that limit. The cabi
net could be bought for a tenth of It,
at the most.
It wns about 8 o’clock that evening
thnt Godfrey tapped at my door, and
when I let him In I could tell by the
way his eyes were shining that he bad
eorne news.
“1 can’t stay long," be said. ’Tv#
got to get down to tbe office and put
the finishing touches on that story.”
Hut nevertheless he took the cigar I
proffered him and sank Into tbe chair
opposite my own.
“I want to say this, Lester,” be said,
‘that of ull the cases 1 ever bad not
one has promised better than this one
does. The coroner's physician finished
bis postmortem bull an hour or so
ago.”
•‘Well?’’ I said.
“The stomneb was absolutely nor
mal. it abowed no trace of poison of
any kind. Rather a facer for our
frleud Goldberger."
“Wbat's tbe matter with Goldberger?
He seemed ratber peeved with you this
afternoon.”
“No wonder. He’a a Grady man, and
we're ufter Grady. Grady Isn’t fit to
head the detective bureau, fife got tbe
Job through his pull, he's stupid and
I suspect he’s crooked. The Record
suys he has got to go. Once he’s out
everything will be serene again.”
“Look here, Godfrey." I said, “If it
wusn’t poison what waa it?”
“But It was poison ”
“Inserted at the hand?"
He nodded.
“Goldberger says there’a no poison
known which could be used that way
und which •>•«»'d act «*> quickly "
(To be Continued Tomorrow^