The Argosy, January 1907 — page 57: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHEN SUSPICION -his cigarette and opened his mouth to speak, when a heavy tread entered the store and stopped. The druggist went forward. “Dr. Donaldson, we’ve got a job for you here! ”’ The heavy tread took up its way once more, heavy, sharp-eyed, of fifty or thereabout. tioningly from one to the other; nodded to his* fellow practitioner. “Thought this was a hurry call?” he observed. arose hurriedly and smooth-shaven man He looked ques- he “Tt was—for a doctor,” Radford ‘And now,” Foster remarked, “ it’s for a coroner.” His finger indicated the man upon the floor, “IT haven’t touched him, except to turn him over,” he said briefly. ‘ As J understand it, he got off that car that was in trouble, came in here with another man, and had some soda. Rad- ford, here, and his brother, very short- ly after, found him getting sick and went for us, leaving the man in charge of the other. When they returned, five or ten minutes later, this chap was dead and the other man had disappeared. That’s about all.” “The other man left a note, ford supplemented... “ There it is, Lonaldson,”’ The coroner glanced over it briefly and laid it down again without com- ment. He was a man of very few words at best; just now he seemed to have grown positively tongueless. With a shrug, he walked to the corpse and sank to his knees beside it, as Fos- ter had done. For a little he examined ”-“Rad- Dr. the uncanny thing without a word; then ne looked up. ‘“Man’s been poisoned,’ he an- nounced. “So I said,’ Foster nodded. “There isn’t any indication of or- ganic trouble—on the surface, at any rate. Do I understand that he died after drinking some of your soda, Rad- ford?” “Yes, after, but not because of it,” the druggist _replied irritably. “He came in and——”’ and behind the counter came a STRUCK HARD. 239 mind that pari,’ said the coroner. “‘ Roughly speaking, I should say that the administration of some cyanide or salt of hydrocyanic acid had caused death. He became ill zmmediatec- ly after drinking?” ‘“ Within five or ten minutes.” ““ Never “Complain” aboutthe taste of the | stuff he drank?” Donaldson’s eyes were positively piercing as he surveyed the druggist. Beyond any doubt there was nothing of which the druggist could be accused; yet he turned a faint pink before the keen glance. “Yes, he did,’ he acknowledged. “He said that it was rank, and—some- thing more to the same effect.” “Don’t blame him—cyanogen isn’t exactly an appetizer. ~.What bottles did you use, Radford?” “The orange sirup and the acid phos- phate, doctor.” ‘Where are they now?” “Just where I left them when I was through mixing the stuff.”’ “T’ll look at them, please.” The druggist started for the soda. counter. The coroner was not three feet behind him. Without comment, Radford produced the two. Donaldson held them up and shook them, looking sharply for any sediment. ° “ You've got sealing-wax about?” he asked laconically. OF course.” “I'd like to borrow it, if you please.” He set the bottle before him on the marble slab. “Bring a couple of gummed labels, too, if you will, and two corks to fit these bottles.” Radford retreated hurriedly behind the prescription-counter and _ produced the articles. Donaldson received them with a nod. With the most utterly methodical air he removed the fancy nickel stoppers and substituted plain corks, forcing them down flush with the necks of the bottles. He laid his match-box before him, and smeared the tops plentifully with wax. He impressed the soft mass with his seal-ring. Next, he printed “ Exhibit A” and “Exhibit B” upon the gummed labels, together with a note or two. (C@) MIELOO© (C@