The Argosy, January 1907 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

WHEN SUSPICION STRUCK HARD. and a cigar-case with the monogram ‘T. BY’ Not particularly significant.” Foster received the articles. Donald- son turned the body slightly and went on with his search. ‘““Bank-book and several letters—evi- Gently personal. Um-um. All the same name, too.” “And what is it?” the editor asked. The coroner did not answer directly. He had found a card-case, and having opened it, saw some dozen slips of paste- board slide into his hand. He glanced over them and replaced them with an emphatic nod. “There is not the slightest doubt in the world,” he announced positively. “This poor devil is none other than Thomas Bandmann!” “What!” cried the druggist. “Not Bandmann, the muck-raker?”- the editor gasped. “Not the fellow who has exposed half the combines in the country—the fellow who put Hagen- thorn and all the rest in jail? It isn’t that Bandmann?” Donaldson regarded him quite plac- idly. “It is unquestionably the same man,” he said evenly. “I have never seen him before, but I have seen many of his pic- tures. Now I understand why the fea- tures were so very familiar.” ‘But is it possible that the man who turned the Senate and the House and the Legislatures of a dozen States on end is—dead?” The coroner smiled grimly. . “Unless you are more capable than J in detecting heart-action in a body al- ready well toward the rigor mortis stage, Mr. Radford,” he said, “it is\quite pos- sible. More than that, it is an extreme- ly cold fact.” ‘“ But isn’t he supposed to be work- ing on LEAs Donaldson arose and looked from one brother-to the other. His eyes were very cold and sharp. It was rather a habit of those eyes, to be sure, yet now they seemed colder and sharper than ever be- fore. ‘“Bandmann was at work upon an ex- posé of the drug and _ patent-medicine people, I believe, gentlemen.” He pursed his lips again, and again smiled slightly. Sie. se ; 6 241 “ How very odd that he should have come to his end in a drug-store!” He turned to Radford and fairly transfixed him with the steely glitter. “I am going to have this body re- moved to Smith’s undertaking place to- night,” he remarked. “I shall proba- bly stay there myself until morning, when Foster and [I will perform an autopsy to determine positively the cause of death—although, as it is, there can be hardly a doubt.” He frowned thoughtfully and looked at the druggist again. “At noon or thereabout, Mr. Rad- ford, I shall open the inquest before a coroner’s jury. Will you be present vol- untarily, or shall I subpeena you?” The druggist swallowed hard, but he returned the stare. “TI shall be present, of course,’”’ he said in a low voice. CHAPTER IV. THE NET OF CIRCUMSTANCE. Dr. DoNnaLpson, wheeling suddenly, turned his back to Radford and began to gather tHe various exhibits into his bag. The tension seemed abruptly to have relaxed. The druggist stared at the coroner's broad back almost in amaze- ment. Donaldson had never been alto- gether friendly, far less genial; he pos- sessed a reputation for extreme brusk- ness and short speech, yet in this affair he seemed positively inhuman in the chill manner with which he conducted the business. Radford felt rather in need of sym- pathy just then, and he was glad to find it in Foster’s eyes. The bag closed with a snap, and Don- aldson turned to the group. ‘Coming with me, Foster? All right. Ill have Smith’s wagon here in the course of half an hour, Radford. You'll wait for him?” ** Certainly.” ‘“And be at the court-house at eleven to-morrow, if you can. You'll have to give considerable evidence, and we may as well get it into coherent shape for the jury. Good night.” “Good night,” said the brothers... ° Gomichoo <S (E@)