A Chance Acquaintance

I found the coroner had already arriv

rutable expression which is supposed to be part of the detective's stock in trade. I have often wondered wh

se. Young Lawrence was assisting in the recital, but whether because of his natural disinclination for gruesome subjects, o

er; as I knew it was not yet the time to

gment of it by the coroner, little attention was paid to me, and I liste

ed all that those present could tell him, the Coroner dete

e matters it seemed to me an incredibly short space of time bef

out of the very ground. As a matter of fact, Inspector Crawford had gone

here, and was sharpening his pencils in a b

emed as if the magic of some evil fairy had transfor

bring Miss Pembroke back, and whe

was called as t

e manner and cause of

roke's physician?"

ttended him fo

mptoms that would make hi

hat I k

at first that he

case of cerebral hemorrhage, and

ou call Do

y uncorroborated opinion, and desir

oke had been wilfully murdered, did you observe an

h had doubtless slipped from under the pillow. It s

is th

Mr. Landon for

produced the key, and gave it to

property of your

she replied; "it

ver seen it

al boxes in the bank and in the safe deposit

y, Mr. Lawrence?" pursued the Co

ess affairs, or his boxes or keys. Doubtless

summoned?" said Mr. Ross. He looked at Miss

lushed to a delicate pink, and my heart sank as I began to fear that she was deeply interested in the han

him, as if postponing its further considera

ned from his office, gave his testimony

all Doctor Masterson had

the base of the brain I discovered a small black speck. It proved to be the end of a long pin, which was so deeply imbedded as to be almost invisi

you say, is

ally or accidentally, broken in half. Owing to a peculiar tendency of human flesh, the pin was probably dr

stab of a pin t

ly-and imm

the cause and effect of cerebral hemorrhage,

here being no possibility of suicide, th

d systematic manner. His witnesses were called, sworn, q

igh, who also lived in the

?" asked t

s Whi

occupa

of The Hammersleigh. I live in

u had Robert Pemb

ccupied this apartm

mbers did the f

roke, his niece and nephew. Also, one servant was kept, usually a color

ved satisfacto

was always difficult to collect from M

not a po

a very wealthy man, but he h

you see

o'clock I came up here to ask hi

paid

taken from a very large roll of similar bills. He m

Surely that roll of bills which Mr. Whitaker saw

of paper with them?" I asked, for the inquest was

at me with a glance that savored

embered that I was but a new tenant, and the a

horitative air; "we will continue with the present witness. What ca

ent, the management or the service. As a business man, I have no reason to think him other than upright

ertain temper,

in to be bad. He was an inveterate scold, and sometimes would fly into a most ungovernable rage over nothing at a

m yesterday, was

ally so, except that he was usua

s he cro

he weather, his lawyer, his niece,-and in fact, spoke a

er, that will throw any light upon the cr

ing a

a marauder or intruder t

re open until midnight. Each tenant is

tionable person who ente

to notice those who come or go.

. He was rather a clever-looking young fellow of about sevent

's question; "but the fellers call me Solomon, cos I know mor'n they d

at can you tell u

he couldn't pry himself loose from a tip, any way. So I never seen him since the day he came; but gee, I've often heard him! Say, the Maureto

kindly-spoken to

I'd been shot in the eye wit' a magazine cover! An' she's as

ng McGuire rolled it forth so rapidly, and with such graphic

sternly; "please confine your speech to s

thought you wanted me to tell you all w

any one came into the house last evening, o

y. But then, you see, Mr. Coroner, I ain't on the night shift. This week I

we want, at all," said Mr. Ross, g

his rooms, but, gee! he didn't have to, fer me to hear him bally-hooin'! Every time

h to leave the room, he was materia

unimportant, he had at least helped to prove the irascibility of the late Mr

l over; how soon I could cultivate her acquaintance; and if-in the future-I could at last win her for my own. It was my first infatuation with any woman, and I gave myself up to it unreservedly, while my soul thrilled with hopes of what might some time be. To be sure, Miss Pembroke had not so much as glanced at me with other t

recalled to the dreadful realities of the oc

y otherwise unimportant evidence might at least convince Mi